'Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show' Episode 21: Obesity Armageddon Is Almost Here

LISTEN NOW to Episode 21 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" by clicking on the PLAY IN POPUP link below (REMINDER: You DON'T need an iPod to listen!):

 "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 21 [12:36m]: Play in Popup | Download

On the eve of debuting a brand new feature for next month I'm calling "Fact-Filled February," I highlight an alarming study in Episode 21 that should scare the bajeebies out of people. We may think obesity is bad now, but if the results of this study come to fruition then it looks like not one single person will be able to escape from the clutches of the fat monster. Yep, that's right, we are heading for 100 percent obesity and it's supposed to happen in MY lifetime. EEEEEK!

I'd love for you to listen to today's podcast and then tell me what your reaction is to it in the show notes section of today's episode or by calling our listener comment line at (206) 203-4192. Let me hear from you TODAY!

You can check out the podcast many different ways:

1. Listening at the official web site
2. Going to iTunes
3. Calling (818) 688-2763 to listen via Podlinez
4. Subscribing to the RSS feed

Is universal obesity really an inevitable fate that will overcome us in just a few decades? How can we allow this to happen at a time in our history when information is so readily available about how to lose weight? Share your comments and express how this study makes you feel. Are you scared to death or do you remain hopeful the message of livin' la vida low-carb will alter this fatalistic prediction before it can happen?

Be sure to come back on Mondays and Thursdays throughout the month of February as we bring you even more studies arming you with the truth about the healthy low-carb lifestyle. You won't want to miss a single episode. Tell you friends and family to listen to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" for more education and encouragement than you can shake a stick at. For those of you who don't speak Southern, that means it's pretty good. :D

Answering A Critic, Educating The Public

One of the pitfalls of blogging that I've noticed since I started doing this nearly two years ago is the fact that there are brand new readers who find out about you for the very first time each and every day. Quite literally, tens of thousands of new readers stumble upon and read the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog each month and I am extremely grateful for that.

But what inevitably happens is someone will read a single column that I have written without knowing who this Jimmy Moore fella is and the context of the more than 1,400 blog posts I have written since April 2005. Many of these critics wonder how I came up with my opinions and sometimes misunderstand what I have written. It happens ALL THE TIME and I've really come to expect it.

Generally I kindly reply back to the person who e-mailed me providing links to other blog posts I have previously written as well as clearly explaining where I am coming from. Do I HAVE to do this? Of course not. Yet in the context of sharing ideas and attempting to educate people on my perspective, I cheerfully do it.

Today I received another one of these kind of e-mails from a man who is obviously a brand new reader since he said he "spotted" my blog post from Thursday about a McDonald's restaurant closing down because of competition from the neighborhood farmers' market. To answer this critic and help educate the public, I will individually respond to each of his criticisms about my column much in the same way I would in a typical e-mail reply.

"I don't know you but I am having difficulty understanding why you seem to have so much hostility toward McDonald's."

Hello and THANK YOU for sharing your feedback with me. I enjoy reading comments from people who come across my blog for the very first time. Welcome to the debate of ideas about diet, health, nutrition, weight loss, and, of course, low-carb. Please feel free to navigate around my blog and read the more than 1,400 blog posts that have come before the one you cited.

Regarding your assertion that I have "hostility toward McDonald's," nothing could be further from the truth. My regular readers will tell you that I am all for letting a business do what it has to do to turn a profit. That's the American way and NOBODY should force a business to do anything that would stand in the way of their economic success.

I believe in the power of a democratic society without the use of strong-arm tactics like unnecessary government-forced rules and regulations. For example, I was opposed to the recent ban of trans fats in New York City. Does this mean I approve of the use of trans fats in the food served at places like McDonald's? Not hardly. Instead, I am a strong proponent of personal responsibility for weight and health problems rather than blaming it on a disease or making it the fault of fast food companies.

"I read that you lost a lot of weight. Congratulations on that accomplishment but the rancor in your article gives me the impression you blame McDonald's for being overweight."

