--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Mike Dixon <mdixon.6569@...> wrote: > > L, the reason I believe so many people are *fat*, poor included, is mainly > ignorance. Ignorance of the caloric value of what they eat, as well as the > nutritional value. <Before I had gastric bypass surgery, I never realized how > much I ate nor paid any attention to nutritional values. I thought I was > pretty much in line with what other people ate... and I was! I just ate a > little more and I also had an extreme aversion to exercise. Before my > surgery, I had to take a class in which I was encouraged to read food labels, > keep a food diary and in essence learn what was an appropriate portion size. > < People also over eat due to emotional problems or out of boredom. When my > dad died, I was nine years old and can remember at the wake, I was so upset > that everybody kept telling me to have something to eat and that I would feel > better. Isn't it recommended in Ayurveda not to eat when you're > upset?Eventually, somebody thrust a plate of food in my hands and I took a > bite. The taste, the chewing and swallowing, took my mind off of the pain > and thus began my weight problem. By the time I was ten, I started getting > the fat comments which only caused more pain and more eating. < I don't > believe eating high quality food is out of the economic  range of most poor > people, it's just not convenient. You have to go to the store , buy it, take > it home, prepare it, cook it and clean up after. Instead, running down to the > pizzeria or going for burgers and fries or fried chicken, chinese buffet, is > fast, cheap (not cheaper), instantly gratifying, no work and has a lot more > flavor than... broccoli and broiled chicken.< Let's face it, dieting is a > bitch and eating is enjoyable! Nobody likes to be on a restrictive diet to > lose weight and my personal experience tells me that once you have a weight > problem, you have it for life.< Bypass was my ticket out of hell. I can eat > anything I want but it's very hard to over- eat if your > stuffed after eating child's portions. There was also the effect of behavior > modification after the surgery. Heavy, greasy, high fat foods and very > sweet foods were very hard to digest at first and made me nauseous, which > then caused me to develop an aversion for them. I know it's an expensive > procedure and it's not for everybody and I have seen it fail in other people. > Most insurance companies consider it *cosmetic* surgery. It's not, it can > save your life by greatly reducing co-morbidities. The kicker is, you really > do need cosmetic surgery AFTER you've lost the weight! That lose flabby skin > doesn't shrink all the way back. By the way, I've noticed that Medicaid is > paying for both surgeries, bypass and skin removal, in some cases. Ignorance > can be very expensive.
Right on Dix-You hit the nail on the head! Good for you for *taking responsibility* for your own behavior!! God Bless....
