Banning Soda

New York City seeks to ban big sodas from restaurants, food carts

Can they ban the crummy food too? Hey don't give them any ideas. Soon they'll ban fat people from buying any extra food.

Actually I see this as more "nanny government" taking away all the pop and soda from the bad "fatties", even though I have seen lots of skinny people who drink that stuff too.

I gave up soda except for a couple glasses a week, if that, because I started worrying about all the chemicals and I realized it made me more thirsty. I thought why am I wasting my time drinking this stuff? Of course I drank diet, trying to avoid sugar fits, but then Aspartame is some scary stuff.

Does the government actually plan to SOLVE the obesity problems by outlawing foods, as if adults were children?

Of course they will never deal with the issue of all our adulterated food or the modern American life which leads to bad health in itself.

I hope the market at least forces more good choices. Let the local and slow food movements expand! This whole industrial food system where everything is trucked in from a million miles away, is bound for failure and ill health.

Man Loses 270lbs

Man refuses surgery, drops 270 pounds

Hey think about the implications of successful dieting hitting the national news. I guess because success comes so rare?

I am happy for this fellow he got the weight off, but one thing I have noticed is for the supersized who do lose large amounts of weight successfully, most often they are people who had psychological eating addiction problems who could return to normal eating patterns and leave extreme ones, and who also can still exercise to a certain point. The problem with an article like this is some of the readers will assume everyone is the same.

Small steps are what began Bryan's weight loss journey. After leaving the hospital, he began to move -- at first pushing a shopping cart around the grocery store like a toddler learning to walk. Then he ventured to the mailbox at the end of his driveway. Soon, he was conquering several miles at a time.

He lost 130 pounds in the first six months, then dropped another 140 pounds over the course of the next year. At 5-foot-8, Bryan now weighs just under 300 pounds.

"It turns out it really is true," Bryan wrote in his iReport submission. "If you use more energy than you take in, you will lose weight."

Bryan switched to a day shift at work to conquer his bad eating habits. He's very particular about what he puts in his mouth, refusing to stray from self-prepared lean meats, vegetables and fruits. He eats five to six meals a day, every two to three hours. He measures his portions so that his total calorie count for the day hits 2,500.

I read this and thought they make it sound so easy. I wonder how he advanced from the small walks so quickly to the miles of walking. I did the small walking but remained STUCK as my body swelled up more the more exercise I did. Also if he can lose weight on 2500 a day that is pretty good. Some of us stay supersized on less calories then that. I am happy this guy was able to save himself from the horrors of severe obesity. Let's hope it lasts for him. The other day, I saw some controversy of some women in size acceptance being mistreated for losing from 700 down to 400lbs, such things are silly to me. For those who can escape all the more power to them!

Zeitgeist - Obesity/Diabetes

The System of inter-dependence via means of Low Income + Nutritionally Poor Diet.

Footage from Food, Inc.

"We've skewed our food system to the bad calories, and it's not an accident, the reason those calories are cheaper is because those calories are the ones that are heavily subsidized."

"Episode 2 - Two-And-A-Half Me (Life At 519 lbs.)"

"1 in 3 is obese--even the homeless"

1 in 3 is obese--even the homeless"

This study definitely seems to back up many themes I have written about on this blog including food insecurity in the obese. It is pretty telling when 2 out of every 3 homeless people in this study are fat. In the old days, I guess the very poor out and out starved, so they grew thin and starved to death but today, many get food from sources where the food is highest in fat and calories and is carb rich and get into the feast and famine metabolic drops. One can see the effects here:

The paradox is that hunger and obesity can exist in the same person. And although a person may be overweight or obese, he or she can lack proper nutrition.

Nutrition is a daily challenge for homeless people, as the foods they manage to get are often full of preservatives and high in sodium, fats and sugars. They may not have access to healthier options like fresh fruits and vegetables.

"It's the lowest socio-economic group who has the biggest obesity problem," said Paul Montgomery, one of the authors of the study published in the Journal of Urban Health. "No one looked at the homeless problem before. What we found was this group has a significant obesity problem that wasn't known."

The obesity rate in a sample of 5,632 homeless adults seen at the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program was similar to that seen in the general population.

"It just mirrors what Americans look like in general," said Barbara Dipietro, policy director of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. "It follows the homeless in general. They are more economically driven. They are intact families and people who are coming into homelessness, who don't come with behavioral health issues. When we look at the homeless population, we think they're different, but they're like everyone else."

Two out of three homeless individuals were either overweight or obese. The study found that 32.6% were normal weight and that 1.6% was underweight.

