“More die in the United States of too much food than of too little" – John Kenneth Galbraith in "The Affluent Society."

An interesting observation—written in 1958—to which today’s statistics of overweight and obesity bear truth. Unfortunately people who want to lose weight are most vulnerable to outrageous diet claims, pills, and programs—it’s easier to accept a quick fix than to go to work on a difficult problem. A Forbes article reveals that Americans spent $46 billion in 2004 on diet products and books, but as Marilyn Wann, author of Fat! So? , says "The very existence of the diet industry is proof of its ineffectiveness. If there were one safe, effective way to lose weight, then the others would be out of business."

Several factors lead to the ultimate failure of traditional diets, but the underlying reason is that a diet does not get at the true cause of the problem. A diet is like cutting off a weed at the level of the ground: the root is still intact and the weed will grow back. Compounding the problem is that the American culture breeds a standard of weight and image that is unattainable, and often unhealthy, for the average person which keeps many people locked into a pattern of dieting to achieve the impossible.

I’m disturbed by the current set of Weight Watchers television commercials that promise to help “turn hungry off.” Hunger is the body’s signal that it needs nourishment, it’s time to eat. The idea that we can or should switch off our body’s hunger leads us to doubt the wisdom of our body. Hunger is satisfied when we eat, and when we choose balanced and satisfying foods (a mixture of carbohydrates, proteins and fats) we will feel better physically and be satisfied longer.

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My mind is on food a lot recently. Do you ever notice how people often encourage each other to eat and drink more than they might want to, and more than might be healthy? “Here, have another slice of meatloaf… I don’t want the rest of my bread, why don’t you go ahead and eat it… let me get you another drink…” It all seems innocuous, but my experience with friends, family, and clients tells me otherwise.

Sometimes it’s what’s considered being a good hostess or host. But how did being a good hostess turn into encouraging over-eating or excess drinking? What’s worse is that some people experience the desire to oblige for fear of offending the hostess.

This is not to transfer responsibility for behavior to a third party—each person is in charge of setting their own boundaries and making their own decisions. The problem I see is that so many people struggle with over-eating that they would find it helpful if their friends and family were less pushy with food and drink.

I’m culpable of such behavior myself. Just this morning I foisted two made-from-scratch banana nut muffins on a friend to take home after she told me “no” the first time. Did I think she didn’t really mean “no”? The thing is, we’re not always privy to the weight and health issues that others are struggling with, and even when we are that doesn’t always manifest in us being more helpful. Food is often a “big deal” for people and they find it a welcome blessing to shift attention to something else entirely. I vow to be more mindful of the affect I might have on others, especially those I care most about (wow—that really goes beyond food, doesn’t it?).

In health,
Heather Moreno

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(Autobiography in Five Short Chapters – by Portia Nelson)  

“I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in. I am lost… helpless. It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don’t see it. I fall in again. I can’t believe I’m in the same place. But it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there. I still fall in… it’s a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.
I walk down another street.”

What chapter are you in? Are you in the diet “hole,” taking too long to get out? Are you in the “hole” of not having enough time for exercise or stuck at a plateau? Taking an honest look at your habits will help you make different choices and find the right program, resources and support that you need so that you can walk down a different street… the one where you enjoy exercise, you eat your favorite foods and your body maintains its ideal weight. If you’d like help without the guilt and pressure of traditional diet and exercise programs, call me 805.460.9537 or email for a sample coaching session.

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