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From: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: net.consumers,net.med
Subject: Re: Need info on "Gold Key" Weight loss plan
Message-ID: <5@ttidcc.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 31-Oct-85 14:31:20 EST
Article-I.D.: ttidcc.5
Posted: Thu Oct 31 14:31:20 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 3-Nov-85 06:06:24 EST
References: <378@cylixd.UUCP> <812@terak.UUCP> <392@unc.unc.UUCP> <835@terak.UUCP>
Reply-To: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Organization: The Cat Factory
Lines: 67
Xref: watmath net.consumers:3283 net.med:2677
Summary: 

In article <835@terak.UUCP> doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee) writes:
>Experience shows that approximately 0% of the populace will maintain
>the exercise schedule required for the rest of their lives.  Unless they
>have a motivation as strong as, "You'll die if you don't".  And often
>not even then.

What you're describing here sounds much more like a failure on the part of
the person than on the part of the program.  Who's experience, BTW?

>There are a great many ways to lose weight initially.  But the track
>record of every single weight loss regimen is dismal (to say the least)
>when looked at on a long-term basis.  There not only is no "magic"
>answer, there isn't even an "unmagic" answer.

"If it came in a bottle, everyone would have a good body."
							-- Cher

>                                                ...  What I *am* trying
>to say is that one shouldn't waste one's life worrying about being
>overweight.

No argument here.  One shouldn't wast one's life worrying  about  anything.
But  is  it wasteful to make a lifetime commitment to good health?  I don't
think so.

>Too many overweight people dedicate their entire lives to losing weight
>instead of living their lives.

To maintain my target weight I spend 1.5 hours, 3 days a week, in the  gym.
I  eat  sensibly all the time (as should we all).  That's hardly dedicating
my entire life to losing weight.  It's  more  like  doing  the  minimum  to
maintain good health.

>                                Furthermore, they carry a totally
>undeserved burden of guilt, both for being overweight in the first
>place and for their repeated failure at losing weight.  They need to
>be told that those failures are universal, that virtually no one ever
>succeeds at maintaining a weight loss.

The guilt is self-imposed and unnecessary, but telling them it's ok  to  be
fat  because everyone else who's fat has failed to lose weight (an apparent
tautology) doesn't strike me as helpful.  Where do your  "statistics"  come
from?

>                                        And they need to change the
>focus of their lives away from "losing weight" to "enjoying life".

I don't see that losing weight and enjoying life are mutually exclusive.  I
certainly enjoy life more when I'm healthy.

>At the same time, those people without "weight problems" need to learn
>that overweight is *not* a sign of weak personal character.

I never said it was.  I know a number of people who have  lost  significant
amounts of weight and kept it off.  I know others who have tried and failed
(so far).  None of them have what I would call "weak  personal  character".
Each  is  an  individual,  with  many  things affecting how they live their
lives.  Each is capable of attaining the weight they want and  keeping  it.
To some this is more important than others.  Some people insist on smoking.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe)
Citicorp(+)TTI                    Common Sense is what tells you that a ten
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.             pound weight falls ten times as fast as a
Santa Monica, CA  90405           one pound weight.
(213) 450-9111, ext. 2483
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