Lesley Stedman Weidenbener, writing for the Louisville Courier Press has an article entitled Daniels, local celebs challenge Hoosiers to lose weight.
Kudos to Gov. Daniels for making fitness a significant theme in his tenure as governor. Changes in society have simply made it so that exercise does not naturally occur in the every day life of a majority of people. A good number of jobs don’t involve significant physical activity. A lot of residences are in places with limited yards, no sidewalks, and busy streets so it’s tough to go anywhere or do anything unless you drive there. Junk food is cheap, tasty, and abundant. You have to work a little harder and sometimes spend a little more to get healthy food. So, being out of shape really isn’t a sign of particular sloth or gluttony or other vices. It’s pretty much a natural result of the world we live in and a special effort is necessary to overcome it.
The effort is worthwhile, of course. Every day energy levels increase, and there are long-term health benefits. Also, in my humble opinion, once you get into the habit of exercising, it’s quite a bit of fun. Personally, I have taken to hitting the local YMCA 3 or 4 times per week, usually alternating between lifting weights and running on the treadmills. I won’t be running marathons any time soon, but I’ve gotten to where I can cover about 5 miles in a little under an hour.
I can’t really comment much on the eating side of the equation. I have what a friend described as an “irate” metabolism. So, I have never been in a position where I needed to limit my consumption. (An extreme example – I had an entire Totino’s pizza as a “snack” last night at about 9 p.m.). But, I naturally tend to favor plain meats and vegetables rather than carbs and heavy sauces. So, my weight is at around 150# on my 6’1″ frame. (But who knows what kind of crap I have building up in my arteries.)
That brings me to the governor’s challenge to lose 10 lbs in 10 weeks. I won’t be participating. My guess is that it would be medically inadvisable for me to intentionally reduce myself to 140 lbs. But, for most Hoosiers, statistically speaking, it’s probably a good idea. According to the Governor’s web site:
Registered participants will first receive an e-mail outlining how they can prepare themselves for the Challenge, such as keeping a food diary, taking an inventory of their pantry, and other tips. During the 10 weeks, participants will receive a weekly e-mail instructing them on how to lose one pound along with encouragement to stop smoking. Current INShape Indiana participants have been automatically enrolled in the 10 in 10 Challenge.
The weekly e-mails, being prepared with the assistance of a trainer and a nutritionist, will incorporate one suggestion for a change in diet (250 fewer calories a day) and another for increased physical activity (burning 250 additional calories a day). At the end of 10 weeks, participants will be asked to report back on their weight loss.
Good luck to everybody who decides to participate.
Update Taking a contrary view, Leo Morris does not like the idea of a government weight-loss cheerleader.
Another one of Governor Daniels fantasy ideas to make himself look good in the public eye.
I’ve documented on the hoosiersforcentraltime.com website why daylight savings time and specifically Eastern daylight savings time was bad for Indiana. And one of those reasons was because of the deleterious effects on ones health. Will Double (Eastern) Daylight Savings Time promote an overall healthier lifestyle, or have an adverse effect on your health ?
It is well documented in the scientific literature (Shils & Young,1988) that stress (from sleep deprivation) increases stress hormone (corticosteroid ) levels. This in turn increases plasma insulin levels , which stimulates our hunger center in the brain to cause us to eat more. This stimulus ultimately results in increases in total body fat. LDL-cholesterol (the bad cholesterol in heart disease) is also elevated by long-term stress hormone elevations. So the lack of sleep (from Double(Eastern) Daylight Savings Time) causes an increase in the levels of stress hormones which via LDL-cholesterol leads to an increase incidence of heart disease. As a result , Eastern Daylight Savings Time would increase health care costs.
That increase in insulin levels causing a person to eat more,especially later at night with a later sunset, is further substantiated by a 2004 study by the Center for Disease Control, that found that Ohio(which observes Eastern Daylight Savings Time) rank in the top 10 in terms of the increase in the rate of obesity. When Indiana was debating to observe Eastern Daylight Savings Time, a call placed to the President of the Indiana Hospitality and Restaurant Association revealed that fast food restaurants were in favor of daylight savings time, while the sit down restaurants (and by far the healthier choice) were against DST. And I have noticed in particular that fast food restaurants this past summer were advertising staying open late. Real Good, Governor Daniels. Your inconsistencies in your policies is comparable to a college student taking a exam that has no idea what the subject matter he is being tested on is about. As a registered dietitian, his policy of 10 pounds in 10 weeks is a joke. Lose it now to gain it all back this summer when your body is so out of sync. Sounds like a good plan.
