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Cardiometabolic Syndrome

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In 1988, at a lecture given before the American Heart Association, DeWitt S. Goodman MD spoke about the many efforts which were being made to educate both patients and physicians in the benefits of treating high cholesterol levels (defined at that time as being over 240).

A physician’s packet was prepared by the Physicians Cholesterol Education Program in 1987. Mary Enig writes that the American Pharmaceutical Association had representatives on the coordinating committee.[4]

Is it also a coincidence that Merck’s lovastatin (Lipitor®) was approved by the FDA in 1987, one of the shortest times on record for approval of a new drug?

So... we have both a logical fallacy and an impelling financial reason to use that fallacy as though it were actually logical. The result? Billions of dollars in sales of cholesterol lowering drugs, and heart disease as the number one killer in the United States.

consultant-magazine-logo

A recent issue of Consultant – Peer Reviewed Consultations In Primary Care has an article outlining steps to reduce the rick of cardiovascular disease and obesity.

The first recommendation is for dietary intervention - mainly caloric restriction. Well... we have seen how well that works in the past 30 years. The weight loss industry adds over $60 billion to the economy annually. But we are still grossly overweight as a population.

obesityWeight reduction drugs are recommended. Amphetamines (or similar drugs in the same family) are recommended to curb the appetite, despite the fact that they increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in the long run. Intestinal fat absorption blockade has been attempted, with very little success and significant side effects.

Weight reduction surgery (bariatric surgery) has emerged as a "prominent and durable" alternative to weight loss therapy. The major complication rate is 4% – one in 25 people - with ongoing stomach pain, diarrhea, nutrient deificiencies and depression being some of the more commonly seen complications.

Food Addicts Anonymous

Recovering together one day at a time from the biochemical disease of food addiction

prevention-magazineIs there such a thing as addiction to food?

Prevention magazine has a wonderful article available online and entitled: 6 Ways to Beat your Food Addiction.

It's an all-too-common scenario: You wake up in the morning swearing today's the day when you'll eat clean, nourish yourself with a healthy breakfast at home, and pass up the glistening bakery goodies that tempt you every day. You make it to work without incident and then stress hits-any kind of stress, from a new project deadline to a caustic remark from your boss. A little while later, you find yourself with pastries in hand, wolfing down sugary anesthetics and wanting more. When you finally pop out of your food trance, and the reality of what you've done begins to settle in, the ensuing feelings of shame and guilt stoke your stress levels more and you're already plotting your next food fix. You wonder: Why do I keep caving to these cravings? Where's my discipline and willpower?[6]

This is your brain addicted to food.

Once we begin to understand that those of us who simply "cannot" lose weight are addicted to the foods that we eat, then the road to recovery becomes much clearer.

As with any addiction, the first step is to recognize that we are addicted, and that we have no control over our addiction. We turn ourselves over to a higher Power - whether this be what we call God or a diet plan is immaterial. If we understand that we have no control over the addiction, then there is only one way out: DO NOT EAT THE FOOD IN QUESTION. It's relatively easy to say "no" to the first opportunity in any given day. But if we miss that option the first time, there really is no second opportunity - we are hooked.

...food addiction is real; it affects more people than you know, and manufacturers actually design food products so that they are as addicting as possible. Yes, that perfect combination of salty, sweet, and savory was created to make sure you keep reaching for more.[7]

hyperpalatable-foodsThese so-called "hyperpalatable" foods are to be avoided at all costs. Like an alcoholic or a cocaine addict, we must say "no" to the first opportunity to ingest the substance, if we are to have any chance of moving past the addiction to unhealthy "foods" into a world of healthier choices.

Fortunately, we have a choice for a different path.[8] Our brains are indeed not only capable of making different choice, but also of changing their neurochemistry so that we actually enjoy those different choices. By paying attention to both taste and smell, we can enhance our liking of natural foods, increasing the perceived sweetness, for example, without actually increasing the amount of sugar.

It's a whole new world of choices. The key is the work "choices".