"Although underweight has been traditionally associated with homelessness, this study suggests that obesity may have replaced underweight as the new malnutrition of the homeless," the authors wrote.

The researchers found that 5.6% of this population were morbidly obese, meaning they had BMIs greater than 40. A 250-pound man who stands at 5 feet and 7 inches would have a BMI of 40. A BMI over 25 is considered overweight; a BMI over 30 is obese.

In further analyses, homeless women (42.8%) were more likely to be obese than homeless men (29.7%).

"Our results are in line with [the] hunger-obesity paradox," said Montgomery. "People feel hungry. The body's response is the higher calories, you store them and become obese, and you still feel hungry. It's a circular problem."

The human body might be hoarding calories, as an adaptive response when people do not consistently have enough to eat. The body's response could contribute to obesity, by "becoming more efficient at storing more calories as fat," according to the report.

One Day at A Time?

I am trying to think about different answers, how does one fix all this? I am pondering now some answers.

What if feel like you are caught up in a whirlwind that is making you literally sick,and it's like a spiral? What if you know stress and poverty to start with, caused your body to say "I am out of here", and now it's back and seems to be never ending? Having that deer in the headlights feeling again is no fun.

I think stress is aggravating both me and husband's illness. He got sick again this week. Whenever he has to work a lot on his freelance work, he is taking ill. He is older then me so some of you probably can perhaps catch a whiff of what I am hinting at regarding the future or what could happen to either of us. When you care about someone you worry about them!

The money stresses are getting bad. The tax rate for someone who does independent work, even a underemployed freelancer, is 20%, they do not care if you are dirt poor and using food pantries. They do not care if you have a disabled wife on a very small check. I kid you not. This 20% has been adding up every year. While rich people get giant tax refunds, our hole gets deeper and deeper. There is no money to save, no expendable income. I am wiping away most of my disability check on the rent alone. We are feeling tsunamis from every direction.

We try to have a positive attitude and keep going, and husband says "DO NOT GIVE UP" but sometimes I feel like the modern American life has just become a PILE ON. Like is anyone else saying, "hey something is wrong with this system!" My mind is full of fantasties about escape, but the body is more of a prison then super-max could ever dream of being. I've lost around 75lbs in 6 years but that is so slow as to be meaningless and is a teaspoon to a full cup of fat coffee. Does anyone else feel this way? I know reading some websites, about the real unemployment rate, that others are in this boat, but it doesn't make it easier when you seem to live in a society that does not admit what is happening on the front end.

One does not want to drive friends crazy with too many complaints. My friends are great and don't want to add stress to them. Many have heard this stuff before and a few of them are LIVING IT. What if you feel like you failed BIG TIME despite endless efforts? What if you feel trapped in a life of Ground Hog Day where the bad stuff repeats itself over and over? What do the strong and resiliant do? What is their secret? Stiff upper lip or letting things go? Anyone got any advice out there.

I do not think waking up every morning with a feeling of self recrimination is helping my life, but I am not sure how to fix it. We put up ebay to see it unsold, he sends out job applications to see them unanswered. I exercise as much as I am able, eat healthy, and see no results. Closed doors, closed dreams. I found myself thinking if only he got this simple clerk job, things could at least be stable, even way below his education, and well, he never heard anything back.

 Age is wearing upon me lately even more then the extra pounds and lately I am feeling extreme stress and grief on so many fronts, past a certain age, you know the therapists and others can only say so much. You can't get your youth back or years lost to illness. One secret of growing old is they do not tell people how hard it can be. I go pray and get some comfort and have hope in the hereafter.  I do not want to be the stereoptypical severely fat woman, crying copious tears as an object of pity to the world. I would rather be of service to this world rather then buried in bills I can never pay and medical stuff, that now seems to be moving beyond my knowledge. I want to do good for other people.

Life has become a fearful enterprise of worrying about the car breaking down, and other problems and then I have the medication fracas to fix on top of it all. I think to myself life was supposed to be more then just alternating of DRUDGE AND FEAR. I have hobbies, I have friends, I have God, and lately I am telling God, "I am tired, and this needs to get better."  Can a new life be found? Is this a call to revamp everything? What am I doing wrong? Am I doing anything wrong? Can I do something different? These are things running through my mind.

Is this modern American life? Why is this considered OK? I do have volunteer work and happy times with friends, and have those periods of happiness such a visit with one of my best college friends, and going to brunch with another friend who treated me but I return everytime to the creaking and breaking foundations of my life, which seems to rest on a precipe of total ruin. Perhaps this has become a norm in a failing economic system.  Perhaps I need to just deal with it and say OK, you are alright for TODAY. The recovery movement "TAKE ONE DAY at a TIME" message does serve a purpose.

