The Fat Trap

[kangofu]

The Fat Trap
Source - NYTimes
By TARA PARKER-POPE
Published: December 28, 2011For 15 years, Joseph Proietto has been helping people lose weight. When these obese patients arrive at his weight-loss clinic in Australia, they are determined to slim down. And most of the time, he says, they do just that, sticking to the clinic’s program and dropping

Comments

[gloraelin]

I am shocked -- SHOCKED, I TELL YOU! -- that they discovered that repetitive dieting permanently changes your metabolism.

And that the people who are keeping the weight off devote their entire existence to that goal. I'd rather be "overweight"/fat/whatever and be able to go out for dinner with my friends, thankyouverymuch.

[sesmo]

+1

Every decent diet book starts out with 'you have to make this your number one priority.' Yeah, fuck that. My my family, my work, my life come before worrying about how many calories I consume.

[caketime]

That's the trouble I have. I wouldn't mind going on a protein diet, since it'd suit my needs but I can't tell my friends and family: sorry, ain't eating out. That'd just change every way they interact with me ... so no.

[cadetsandkings]

Agree so hard!

[roseofjuly]

This is not at all surprising...immediately after I read that they had them on 550 calorie diets, I knew what the results of the study would be. Public health scientists have been saying this for quite some time; it's really not anything new!

Thanks so much for posting this article; it's great.

[mirhanda]

I know, I think this is part of every nutrition article or book I've ever read (and I'm old, you know!) They were saying starvation diets don't work in the long run because they permanently change your metabolism waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in the dark ages when I was in high school.

[leprofessional]

This is a superb article OP. Better than what I expected even from TPP's Well.

Given how hard it is to lose weight, it’s clear, from a public-health standpoint, that resources would best be focused on preventing weight gain. The research underscores the urgency of national efforts to get children to exercise and eat healthful foods. But with a third of the U.S. adult population classified as obese, nobody is saying people who already are very overweight should give up on weight loss. Instead, the solution may be to preach a more realistic goal. Studies suggest that even a 5 percent weight loss can lower a person’s risk for diabetes, heart disease and other health problems associated with obesity. There is also speculation that the body is more willing to accept small amounts of weight loss.

Win.

The view of obesity as primarily a biological, rather than psychological, disease could also lead to changes in the way we approach its treatment.Still inclined to believe that rather than a 'biological disease' obesity is better viewed

[carminaburana]

I heard her interview on NPR yesterday re: this article. It's also worth a listen.

[perthro]

I'm really glad that doc thought to look into these things instead of just telling his patients "you're doing it wrong! Stop eating Twinkies! I know you are!". This article gives me a lot of ideas regarding disorders of metabolism. Maybe when I find a competent doc here I'll bring them up. ^_

[intrikate88]

What an appalling incident, I would have been shocked too. I don't have nearly the problem that you've had (and my sympathies! that SUCKS, I've seen patients with that and I know how awful it is), but this year I've dropped forty pounds pretty rapidly because of a combo of pain disorders and anxiety disorders completely removing my appetite. Forcing myself to eat a few pita chips with hummus and maybe a mouthful of green smoothie a day just to get essential nutrients in? Not healthy. And yet I get so many Oh my god, you look great, how did you do it? questions. Umm, four concurrent chronic health problems? But the strangest episode was talking to my psychiatrist about how little appetite I have and how I feel bad about being unable to control my weight continuing to drop, which she expressed concern about, and then I weighed myself in the office (don't have a scale at home) and she said, "Wow, wish I weighed that!" I'm sure she said it before thinking, but man was that jarring.

[skellington1]

Wow. Major fail, psychiatrist.

I've only really had the weight-loss-due-to-medical-issue problem with weight -- I just don't fluctuate very much, otherwise, though looking at my family I suspect if I had a kid everything would change. I have never felt so damned weak and awful as I did a year ago when I lost five pounds in five days due to illness. If someone had mentioned it I probably would have gotten graphic about vomitting and diahrea.

[intrikate88]

I get perky and talk about how sick constant migraines make me feel and that's my weight-loss key. Sometimes that clues people in that maybe some things aren't worth dropping pounds.