We have the choice. We can vote with our feet and our pocketbooks. The first step to metabolic health is good food. Feast the eyes, feast the nose, feast the palate. And let the addictions hang out where they belong, in the "Say no to the first one" category.

We have the choice.

Let us choose wisely.

Screen Shot 2013-07-24 at 10.53.38 AM

[div class=”footnotes”]
  1. Olshansky SJ, Passaro DJ et al. A Potential Decline in Life Expectancy in the United States in the 21st Century. N Engl J Med 2005; 352:1138-1145March 17, 2005DOI: 10.1056/NEJMsr043743.
  2. Image downloaded from http://media.photobucket.com/user/felita128/media/broken-heart.jpg.html?filters[term]=broken%20heart&filters[primary]=images&filters[secondary]=videos&sort=1&o=24
  3. Image downloaded from http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health//dci/images/ather_lowres.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health//dci/Diseases/Hbc/HBC_WhatIs.html&h=451&w=450&sz=37&tbnid=VPN3JcnRABzrGM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=91&zoom=1&usg=__Aj_MHCnp4WL6lS_U_K13O1RkgNA=&docid=S1zmepBkitW2lM&sa=X&ei=c8KkUZS-H4XjqAH4jYFw&sqi=2&ved=0CD8Q9QEwAw&dur=3240
  4. Ostrander Ld Jr, Francis T Jr, Hayner Ns, Kjelsberg Mo, Epstein Fh. The relationship of cardiovascular disease to hyperglycemia. Ann Intern Med. 1965 Jun;62:1188-98.
  5. National Vital Statistics Report, 61;4 (May 9, 2013) page 58.
  6. http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/signs-symptoms-and-treatment-food-addiction#ixzz2VjXUhuHP
  7. ibid
  8. Tieman D, Bliss P, McIntyre LM, Blandon-Ubeda A, Bies D, Odabasi AZ, Rodríguez GR, van der Knaap E, Taylor MG, Goulet C, Mageroy MH, Snyder DJ,Colquhoun T, Moskowitz H, Clark DG, Sims C, Bartoshuk L, Klee HJ. The chemical interactions underlying tomato flavor preferences. Curr Biol. 2012 Jun 5;22(11):1035-9. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.04.016. Epub 2012 May 24.
[/div]
Cardiometabolic Syndrome

In 1988, at a lecture given before the American Heart Association, DeWitt S. Goodman MD spoke about the many efforts which were being made to educate both patients and physicians in the benefits of treating high cholesterol levels (defined at that time as being over 240).

A physician’s packet was prepared by the Physicians Cholesterol Education Program in 1987. Mary Enig writes that the American Pharmaceutical Association had representatives on the coordinating committee.[4]

Is it also a coincidence that Merck’s lovastatin (Lipitor®) was approved by the FDA in 1987, one of the shortest times on record for approval of a new drug?

So... we have both a logical fallacy and an impelling financial reason to use that fallacy as though it were actually logical. The result? Billions of dollars in sales of cholesterol lowering drugs, and heart disease as the number one killer in the United States.

consultant-magazine-logo

A recent issue of Consultant – Peer Reviewed Consultations In Primary Care has an article outlining steps to reduce the rick of cardiovascular disease and obesity.

The first recommendation is for dietary intervention - mainly caloric restriction. Well... we have seen how well that works in the past 30 years. The weight loss industry adds over $60 billion to the economy annually. But we are still grossly overweight as a population.

obesityWeight reduction drugs are recommended. Amphetamines (or similar drugs in the same family) are recommended to curb the appetite, despite the fact that they increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in the long run. Intestinal fat absorption blockade has been attempted, with very little success and significant side effects.

Weight reduction surgery (bariatric surgery) has emerged as a "prominent and durable" alternative to weight loss therapy. The major complication rate is 4% – one in 25 people - with ongoing stomach pain, diarrhea, nutrient deificiencies and depression being some of the more commonly seen complications.

Food Addicts Anonymous

Recovering together one day at a time from the biochemical disease of food addiction

prevention-magazineIs there such a thing as addiction to food?

Prevention magazine has a wonderful article available online and entitled: 6 Ways to Beat your Food Addiction.

