Death to the Supermarkets

An international team of researchers have linked the presence of supermarkets and food outlets to obesity in the same area.

This is a closer correlation than individual behaviour patterns, and is certainly nothing to do with genetics - they just don't change that fast.

So who is the chicken and who is the egg?  My money's on the supermarkets - they are not just meeting demand, their marketing creates demand.  So don't put a supermarket in charge of your waistline and health. And don't believe what you hear in advertising.  

I remember being utterly outraged when I saw a TV ad for Nutella - describing it as "low g.i." - of course its low g.i. - 50% of its calories are from fat, which overrides the high g.i. value of the 42% sugar. DUH! 

We need to be smarter than the Nutella advertisers, and smarter than the supermarkets if we are going to take charge of our wellbeing. Perhaps that is the meaning of "think thin" with the emphasis on THINK.

Eat THINK and be Merry is on the move.

The global headquarters of Christina Derbyshire, Psychologist (that's me) and the fantastic Eat THINK and be Merry (small) conglomerate will be moving on 9 July.  We're relocating to:


Unit 3
Rathgael
458 St Kilda Road
MELBOURNE  VIC  3004


My mobile number will remain the same.  As soon as I know about landline numbers, I'll post that information, too.  Please pray for fine weather for the move!

Pretty soon fat people are going to be blamed for global warming.

Recent articles have blamed obese people for the prospect of a global food shortage in the future, and for causing discomfort to others on aeroplane flights, because of taking up "too much" room.  What's next???


http://www.theage.com.au/travel/blogs/travellers-check/seating-madness-airbuss-new-solution-for-overweight-20120618-20j56.html


This article documents that sitting next to obese people is the number one passenger complaint and that airfares could be based on passenger weight.  But the comments below the article are the real entertainment (or .... whatever's the opposite of entertainment)


"Yeah, death to the fatties. I think it should be legal to shoot them on sight, or at least punch them in the face without legal recourse. Now that I can't abuse gays or Asians, who else I am allowed to make fun of? Alcos and druggies are able to hide their problems, and you wouldn't know compulsive gamblers by looking at them. Let me enjoy my fatty bashing; god knows I am better than them and you."

This delightful individual (one can only hope this is written ironically) actually has some insight.  He can see that non-hungry eating, alcohol or drug consumption and gambling are all coping strategies - its just that overeating is the most obvious one.


So all us fatties can learn from this person that overweight is NOT a moral issue, its a health issue.  The less guilt and shame, the less weight you gain.  Ooh - that's sheer poetry!  I shall repeat it in large letters because I am so pleased with my rhyming ability.


The less guilt and shame, the less weight you gain.   


A new mantra from a chubby guru - me.

Will (or won't) power

You may sometimes get sick of me saying that we need to strengthen our 'change" muscle or focus on increasing tolerance for frustration (short term pain (i.e. not having the Tim Tams) to create long term gain).  Well, this article talks about the science behind willpower, self-control and how beneficial distraction can be to assist us to hang in for the long term gain.


http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/life/will-powers-success-20120618-20jmx.html


I loved this quotation in the article  "People with low willpower use it to get themselves out of crises. People with high willpower use it not to get themselves into crises."

I am definitely going to try and tone that muscle - the less crises in life, the better.

Happy Monday

This quotation is attributed to J.K. Rowling.  If it is true, then it is one of her best pieces of writing in my opinion.


"Is fat really the worst thing a human being can be?  Is fat worse than vindictive, jealous, shallow, vain, boring, evil or cruel?  Not to me."


Amen to that, sista!  Something we should all keep in mind when we are lamenting the fact that our excess weight makes us "disgusting, revolting and worthless" (actual quotes from clients).  What are you going to do today (this week) to challenge the concept that fat = worthless?

Fat has become such a "loaded" subject that even doctors are reluctant to mention it.

Sadly, its true that some obese people go to their GP with a bad cold and are told to lose weight - as if that's relevant.  And of course there are doctors who so helpfully tell their patients that they "just have to stop eating so much".  DUH! If the obese person could do that, OF COURSE they would.  Its an indication of the complexity of obesity and overweight and how the "one size fits all" way of treating it does not work.


On the other hand, GP's shouldn't avoid the subject entirely, especially considering the potential for lifestyle diseases and joint problems, not to mention guilt and shame at being a shape that society finds unacceptable - nay - downright disgusting.


