In the August 10, 2009 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine there was yet another medical study verifying that living a healthy lifestyle is good for our health.  A healthy lifestyle was defined in the paper by the four habits of not smoking, eating a diet high in fruits and [...]]]>

In the August 10, 2009 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine there was yet another medical study verifying that living a healthy lifestyle is good for our health.  A healthy lifestyle was defined in the paper by the four habits of not smoking, eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables, exercising every day, and maintaining a healthy body weight – what I have called “The Magic Formula.”  People in the study who adhered to all four habits had an 80% overall reduction in the risk of developing a major chronic disease during 8 years of follow-up.

Play Podcast 145

In an invited commentary about the article Dr. David Katz of Yale Medical School argued that this is not new information, we have known that lifestyle habits play a powerful role in preventing chronic diseases for decades.  Dr. Katz went on to say that the problem we face is how to get people to live a healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Katz has written several books on nutrition and health both for the general public and for practicing physicians.  He has published numerous scientific articles and over a thousand articles for the lay press.  One of his most popular books is The Way to Eat: A Six-Step Path to Lifelong Weight Control
.

You can visit Dr. Katz’s website at www.davidkatzmd.com.

I had the great privilege of interviewing Dr. Katz for this podcast.

References:

Healthy Living is the Best Revenge

Dr. Katz’s Commentary in the Archives of Internal Medicine

David Katz, M.D.

Play Podcast 129

References:

Effects of Sodium and [...]]]> We all know that too much sodium in our diet is unhealthy.  A new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that the ratio of sodium to potassium in our diet has a significant impact on our risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Play Podcast 129

References:

Effects of Sodium and Potassium Ratio on the Subsequent Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

The FDA has approved a weight loss drug, Slentrol, for your dog.  Slentrol, manufactured by Pfizer, will cost about a dollar per day and is indicated for dogs who are more than 20% above ideal weight.

How long before we have canine liposuction and gastric bypass surgery?

Please, I can’t stand anymore of this.

The FDA has approved a weight loss drug, Slentrol, for your dog.  Slentrol, manufactured by Pfizer, will cost about a dollar per day and is indicated for dogs who are more than 20% above ideal weight.

How long before we have canine liposuction and gastric bypass surgery?

Around 40% of dogs are overweight or obese - a consequence of having their human owner’s lifestyle imposed upon them.  What better evidence could there be that the human epidemic of obesity is a medical problem we have created for ourselves – not one that was dealt to us by a bad set of genes?  We have provided our dogs with an overabundance of food and an inadequate amount of exercise and they have gotten fat.  I couldn’t have designed the experiment any better.

One article I read quoted a veterinarian as saying the drug was an encouraging development because obesity in dogs is such a big problem.  He was also a paid consultant for Pfizer.  Such ethical dilemmas are everywhere in the healthcare professions.

Overweight dogs suffer all the same complications that overweight humans do – type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, increased rates of cancer, and osteoarthritis.

Evidently, many people believe that it is a good idea to “treat” their dog to a meal at their favorite fast-food restaurant on a regular basis - to show their love!  How is slowly killing your dog by feeding him/her burgers and fries a loving act?  When did taking your dog for a walk or playing fetch cease to be an appropriate method of showing affection?

Here are a few Fitness Rocks tips to help with the growing problem of dog obesity:

1.  Your dog can’t open the refrigerator or drive the car to McDonalds.  In fact, your dog can only eat what you feed him, and when you feed him.  If we can’t keep our animals from overeating how can we possibly hope to prevent ourselves from overeating?

2.  Maybe if you got off the sofa and took your dog for a walk you could both lose some weight.

3.  Get over the idea that overfeeding your dog, your family, and yourself is a way of expressing affection or “rewarding” yourself for whatever you’ve done well.  How about just patting yourself on the back, or rubbing behind your ears?

4.  The evidence is now overwhelming – not only are burgers, fries, and other fast food bad for humans – they’re bad for all living creatures.  Take them off your menu.

5.  Stop hoping for magic that will allow you and your dog to continue living a sedentary, overindulgent lifestyle without ill-effects.

Express your love for your dog, and yourself, by eating a healthy diet and exercising every day.  Obesity is a complicated medical problem with a very straight-forward solution.

The Fitness Rocks audi download “Successful Weight Loss” provides a great discussion and information on making healthy choices for a weight loss program.  Click the icon on the sidebar for more details.

References:

Slentrol Goes to the Dogs

Now Dogs Have Weight Loss Pills

Dr. Monte