THANK YOU for your compliments about my low-carb weight loss success which I chronicled in my 2005 debut book release Livin' La Vida Low-Carb. However, where was the "rancor" in my article? If you have read any of my previous blog posts then you will quickly discover that I generally write in a very direct manner fueled by the personal experiences I have encountered as part of my miraculous weight loss experience. My intense passion should not be mistaken for opposition.

I make no apologies for my writing style and can't be held responsible for your misinterpretation of what I wrote. With that said, I can without a shadow of a doubt tell you that I don't blame McDonald's for my obesity or anybody else's. Again, it goes back to my philosophy that the individual has the power to change.

When there was a move earlier this year for McDonald's and other restaurants to cut back on their portion sizes and calories in their menu items, I stood up for them against such a movement. Additionally, when they voluntarily decided to put the nutritional information on the packaging, I applauded their efforts. I'm not anti-McDonald's from a business standpoint and believe they could be a good company for people living a healthy lifestyle. All it would take is for them to provide better and healthier choices for their prospective customer base.

"The last time I visited McDonald's there were salads, fruit, low fat yogurt, grilled chicken, orange juice and milk. So, what is your real problem with the brand?"

LOL! Now that's funny! Do you think all of that makes McDonald's a "healthy" place to eat? Okay, I'll give you the plain salads and grilled chicken (although, even THAT is suspect!), but clearly the rest of their so-called "healthy" menu is loaded with too much sugar and carbohydrates to be deemed good for you.

Fruit? Oh, do you mean those little apple slices that come with a container of caramel dipping sauce just LOADED with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)? Oh yeah, that's REALLY healthy! Many of the salads at McDonald's have sugar in them, too, which make them decided unhealthy for people who are livin' la vida low-carb.

Low-fat yogurt? You've got to be kidding, right? OJ? Milk? Have you looked at the carb counts in these lately? It's not a pretty picture. I provided McDonald's with a few examples of some excellent low-carb menu offerings in this recent blog post. We'll see if they take me up on my suggestions.

"I can't believe I am actually writing to you about this but in your glee over the closure, you overlook the 27 employees that are being 'displaced.' You seem elated about this and I can't understand why. I suspect these employees are 'local town folk' too as are the truck drivers, repair people and other vendors that support any restaurant."

I'm really glad you did write to me because you allow me the opportunity to address your concerns directly. Again, I wouldn't say I have "glee" over this McDonald's closing down, but rather it's not surprising considering the economic dynamics of the area.

As for the employees who worked at that store, the article I quoted very clearly said they would be offered positions at the nearby Plymouth McDonald's location if they want it. Don't be so smug and crass to think I'm "elated" over anyone losing their job. I went through that a few months back and wouldn't wish it on anyone.

But you move on with your life. You find something else to do to make a living and support your family. That's the way it works in a free society economy, especially in the high-turnover restaurant industry. Many of the people employed at the McDonald's that shut down would have moved on in the next six months or so anyway and they can do so much better for themselves than Mickey D's. This very well may give them the impetus to get out there and find an even better job with higher pay and benefits.

Yes, it's sad when a job is lost, but it's not the end of the world. Perhaps these ex-McDonald's employees could look into working at the Tavistock Farmers' Market? If they put forth enough initiative and energy into selling fresh produce and meats like they did Big Macs and French fries, then I have no doubt they will be successful. But they shouldn't expect a job to come running to them. Work is there for the taking with low unemployment rates around 4% right now.

"You could also check this out with experts but I suspect the chances of getting a food borne illness is probably greater buying food at a local farmers market from some unknown source (not all of the items are organic as many believe) than from a national chain since the chains require their suppliers to meet certain national standards for food safety."

Oh yeah, that's worked out real well, hasn't it? Try telling that to Taco Bell or Olive Garden, hmmm? There's not one shred of evidence to back your claim that food sold at a farmers' market will make you sick. Now who's showing "hostility" and "rancor?" Are you sure you're not on the board of directors for McDonald's? Hey, I gotta ask!

"I do not expect you to reply but I hope I have given you some points to consider. Happy New Year!"

Well, that's where you are wrong, my friend. You not only got a reply from me, but I even devoted an entire blog post to your e-mail. Don't you feel so special? :)

I appreciate the feedback and the attempt to share your thoughts and opinions with me about this subject. Hopefully this blog post can serve as a springboard for looking closer at the issues both you and I have raised. This is the kind of synergy that is needed to help further the education of the public. THANK YOU for sharing and feel free to write to me again anytime.