It's an all-too-common scenario: You wake up in the morning swearing today's the day when you'll eat clean, nourish yourself with a healthy breakfast at home, and pass up the glistening bakery goodies that tempt you every day. You make it to work without incident and then stress hits-any kind of stress, from a new project deadline to a caustic remark from your boss. A little while later, you find yourself with pastries in hand, wolfing down sugary anesthetics and wanting more. When you finally pop out of your food trance, and the reality of what you've done begins to settle in, the ensuing feelings of shame and guilt stoke your stress levels more and you're already plotting your next food fix. You wonder: Why do I keep caving to these cravings? Where's my discipline and willpower?[6]

This is your brain addicted to food.

Once we begin to understand that those of us who simply "cannot" lose weight are addicted to the foods that we eat, then the road to recovery becomes much clearer.

As with any addiction, the first step is to recognize that we are addicted, and that we have no control over our addiction. We turn ourselves over to a higher Power - whether this be what we call God or a diet plan is immaterial. If we understand that we have no control over the addiction, then there is only one way out: DO NOT EAT THE FOOD IN QUESTION. It's relatively easy to say "no" to the first opportunity in any given day. But if we miss that option the first time, there really is no second opportunity - we are hooked.

...food addiction is real; it affects more people than you know, and manufacturers actually design food products so that they are as addicting as possible. Yes, that perfect combination of salty, sweet, and savory was created to make sure you keep reaching for more.[7]

hyperpalatable-foodsThese so-called "hyperpalatable" foods are to be avoided at all costs. Like an alcoholic or a cocaine addict, we must say "no" to the first opportunity to ingest the substance, if we are to have any chance of moving past the addiction to unhealthy "foods" into a world of healthier choices.

Fortunately, we have a choice for a different path.[8] Our brains are indeed not only capable of making different choice, but also of changing their neurochemistry so that we actually enjoy those different choices. By paying attention to both taste and smell, we can enhance our liking of natural foods, increasing the perceived sweetness, for example, without actually increasing the amount of sugar.

It's a whole new world of choices. The key is the work "choices".

We have the choice. We can vote with our feet and our pocketbooks. The first step to metabolic health is good food. Feast the eyes, feast the nose, feast the palate. And let the addictions hang out where they belong, in the "Say no to the first one" category.

We have the choice.

Let us choose wisely.

Screen Shot 2013-07-24 at 10.53.38 AM

[div class=”footnotes”]
  1. Olshansky SJ, Passaro DJ et al. A Potential Decline in Life Expectancy in the United States in the 21st Century. N Engl J Med 2005; 352:1138-1145March 17, 2005DOI: 10.1056/NEJMsr043743.
  2. Image downloaded from http://media.photobucket.com/user/felita128/media/broken-heart.jpg.html?filters[term]=broken%20heart&filters[primary]=images&filters[secondary]=videos&sort=1&o=24
  3. Image downloaded from http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health//dci/images/ather_lowres.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health//dci/Diseases/Hbc/HBC_WhatIs.html&h=451&w=450&sz=37&tbnid=VPN3JcnRABzrGM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=91&zoom=1&usg=__Aj_MHCnp4WL6lS_U_K13O1RkgNA=&docid=S1zmepBkitW2lM&sa=X&ei=c8KkUZS-H4XjqAH4jYFw&sqi=2&ved=0CD8Q9QEwAw&dur=3240
  4. Ostrander Ld Jr, Francis T Jr, Hayner Ns, Kjelsberg Mo, Epstein Fh. The relationship of cardiovascular disease to hyperglycemia. Ann Intern Med. 1965 Jun;62:1188-98.
  5. National Vital Statistics Report, 61;4 (May 9, 2013) page 58.
  6. http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/signs-symptoms-and-treatment-food-addiction#ixzz2VjXUhuHP
  7. ibid
  8. Tieman D, Bliss P, McIntyre LM, Blandon-Ubeda A, Bies D, Odabasi AZ, Rodríguez GR, van der Knaap E, Taylor MG, Goulet C, Mageroy MH, Snyder DJ,Colquhoun T, Moskowitz H, Clark DG, Sims C, Bartoshuk L, Klee HJ. The chemical interactions underlying tomato flavor preferences. Curr Biol. 2012 Jun 5;22(11):1035-9. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.04.016. Epub 2012 May 24.
[/div]
Cardiometabolic Syndrome

Is it also a coincidence that Merck’s lovastatin (Lipitor®) was approved by the FDA in 1987, one of the shortest times on record for approval of a new drug?

