This is unbelievably sad, and the more I read about it, the more ironic and sad the story gets.
A new children’s book, targeted at kids 4-8 years old (!), tells the story of the young teenager Maggie. Maggie is fat and bullied at school. But by starting to eat right and working out a lot she gets thin. Then she becomes a star of the soccer team and popular at school.
The net is in an uproar about the book, to be published in October. Is it a prescription for eating disorders? Or is it a necessary message to combat the growing obesity epidemic?
Personally I think it’s something worse.
Insanity
This is a perfect illustration of the massive mistake behind the obesity epidemic. We are eating bad food (sugar, refined starch) that makes us want to eat too much. But many (if not most) people think the solution is to just ignore the hunger, eat garbage low fat products and work out more, instead of getting rid of the problem.
Of course it’s not working. Adults are getting more and more obese. And now we are giving the same failed advice to kids!
The problem: It is not a four year old kids fault if he or she has a weight problem. She does not buy the food. She does not cook the food. If the parents would have given her good real food, without any refined sugar, she probably would never get a weight problem to begin with.
It is not the overweight kids fault. So we absolutely should not put the responsibility of getting thin on her shoulders.
In a less insane world the parents would instead make sure that the kid mainly has access to good food. Low sugar. Low starch.
Irony
Here is an interview with the author of “Maggie goes on a diet”:
I’m sure Paul Kramer has the best of intentions when writing his book to help kids “eat less and run more”. But this is just too sad. Obviously that bad advice has not worked too well for him either.
How can we expect small children to stand being hungry when not even adults can? This is insane and it’s time for everybody to realize it.
More
The American obesity epidemic 1989 – 2010
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For example, I have learned that menatetrenone (vitamin K2, the mk-4 analog) triggers the production of osteocalcin in the bones and teeth, which in turn triggers the production of adiponectin in the fat cells. This substance then goes on to make cells all over the body more insulin-sensitive.
Where do you get menatetrenone? Dairy products (especially grass-fed dairy) and animal organs. Exactly the foods The Experts(tm) are telling us not to eat.
That's just one piece of the puzzle. But so many of the nutrients we need for a healthy metabolism depend on fat in some way. Fat-soluble vitamins are useless without fat to go along with them. Minerals can't be assimilated if you don't consume both fat and fat-soluble vitamins. All of these will be short on a low-fat diet. Even when plant foods contain lots of minerals, they're not the best form.
Look to see how many of these fat children also have cavities and/or need orthodontic braces. My bet is most of them are in one or both groups.
P.S. "The Experts(tm)" HILARIOUS!!
Books like this don't help. They exacerbate an already growing problem that asserts self worth is external.
Jamie VanEaton
Your Lighter Side
Weigh2Rock! is about a healthy weight. Its purpose is to help kids, teens, and their parents.
It may also help if instead of offering useless advice we actually spent time in listening to the problems obese kids experience following current "official" weight loss advice.
OVERWEIGHT: What Kids Say What's Really Causing the Childhood Obesity Epidemic?
I so wish the medical community, media, and public would get the message about junk food low-fat diets before any more children have to suffer as mine did.
PS - My daughter is now a happy, healthy young adult, an actress and theatre director, engaged to be married, and low-carb paleo!
Doc, while I do understand your point re: the "irony" noted above, I don't think it necessarily helps to essentially attack the author from a personal standpoint (ad hominem). Unless you know his specific situation and/or details, I simply think the benefit of pointing out his inability to control his own weight does not exceed the cost in making an apparent assumption on an unknown situation.
While this may be anecdotal in nature, I know a plethora of individuals who struggle with their weight, but genuinely try to help others receive the correct information. If you think I'm speaking about myself, I can assure you that is not the case. However, I'd be remiss if I didn't emphasize that not everyone has to be an athlete, as an example, to raise awareness, provide information and inspire others toward a particular lifestyle.
As a practical matter, it just looks like an unprofessional potshot when, in reality, the substance of the author's perspective is the issue that should be [rightfully] attacked.
*I realize this is an unsolicited perspective, Doc, but you have a great website that happens to be growing in depth and audience. I look forward to its continued success and intend my "advice" as constructive...