The method is, of course, the middle way.  Ask rather than tell.  Listen rather than pontificate.  Understand that all "fatties" are not that way for the same reason.  Believe that the weight is the symptom and find out what the problem is instead, so that can be addressed.  I'm sure that most doctors have a few unhealthy coping strategies tucked under their white coats as well - they just might not be as physically obvious as emotional eating.


Check out this article:


http://www.dailylife.com.au/health-and-fitness/dl-wellbeing/a-weighty-issue-20120613-20952.html

An oldie but a goodie.

I have recently regained my copy of a terrific book, first published in 1993.  "Choose to be Happy" by Wayne Froggatt.  


A lot of the assistance I offer to clients is related to challenging unhelpful and negative beliefs.  Wayne Froggatt explains clearly, guides gently, and challenges wisely throughout his book.  


If enough people buy this book and follow his direction, apply themselves and tolerate the discomfort of change, psychologists will become redundant!  

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

You may have already heard that lack of sleep can lead to overweight.  This article from the magazine MindFood explains how this happens.


http://www.mindfood.com/at-health-sleep-switch-off-to-nod-off.seo?nocache=1


Here's the key paragraph from the article.


When hormonal cycles are disturbed through lack of sleep, we feel hungrier. And not just a little bit hungrier – up to 50 per cent hungrier! Studies show we consume 350-500 more calories a day after a poor night’s sleep. And it isn’t salad we want. We crave carbohydrate-rich foods like breads, cake, pasta and hot chips. To make matters worse, sleep deprivation slows down our metabolic rate; we don’t burn fat as easily, and our motivation and willpower takes a nosedive. The result? Weight gain and trouble sticking to a healthy eating plan.


Our world is busier than ever, we sleep with our mobile phones on so that we don't miss a thing, we play games on the computer until the wee small hours but there's a price to pay for all of this.  One of my clients noticed a profound difference in her morning cravings after going to bed one hour earlier for a week.  She didn't need to go to a cafe on the way to work and get a slice of cake anymore.  Proof positive that getting in the jammies, cuddling teddy and going off into dreamland a bit earlier can work wonders (and damage the cake industry!).


Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Stand up while you're eating your veggies.

Kind of simplistic translation of the information found in this study, but close to the facts.  Participants were asked to make two behavioural changes - see quote below:

The study also found the most effective way to rehab a delinquent lifestyle requires two key behavior changes: cutting time spent in front of a TV or computer screen and eating more fruits and vegetables. 


Even after they weren't being compensated with money for making these changes, the positive new behaviours stuck.  


Do we make it more complex than it needs to be with goji berries, chia seeds, high protein and nothing after 7pm?  


I, for one, intend to use my standing desk more - and get some extra veg and fruit down the hatch.


Here's the full article.


http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/245932.php

Happy vertical chomping!

Lose the "Retrospectoscope"

Do you like that word?  I read it in a Christopher Brookmyre novel recently (by the way he's very funny).  What does it mean?  It is a substitute for the term hindsight.  




Let me give you an example. "I KNEW I shouldn't have gone to that party because ___________ (host/ess) ALWAYS has tasty food and I KNEW I wouldn't be able to control myself.  And s/he probably goes on to declare that "I'll NEVER be able to lose weight, I am SO lazy and stupid, I'm a COMPLETE failure." And so on.  
What jolly fun.  Not only can you criticise yourself in the present, you can also rewrite the past and guess at a doom-laden future - both of which involve you being a total failure.


If you can see the future, could you please tell me what next week's Tattslotto numbers will be?


What's wrong with this behaviour - apart from it being very unkind and ungenerous?  It is predicting the future and rewriting the past, neither of which are helpful or useful, ESPECIALLY in relation to changing behaviour.  They just make us feel worse, and when we feel negative emotions what do we do????? Soothe with food.  Don't see how that vicious cycle helps.


So lose the retrospectoscope and perhaps  polish the lens on the kindoscope or the generous-o-scope or the nice-o-scope.  Far more likely to have a positive outcome that doesn't involve a whole packet of Tim Tams.

Seems to be the season of gloom and doom in relation to weight loss - perhaps we are influenced by the gloom of the weather, and the doom we keep reading in the papers about property values.  


This article has one redeeming feature, or two actually.  One, she refers to an excellent source of evidence, The Cochrane Collaboration.  Second, She has actually recognised one of the causes of overweight that most people don't see - the ongoing feeling of need to control weight.  That is definitely one of the causes that hides at the bottom of the iceberg.


What's the iceberg you say?  Stay tuned for more exciting information!


http://www.dailylife.com.au/health-and-fitness/dl-wellbeing/weightloss-hell-20120530-1zilx.html