Notes on "The Park Avenue Diet Show"--June 13th, 2010

Here are a few comments regarding the points covered in the show entitled" The Top Ten Weight-Loss Myths".

The Medical Riddle of the Day was: "What is it called when overflowing oil gushes out into natural surroundings and pollutes everything it touches?" The answer is not you-know-what in the Gulf of Mexico. It's visceral fat, that toxic accumulation of hormonally active, potentially carcinogenic, and thus extremely dangerous "oil"....which "pollutes" millions of American bodies internally. No tell-tale oil slick, since these chemicals (free fatty acids) do their mischief via the circulation.

And here are the Top Ten Weight-Loss Myths
1) Those mass-market diets are very successful. That's why they've been around for years. (See The Park Avenue Diet bibliography for medical articles on this topic----and be prepared to be horrified).
2) "I'm from the government and I'm here to help your weight" (This paraphrase of Ronald Reagan is meant as a warning that no elected official, government agency, or political party is particularly interested in your health...and therefore it's up to you. This will be even more true in future years.)
3) There are foods that can help you lose weight (This is conceptually impossible and defies the first law of thermodynamics).
4) There's nothing wrong with being overweight (Lifespan is reduced by one year in the overweight, 3 years in the obese, and 10 years in the massively obese....please complain to "The Lancet" if this seems unpleasant).
5) Exercise is more important than eating correctly if you want to lose weight (Many 'exercisers' overeat after a workout...conversely, exercise is mandatory for maintenance of a good weight.
6) All health information is equally valid, especially those magazines at the supermarket checkout counter.
7) Weight-loss depends on carbohydrate content and/or glycemic index. (see: the first law of thermodynamics)
8) Diabetes and high blood pressure are benign conditions like athlete's foot.
9) I feel okay so my weight isn't a problem.
10) "Weight loss has magical transformative properties." (This error in thinking is discussed at length in The Park Avenue Diet).

Next week: The Ten Commandments of Weight-Loss (June 20, 2010).