This essay has to do with two articles associated with health found in The New York Times dated May 12, 2024 "What a Year on Ozempic Taught Me"; and July 14, 2024 "Sage Advice.” My assessment of these articles follows.
In the first article ,the journalist described the health of his father who had lived in the mountains and regularly consumed fresh natural foods. He compared his father’s diet to his own American diet . He added that the typical processed food diet contributes and interferes with the experience of satiety which results in being overweight and/ or obese.Statistically ,in the US , 70% of people are overweight or obese. He added that 47% of the respondents said they were willing to take weight loss drugs for their condition However, they did not know that people who take these drugs have had to deal with brutal shaming. He acknowledged that ,in his lifetime, obesity has exploded from being rare, to now being the norm and the food industry being one main culprit. He stated that these dietary drugs affect and diminish satiety which contribute to their effectiveness and that they help to limit weight gain.
The journalist’s had a study in which he and a colleague raised a group of rats in a cage . The rats were fed an abundant supply of healthy, balanced food which they had been eating for a very long time. These rats. ate when hungry and then seemed , according to him,to sated and stopped eating . They did not become fat. Then, the caged rats were exposed to an American diet of bacon, snicker bars, cheesecake and other treats. The rats hurled themselves into the cheesecake ,gorged themselves and emerged with their faces and whiskers totally slicked . The rats quickly lost almost all interest in the healthy foods and now were without any restraint. . Their weight soared. This experiment suggested ,without a control group, that the American diet had a negative effect on their rat brains and their cravings.. Perhap, a loss of control and/or satiety which has. Implications for humans.
Another point made by the journalist was that Pope Gregory 1 laid out seven deadly sins in the sixth century. And one of them was gluttony. Guilt and punishment are related to self abuse . Weight gain and/ or gluttony is a form of self punishment , because sin without redemption requires punishment and ill health follows, .Second, taking an easy way out like a pill for weight loss is not the same as taking the difficult steps necessary like portion size, healthy nutritious foods and so forth, as well as repetitive difficult exercise. Perhaps ,some people are resentful. It's easy to put somebody down for taking a perceived shortcut. In other words, the American diet and religion are associated with obesity for some And ,unfortunately, the consequence for taking medication for weight loss results in shaming that individual .
The second article identified a docu series of identical twins and explored how different diets affected their overall health. One twin was assigned a vegan diet and the other an omnivorous diet. Additionally, the experts on this and similar programs identify what we already know . We understand that fruits and vegetables are healthy dietary choices and that exercise is good . In fact, most of these health messages have been taught and learned by the third grade. We all know we are what we eat.
This writer pointed out that as a nation we consume too much ultra processed food ,too much sugar and saturated fat . We know that industrial meat production contributes to climate change and pollution. Further, most people do not eat for the purpose of achieving maximum health. They eat things because they taste good , they are convenient , they are affordable and satisfying .
On the other hand, healthy food is the quality of life factor that helps performance enhancement especially for athletes . And, that Blue Zones are places where individuals eat lots of plants , little meat , are less stressed and interested in being socially connected . Also, these cultures do not persuade the people to eat healthy. These people live in relative isolation, have cultivated their habits and traditions which are satisfying in sustaining their ways of life. They don't have measures for maximizing health or improving performance.
The author’s fix was that we can learn to love mushrooms, broccoli, chickpeas, scallions ,peppers and gold saffron rice , not because it will improve blood test results but because these foods are fully capable of tasting fantastic. In fact the writer suggested that typical TV programming might be better if the shows were simple cooking shows. These cooking shows would not be scolding or patronizing people .Instead, they could instruct people in how to pursue and practice eating by learning how to really encompass the art of cooking and preparing foods .
In conclusion, we live in a country of hyperbole, contradiction, with abnormalities. We have a library of TV, and printed materials of information and knowledge pertaining to health, nutrition, exercise and longevity. We also spend billions on pseudoscientific wellness products. It’s not a coincidence that our capitalistic economics with a for-profit healthcare system, food and pharmaceutical industry complex are contributing factors to obesity. This complex does quite well economically . Moreover, the food industry with its masterful scientific expertise holds too many of us captive and is able to take advantage of human vulnerability and weakness resulting in enslavement .And do not forget about the dynamics around guilt.
PS
Linda's recovering, her attitude is terrific and her mood upbeat. Linda's follow-up appointment with an orthopedic surgeon revealed that her stitches were not ready to be removed .. Another appointment to follow with x-rays
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