So... we have both a logical fallacy and an impelling financial reason to use that fallacy as though it were actually logical. The result? Billions of dollars in sales of cholesterol lowering drugs, and heart disease as the number one killer in the United States.

consultant-magazine-logo

A recent issue of Consultant – Peer Reviewed Consultations In Primary Care has an article outlining steps to reduce the rick of cardiovascular disease and obesity.

The first recommendation is for dietary intervention - mainly caloric restriction. Well... we have seen how well that works in the past 30 years. The weight loss industry adds over $60 billion to the economy annually. But we are still grossly overweight as a population.

obesityWeight reduction drugs are recommended. Amphetamines (or similar drugs in the same family) are recommended to curb the appetite, despite the fact that they increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in the long run. Intestinal fat absorption blockade has been attempted, with very little success and significant side effects.

Weight reduction surgery (bariatric surgery) has emerged as a "prominent and durable" alternative to weight loss therapy. The major complication rate is 4% – one in 25 people - with ongoing stomach pain, diarrhea, nutrient deificiencies and depression being some of the more commonly seen complications.

Food Addicts Anonymous

Recovering together one day at a time from the biochemical disease of food addiction

Prevention magazine has a wonderful article available online and entitled: 6 Ways to Beat your Food Addiction.

It's an all-too-common scenario: You wake up in the morning swearing today's the day when you'll eat clean, nourish yourself with a healthy breakfast at home, and pass up the glistening bakery goodies that tempt you every day. You make it to work without incident and then stress hits-any kind of stress, from a new project deadline to a caustic remark from your boss. A little while later, you find yourself with pastries in hand, wolfing down sugary anesthetics and wanting more. When you finally pop out of your food trance, and the reality of what you've done begins to settle in, the ensuing feelings of shame and guilt stoke your stress levels more and you're already plotting your next food fix. You wonder: Why do I keep caving to these cravings? Where's my discipline and willpower?[6]

This is your brain addicted to food.

Once we begin to understand that those of us who simply "cannot" lose weight are addicted to the foods that we eat, then the road to recovery becomes much clearer.

As with any addiction, the first step is to recognize that we are addicted, and that we have no control over our addiction. We turn ourselves over to a higher Power - whether this be what we call God or a diet plan is immaterial. If we understand that we have no control over the addiction, then there is only one way out: DO NOT EAT THE FOOD IN QUESTION. It's relatively easy to say "no" to the first opportunity in any given day. But if we miss that option the first time, there really is no second opportunity - we are hooked.

...food addiction is real; it affects more people than you know, and manufacturers actually design food products so that they are as addicting as possible. Yes, that perfect combination of salty, sweet, and savory was created to make sure you keep reaching for more.[7]

hyperpalatable-foodsThese so-called "hyperpalatable" foods are to be avoided at all costs. Like an alcoholic or a cocaine addict, we must say "no" to the first opportunity to ingest the substance, if we are to have any chance of moving past the addiction to unhealthy "foods" into a world of healthier choices.

Fortunately, we have a choice for a different path.[8] Our brains are indeed not only capable of making different choice, but also of changing their neurochemistry so that we actually enjoy those different choices. By paying attention to both taste and smell, we can enhance our liking of natural foods, increasing the perceived sweetness, for example, without actually increasing the amount of sugar.

It's a whole new world of choices. The key is the work "choices".

We have the choice. We can vote with our feet and our pocketbooks. The first step to metabolic health is good food. Feast the eyes, feast the nose, feast the palate. And let the addictions hang out where they belong, in the "Say no to the first one" category.

We have the choice.

Let us choose wisely.

Screen Shot 2013-07-24 at 10.53.38 AM