I think about answers that range from cheaper rent, to downgrading, but there is no budgeting of "zero", when you have health problems that mean you need air conditioning to stay alive even, there's less room to move into a shack. I know some people in my position with a kindly aunt or cousin with a spare room would probably jump on that but when one is disabled, the game changes. Of course if we can hold on, we have to do that and stand on our own feet as much is possible.

I wish I could tell my husband's last two employers, "look what you did to our life, you ruined it!" but they probably would not care. I am not sure of the answers. The stress levels need to come down. Today I understand why some people just sell everything off, and hit the road, or run away to join that intentional community.  I would consider it seriously with better health. I may even consider a different lifestyle while in bad health. Maybe I am nuts or maybe I am seeing the holes in the modern American lifestyle. One wants one's life to have meaning beyond just survival. I feel unable even to do for others as I desire. It is a frustrating place to be. And my husband, I am worried about him too.

I cleaned out a closet yesterday, I am having us clean our apartment out increment by increment. If anything happens it will make it easier to deal with. I saw some of my old art work, when I was studying art education, and one thing, back then I realized was the idealism, the HOPE I had towards life, and the good I did via the art when I taught it and how much fun I had drawing and painting. It's good I did not know what awaited back then, but I miss that aspect of myself and need to get more of it back.

I seriously do wonder how long I have, when you are 500lbs you know you are dealing with less time. I hope those who care about me, know I never chose this. I did not want this all to happen the way it did. I wish I could figure out what I want to do with the time I got left. I want it to mean more then struggle.  Perhaps I need to just stop fighting the river and go with the flow. I am not sure. I want to have a life with meaning, and of some use. Something needs to change. I hope it is not too late for me, I am praying to God asking "What do I do now?".

I don't want to take scary new medications!

Well housecall doctors sent me a new guy. I am getting a bit worried about the constant turn-over. It seems there is a new doctor every MONTH lately.

He seemed nice, admitted that I had bad hormonal problems but then was rehauling all my medicines, stuff I have been on for 10 years. He was nice so gave him a listen to. They think my weight could be impacted even by the sleep apnea I have. We only get so much time with these doctors.

However I looked up the medications he wants me to go on...

One has a 1 in 100 chance of making you go blind, optic nerve deterioration! Keep in mind I am already mostly deaf. I cannot hear. So that alone to me is a deal breaker. I also could have allergic problems with this drug as it says on warnings, if you are allergic to so and so drug, do not take this. Well so and so drug put me in the ER.

One is a "black box" drug that causes thyroid cancer. I do not know why they want to monkey with the diabetes drugs. I felt I was doing fine. Sugars were not that bad.

The other is this odd drug for sleep apnea. I guess they think I will lose weight on it. It is not without risk, but then I wonder how what something that amounts to "speed" is going to do to a woman diagnosed already with anxiety.

These drugs have scary side affects, are less then 3 years old, all are VERY EXPENSIVE, and I never could replace if the insurance says "No".

I am in the position now of having to call this guy, hoping I can get refills for my normal drugs, fearing that everything is messed up. It has been considerable anxiety and stress. While sitting there, he told me these drugs will "take weight off", but then I have heard that all before even with Metformin. To me vision is everything, I do art and was an art teacher in my pre-disability life. They told me my bnp skyrocketed. That is your score for congestive heart failure. I ran around 20-50 and now its 700 and something and I think they made these choices in a panic? That almost sounds like fluke as congestive heart failure is a progressive illness. If my heart failure got that much worse, why didn't they hospitalize me? Why am I breathing normal? I even went outside in 83 degrees [it was dry with no humidity] and walked to the back of a Dollar Store without dying recently. That makes no sense either.

However if my heart failure is worsening, why do I not feel worse? My stamina is BETTER lately then anything, I bloat about the same level as before. With the sleep apnea, I found out that can raise the bnp blood test score, maybe that's why he wants me to go on the sleep apnea drug.

I am willing to try that one, to see how it makes me feel, but the others NO WAY!

I saw him end of next week and now have to wait til TUESDAY to figure this out over phone. Fears of not getting regular drugs bother me. I need to go see more doctors. I have to admit I am scared. I wish I had said STOP DON'T but never had heard of most of these medications. I can barely maintain and get medication now. What are these people doing to me?

I won't take a drug that can make me blind!