Just like the lease of the toll road, that Lou Dobbs on CNN in particular slammed tonight.
Let’s hope and pray that hoosiers in 2008 will show Ditch Mitch the door.
I’ve been in a 3x/wk after-work workout routine here in Tell City (central time) for the last few months. It was easier walking out the door into sunlight and going to the gym than walking out into blackness and doing it. Regardless, I feel better each time for having done it.
The weight issue is really pretty simple. If you are gaining unwanted weight, eat less and exercise more. I hear it over and over from my patients–“I can’t lose weight.” Or “I don’t eat that much.” Well, if you are gaining weight, then eat less. If you take in less calories than you burn, you will lose weight. The air you’re breathing isn’t any heavier than the air I’m breathing. The weight gain is from calories that come from the food you are consuming. You would seriously be amazed at the number of people who think the amount of food they are eating could not possibly result in weight gain, and are certain that in their special case there is some other magical cause of the fat deposition on their bodies. They think that coming in and paying their $59 demonstrates motivation, and I can then reward them by pointing out the elusive non-food cause of the fat. Life isn’t fair. Some people need less calories due to slower metabolisms. In times of famine, all the obese people you see would have an evolutionary leg up on the rest of us. But we don’t have famines here. If you overeat your metabolism, it will show in poundage and increased morbidity and mortality.
But by now, adults should know whether they sequester fat easily or not, and should cut back accordingly. Also, “I do a lot of walking at work”, and “I chase my kids all day” aren’t useful forms of exercise that can lead to weight loss unless the walking you do at work is as a mountain guide, or you’re chasing your kids as they exercise by briskly walking or running for 30-45 minutes, 3-4 times/week. Again, life isn’t fair now quit crying about it and adapt and overcome.
Personally, I was 30 lbs. heavier than I preferred. It took cutting back on portions, more chicken and less beef, cutting out sodas, cutting out the candy eating while sitting at this desk, and three hours on the stairmaster per week to get where I wanted and maintain it. And my metabolism is closer to Doug’s than to the average American’s. The smaller portion sizes and elimination of snacks sucked for about a week. Then it became normal and my energy level has been much better since the wild blood sugar swings have been eliminated.
I’m not saying everyone is delusional when it comes to the cause of their obesity. But the number of people I see who say the above statements probably approaches 50%. I’ll be trying to find new, respectful yet motivational ways of saying the same damn things to my patients long after the governor has moved on to whatever he does next. Diet and exercise. Some medications. Failing that, surgery. But there wasn’t any obesity on the Bataan Death March, if you get my drift. Burning more calories than consumed always leads to weight loss. So consume less, or burn more. or better yet, do both.
Imagine if those with slow metabolisms just ate less food and pocketed the savings?
There, I’ve ranted. I feel so much better now.
T,
I agree with everything you say. But if Governor Daniels thinks that his inshape Indiana program is going to make any significant dent in the whole problem, he’s a dreamer. And his stupid Eastern Daylight Savings time doesn’t do anything but defeat the idea.
It’s just a drop in the bucket, but still, I don’t think Gov. Daniels is off base on this. He could probably do more, but he could certainly do less. Credit where credit is due.
Doug,
I know he’s trying to make an effort, and knowing how the governor thinks, it’s more a public relations ploy then sincerely caring about people. Daylight savings time and the toll road lease proved that. I testified at all three daylight savings time hearings held about the harmful effects Eastern daylight savings time would have on the populations health. What J. said was great for those people that are self motivated, but for most of the people as I had referred to in my first response, Governor Daniels thru the passage of Eastern daylight savings time ( and with documented research to justify my point), has created an environment that sets many people (especially those with seasonal affective disorder) up for failure. You can’t loose weight if your prone to stay up late until the sun goes down ( and consequently eat later), and wake up in the morning dark fully refreshed. The CDC study focusing on Ohio seems to substantiate that point. And I know somebody is going to say their are other variables involved, but those same variables exist in both Indiana and Ohio (except Eastern DST: until this past summer).
Anyway you look at it, Governor Daniels is cold and ruthless, and could care less about the average hoosier. I won’t be patting him on the back.
We’ll see what happens in 2008, and their are so many people I’ve talked to that voted for him, that won’t make that mistake again.