Comments and feedback are highly encouraged at my blog. Please e-mail me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.

For Most People Obesity Isn't A Disease, It's A Conscious Choice They Make

You know how much I love to step on people's toes on the subject of weight loss and obesity, don't you? LOL! I don't do it intentionally out of any vitriol hatred for people who want to lose weight or stop being obese. Actually, just the opposite is true as those closest to me will tell you.

My primary motive and mission in writing about this very sensitive and difficult subject so often is to help others who were in the same situation that I was in when I weighed 410 pounds so they can have the opportunity to not just lose weight, but keep it off for the rest of their lives. Because of the miracle that took place in my life because of the low-carb lifestyle, this is the least I can do to give back to others so they can hear from someone who has been where they have been.

With that said, I need to address an issue that seems to come up from time to time in the context of discussions about obesity that are quite disheartening to me. It seems rather innocent enough, but I believe it is a concept that is without any merit for most people who are overweight or obese. What is it? It's the insane idea that obesity is an illness or disease.

If ever a flimsy excuse was invented to explain why people are so fat, then this is it! What's amazing is that this is something I even realized way back in the middle of my weight loss experience in 2004 when I wrote this column even as I was still working on shedding the pounds. It was that crystal clear to me at the time when I still hovered around 300 pounds and it still is today as I approach 200 pounds.

Why do we go around making up diseases for every problem that we have nowadays? Could it be that we don't really have a disease, we've just made some really bad choices for ourselves, hmmmm? Consciously choosing to do something that is detrimental to yourself in some way does not mean you are sick. Misguided, ignorant, or even bored, perhaps, but NOT stricken with an indomitable disease that cannot be overcome.

I was reminded of this subject after receiving an e-mail recently from one of my readers who is a diabetic and has lost about 40 pounds since recommiting to livin' la vida low-carb at the end of June. He shared with me how he started off at over 300 pounds, used to take all kinds of medications for his diabetes (a REAL disease!) despite the recommended low-fat diet changes, and his blood sugar was through the roof. But now he's down close to 260 thanks to livin' la vida low-carb and is completely off of his diabetes medications.

YEAH and CONGRATULATIONS!!!

In addition, he gets in regular exercise by riding his bicycle often and even finished his first 50-mile ride on a recent Saturday morning. He tries to get in about 15 miles daily, five days a week with longer rides on the weekend. It sounds like my reader is well on his way to learning the invaluable lessons that it takes to keep the weight off over the long-term. Kudos!

However, one thing about his e-mail concerned me greatly when he responded to the following quote I made in this recent blog post about New York City health officials proposing to ban trans fats in restaurants.

Here was the passage he quoted from my blog:

"It's amazing, but people are always saying to me now, 'That's easy for you to say, you don't have a weight problem.' That's right, I don't--ANYMORE! But it was just a little more than couple of years ago I was walking around this world as 400+ pound man looking for answers to my morbid obesity problem, too. I found the low-carb lifestyle and it changed my life forever."

The response my reader gave me is why I wrote this post today.

"Isn't having a weight problem the same as any kind of other disease? You may have it under control, but you still have it. I think that part of today's problems is that you start losing focus on what you are doing and all of a sudden the pounds start creeping back on. Just like my diabetes. I may not show any signs of it, but I still have it. Any slip ups in my diet or exercise and I will be right back where I started. I guess what I am saying is that even when I reach my weight goal I will still have a weight problem. I will for the rest of my life. I think that if I live in that kind of reality I will be much more successful with my new life. Thanks for doing such a great job and for helping me be successful."

While I am certainly thrilled with that kind of positive attitude about dealing with a serious weight problem, there are some flaws in that kind of thinking. Yes, you want to keep the right focus and make those big changes in your lifestyle to keep the weight from ever coming back again. But it is not necessary to take on the mindset that obesity is a disease like cancer, tuberculosis, and polio. It is not even close to being the same.

