"Being Fat in America"

I've been meaning to post this link for some time now. For those of you who know me, I enjoy promoting a healthy lifestyle, whether it be with friends, family, co-workers, patients. Working on a cardiac step down unit, I half joke that I too follow the diet most of our patients are on, the Cardiac Diet, which generally consists of low salt, low fat, no caffeine. I make it known that everyone should attempt to follow this diet, if not an even more specialized diet if a person happens to have diabetes, renal issues, immune system problems, like myself, etc. They all know that I keep a small stash of walnuts and dark chocolates nearby as my snack. And the majority of the staff know that my wonderful chef of a husband cooks very well for me. Food that is organic and local and yummy! While we do cheat and eat non-organic foods when we go to a restaurant, we make a pretty good attempt at eating healthy most of the time.

Knowing that I am a nurse and that following a good diet is essential for us all, Russ shared this article entitled "Being Fat in America" with me. John Robbins, the author, contrasts the stories of two obese young people our age. At first, I was appalled that a restaurant called the Heart Attack Grill could even be in existence. The poster child for that restaurant died early last month. While not from a heart attack, he died of complications from pneumonia, one being the obvious co-morbidity of being obese. The second part of the article shares the story of a young obese woman, who followed a diet quite the opposite of what is offered at the Heart Attack Grill. She provides redemption and hope for all those who struggle with obesity. How could one not be inspired?