Dr. Dodge: Passion for Health

“Enjoy Vibrant Life and Health” 

            November 14, 2009                                                                        Volume 1, No. 11 

The Holiday Season offers many kinds of high-calorie goodies that beg to be sampled. One of the season’s characteristics is the dinner table laden with wonderful dishes created for the festive meals of the season. Even in hard times, people anticipate tasty holiday feasts with loved ones, and that is part of what makes the season special. 

A by-product of holiday feasting and season-long sampling of goodies is often some unwanted weight gain. While it may be modest, it tends to accumulate over the years. That is how obesity sneaks up on most people. Many may know their weight is creeping up, but few plan on becoming obese.  In a sense, that has happened to our nation also. 

Excess weight has become a major health problem in the United States. How big? Two-thirds of Americans are now overweight or obese, but this only hints at the magnitude of the health dilemma involved. Let’s look at this predicament in a bit more detail. 

Obesity is now the leading cause of “prime-of-life” heart attacks in the USA. Equally distressing, it is also a big contributing factor to the type 2 diabetes epidemic that is escalating in our country. According to a Johns Hopkins University report, obese people are up to seven times more likely than normal weight people to develop type 2 diabetes. 

Not a disorder to be shrugged off, type 2 diabetes is more than a blood sugar problem. Dreaded complications such as strokes, heart disease, kidney failure, amputations, and blindness are serious long-term threats. Loss of excess weight reduces these risks.  

Obesity also contributes to hypertension and high blood fat levels. It is associated with less known (but not less serious) diseases like Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), and it’s the most significant risk factor for sleep apnea. All are problems that afflict millions of people. 

Next to age, obesity is the most powerful risk factor for osteoarthritis of the hips and knees, due to the excess mechanical stress exerted on these joints. On another matter, the American Urological Association says that obesity is the leading cause of impotence in men. A 42-inch versus a 32-inch waistline carries nearly twice the risk of impotence. 

This overview of various health problems linked to obesity makes it clear that it is not a minor inconvenience. It is a serious health issue. Many overweight people have a great sense of humor to help them cope with health-related difficulties. That’s a wonderful saving grace, but it does not save them from adverse health consequences. 

The holiday season is the best time to tackle eating habits. Learning to navigate holiday hazards healthfully enables one to do so for life. The trick is to enjoy the season while avoiding pitfalls and seductive surfeit. Now is the time to gain those skills. Waiting until the New Year is rarely effective, and crash diets are never a good answer. 

Following are a few tips that I have found helpful through the years. They are based on a combination of science and personal experience. Not all may appeal to you, but that’s OK. My purpose in this essay is simply to give you some ideas of how to cope with too much rich food. You decide what tips may be useful in your life. 

Be wise in your choices of food and drink. There are still some gray areas where ideal nutritional answers remain unclear, but there is more agreement today about wise food choices than was true fifty years ago when I first became interested in good nutrition. 

Today, there is broad consensus that vegetables and fruit servings are at the heart of a healthy diet. There are usually plentiful choices of such servings on most holiday tables, so it’s not difficult to get in at least five servings a day, even on holidays. Choosing more than five fruit and vegetable servings to eat every day is a sign of nutritional wisdom. 

Whole grains, beans, nuts, and brown rice are also good food choices for their vitamin, mineral, and high fiber content. They are increasingly popular, though white flour is still common in many recipes and foods. Using whole wheat flour instead is good if possible. 

Protein comes from plant and animal sources. Ideal protein intake remains controversial, but increasing scientific evidence suggests that lower protein intake is healthier for most of us. I’m vegetarian, but the jury is still out on the question of protein. In the meantime, meat-eaters are wise to select white meat preferentially, and go light on their helpings. 

Desserts and sweet snacks are the most tempting and the most problematic items on the holiday scene. Most are made from sugar, fat, white flour, and/or dairy components, all of which are controversial. Due to growing scientific evidence, the American Heart Association recently advised cutting sugar intake sharply to reduce risks of obesity and cardiovascular disease. Clearly, it is wise to go light on all sweets. That also means avoiding or minimizing soft drinks and all other sugar-loaded beverages! 

Is it possible to eat heartily and healthfully and not gain weight? Absolutely! I enjoy my food immensely, and my weight has held steady for over forty years. I indulge in a sweet dessert occasionally, but by eating wisely ninety percent of the time, I can enjoy my food without guilt all the time. Eating heartily and healthfully is something anyone can do! 

I conclude with these final thoughts: Enjoy your holiday meals. Don’t over-indulge to the point of feeling miserable. If possible, walk or do yoga exercises at least thirty minutes a day. Have a wonderful Holiday Season! 

Be Well!

Ed Dodge, MD