I suppose it could be argued that obesity is a mental disease, but again that gets people off the hook of putting in the necessary effort to lose weight. They may think, "Oh well, I guess I'm fat because I'm sick in the head, so I suppose I'll be this way forever!" UGH UGH UGH! Is it any wonder why obesity keeps getting worse as this line of thinking becomes the prevailing thought in America and around the world today?

And let's also not forget the phamaceutical companies who are licking their chops waiting in the wings to swoop down and save the day with weight loss miracle pills like this, this, and this. Oh, and don't forget about that obesity vaccine they are working on, too! Yikes!

People please stop falling for nonsense like this. Obesity is NOT a disease and it never has been. Sure, there are SOME people who have trouble losing weight because their body is metabolically resistant for one reason or another. But for MOST people who are walking around 50, 100 or 200+ pounds overweight, there's one common explanation for why they got that way: POOR EATING HABITS!

It's not a slow metabolism. It's not because you don't have time to eat healthy and exercise. It's not because of your kids, your grandkids, your Uncle Buck or your Aunt Gertrude. You don't have any excuse for why you got to be as big as you have except for one person: YOU!

What gets me is how people will whine about their weight getting worse and worse while stuffing their mouths with doughnuts, potato chips, and other junk comfort foods. It's a vicious cycle: you get fat, you get depressed, you eat to comfort your sadness, so you get fat some more, you get more depressed, you eat even more to cover the pain--IT NEVER ENDS! I was in that cycle once and it's no fun at all.

I am often criticized for my staunch philosophy regarding personal responsibility. That's fine that people don't want to hear the truth, but that won't stop me from telling it and I make no apologies for it. At the end of the day, nobody is in charge of your life except for YOU. If something is not working right in your life, such as an out-of-control weight problem, then YOU are the one who must change it. Nobody else is going to do it for you, although the government certainly tries.

This is a controversial topic, I understand, because people desperately want a reason for WHY they can't seem to lose weight on the same old diets they always go on. Something's gotta give, right? However, excusing obesity as a disease is like those in the "fat acceptance" movement who say they are content with where they are because they think that's where destiny would have them to be forever. WRONG!

I know better because I've been in that position before and have now come to the other side. Obesity is not the final destination for ANYONE who truly wants to lose weight and get healthy. I'm not saying it will be an easy road because it won't be. But nothing worth having ever is. The time has come to stop lying to yourself and start losing weight.

Do it today--NOT TOMORROW because you are not promised that day will ever come--but TODAY is the day you should commit yourself fully to an effective and healthy weight loss plan that will begin the process of transforming your life into the person God meant for you to be. The days of pointing fingers and making excuses about your weight are over. It's time to get serious about your weight problem and to take back full control of the situation before it is too late. YOU CAN DO THIS and I am here to help you in any way that I can as you travel down this journey towards improving your health for many years to come.

If you decide to start livin' la vida low-carb, then it very well could be the best decision you will ever make in your life. It certainly was for me and I will continue to reap the benefits of that choice I made on January 1, 2004 for the rest of my life. The same thing could happen for you, too. GO FOR IT!

E-mail me anytime with your questions or comments at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.

10-11-06 UPDATE: Here's what one of my new British readers had to say about this blog post:

"I have just been reading your site about low carb. The part where you put your neck on the block and say being overweight is mostly our own faults, I couldn't agree with you more...I am fat because I eat the wrong food and don't exercise enough.

I believe in low-carb food as humans didn't evolve on eating many carbs, when we were apes in the trees we would eat vegetation and probably any meat we could catch. Then we evolved to hunter gatherers what did we eat...what we could find, meat and vegetation probabaly not many seeds and only roots in season, no processed stuff and most likely not any bean type plants as they are mostly poisonous unless cooked.

Also you risked getting badly stung by bees if you wanted sweet items, out of the fruit season, hence why we like sweet things body does not need to do much work to make it useable. But in the days of not much food and a lot of work to get it this was not a problem.

Humans are hunters--front-pointing binocular eyes tells you that. I don't think people had problems like obesity before modern times when we started being farmers and eating bread and sweet things, and not having to work so hard to find food. Too much TV and stuff on shelves has made it far too easy to eat the wrong kinds of food all the time."

Well-stated! Glad to see SOMEBODY agrees with me. :)