A fat person can actually know why he is fat, while a thin person can actually be completly clueless why he is thin. But the best advice usually comes from someone who has been fat, gone slim and stayed slim.
"Insanity, Is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result." Einstein
If following the "official" prescription for weight loss was successful MOST of the time and MOST people successfully managed not to regain why eating/exercising according to the guidance then we would not be in the position we are as a nation. Doctors and health professionals have to act as grown up adults and acknowledge that after 50yrs preaching the low fat low calorie more exercise route to weight maintenance that it doesn't work for most people so maybe the advice is wrong and they need to rethink the advice they offer.
Here is an example of that in action.
Obesity and Energy Balance is the Tail Wagging the Dog
We must not ignore the obvious. If the person giving weight loss advice is demonstrably failing to benefit from that advice then it's likely that advice isn't worth following.
It's possible that those people are very knowledgeable about the subject in question, but I think it's reasonable to react by thinking "why is someone giving health and nutrition advice when he is obese and out-of-shape?"
Of course, the irony is that the substance of the author's perspective is flawed anyway, but that's exactly my point re: what I believe should be the focus of our ire.
It's definitely an interesting topic to me personally, because I happen to be young and fit enough to back up - through appearance - many of my perspectives. But, in 15 years, will the advice be "worth less" if my [superficial] appearance inevitably declines? I suppose a great reference point is Art Devany. His perspectives are often boosted and deemed "more" credible because of his appearance (even at an older age). I suppose the fascination with this topic, from my view, is that those of us who want to induce serious change in the wellness of our communities should then emphasize our own appearance as a functional tool.
While I realize its value, my point has been that we should "focus on the substance." Another relevant example to consider is the "professional" view. I can tell you the names of at least half a dozen [leading] dieticians and health professionals (including Doctors) who will spew a number of nutrition/wellness myths to the people they affect. I find it unfortunate that those views have a tendency to be relied upon more than an actual examination of the substance. My belief is that what needs to occur is a paradigm shift.
"Ted Hutchinson" briefly touched upon this point in a post above re: placing the tools in the hands of kids. Essentially, not patronizing them and allowing them to work out their problems under guidance and supervision. I think that's right in line with what I'm trying to convey re: the superficial vs. substance topic.
Oh, I believe it's completely reasonable. My stance comes from the incorrect reversal (from a logic standpoint) that occurs with those thoughts.
You mention "Would you trust a auto mechanic who can't keep his own car road-worthy?" Certainly, I would be skeptical and try to examine the substance of his perspective. My question actually relates to "does the person have to be an auto mechanic to offer you viable car advice?" Is the advice of a flawed auto mechanic more credible simply because of his professional background? These are important considerations when we try to transition the concepts to nutrition and healthy living.
I agree the site does not specifically encourage/support the low carbohydrate approach to weight loss.
Zoe Harcombe reviews Pretlows book here and his Links to her site So I assumed he was more low carb friendly than is the case.
I still think his emphasis on the reasons why children overeat is important as is the need to cut addictive foods.
I agree with this. I think people are far too willing to accept what "official" sources of information say.
We should all challenge the nonsense that gets reported and be more vigilant about what isn't being reported.
I appreciate this is totally off topic but the papers just happen to be open on my PC at the moment.
Characterization of veterinary MRSA: transmissibility and virulence
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) contamination
of retail pork
They do make you wonder if we are being told the truth about why MRSA keeps recurring?
I agree that the substance of his approach should carry the burden of the weight rather than the way he looks, but I was responding (in context) to what I saw as your chastisement of those who saw irony in this situation.
If not irony, then I at least see potentially contradictory evidence being presented by this man's words and physique. He may have a glandular disorder for all I know and his advice may be solid LCHF -- that is why I posed the question... let's not assume anything, let's examine the evidence.
"That is the essence of science: ask an impertinent question, and you are on the way to a pertinent answer" - Jacob Bronowski
Maybe if the research published in peer reviewed journals weren't kept protected from public scrutiny by racketeering publishers we would see better quality research.
We should insist that insist that all papers arising from publicly funded research are available from a free public database.