Okay. I can almost understand backlash against low-carbing as a fad diet. I can almost understand the knee-jerk reaction people have, assuming we eat nothing but eggs and raw bacon (isn't that right?)

But <b>when</b> are people going to realize how dangerous it is to chronically, massively, societally overdose on carbohydrates?!! When?! How many diabetics? How many dying 30- and 40-year-olds? How many overweight children?

My coworker's husband just had to have his legs amputated because of chronic poorly-managed diabetes. He'll be in the hospital for a while. Well, my co-worker was going on about the lovely cookie basket he was sent by a family member. My jaw hit the floor. Can you imagine sending a dying diabetic <b>cookies?!?!</b> Yet I was the only person listening to this conversation that thought so! Everyone else's reaction was, "how nice." I was stunned! Can you <b>imagine?!</b> I don't know what stunned me more: the fact that someone was ignorant enough to do it, or the fact that no one else thought it was wierd!

When? <b>When</b> is it going to sink in?!

you raise some important questions kristine...but only when the heavy(pun intended) carb consumers decide to examine what they eat and feed their children, and realize the ramifications of piling sugar into their bodies...well, maybe thats when it'll sink in. but dont count on it too soon. the commercial enterprise behind manufactured 'low fat' foods is a very well oiled machine. that keeps the people fed. excepting of course...us!




foth

Kristine

I can understand how upset you are - and I know you "need to vent" don't we all from time to time. I'm thinking that it was probably just a faux pas on the part of the sender. Especially since they were a family member and who knows how knowledgable they were as to all the contributing factors to the end situation. They probably just weren't thinking when they sent the basket and meant only the best. I know this dosen't change anything - but maybe it'll help you feel a bit different. I know myself I am always uncomfortable in situations where severe illness or death is involved. When my father-in-law died 2 years ago I had never been to a funeral in my life and although I was greiving for him I knew his sons and daughters were probably in much more pain than I and I felt unsure as what to say or do. In similar situations I always feel unsure and at times I probably screw up while meaning to do well. All this aside - yes people do need more education on nutrition. So sorry about your freind and hope that he can attain a good rehab.

I'm with you Kristine. I can't believe what I see and hear sometimes. Sick people getting sicker on low-fat diets. Parents willingly feeding their kids crap and thinking it's just fine...will it ever end?

I think it always boils down to taking the easy way out and putting too much faith in the idiots that we like to call the medical establishment.

What's easier? Living fat and/or unhealthy, ignorant and addicted or healthily, educated and unaddicted? It's a lot of work to change the course of your health and life and some people just can't stand the effort, pain and soul-searching.

Think Darwin. They're eliminating themselves from the gene pool.

Karen

People so often choose to be ignorant. Or make excuses for unhealthy behavior. How do you explain smoking, otherwise?

I mean, there is no argument, in the medical establishment or anywhere, that it is deadly, and yet millions smoke. How much easier to eat the way you've been taught to?

Last time I saw my diabetic (and obese) mother order a stack of pancakes and pour syrup all over it, I just couldn't keep silent. Can you believe she told me her doctor told her she could? That it was only pastries covered in sugar that she wasn't allowed.

[sigh]

What can you do? Her doctor didn't tell her that. She must know better. But will do anything to excuse her addiction.

I just wish the media/everyone would make the connection, y'know? You wouldn't send a bottle of wine to someone with liver cirrhosis. I guess people just don't take it seriously enough yet.

Maybe it's because type II diabetes is seen as this phenomenon that "just happens to a lot of people as they age." It's not seen as a lifestyle disease, like lung cancer in a smoker.

Hmmph.

>>"Think Darwin. They're eliminating themselves from the gene pool."

Y'know, that's a cheeky comment, but it's true: look at how many women with PCOS out there can't conceive, and they have <b>no idea why. </b>

There are a lot of people that are totally ignorant regarding what a diabetic should and should not eat, including many diabetics. It doesn't help when the ADA comes out with recommendations stating that refined sugar is just fine for diabetics as long as they cover it with sufficient medication. The rationale behind that being that they don't want diabetics to feel that they aren't leading a normal life. How normal is life as an amputee??
I hope that your co-worker's husband will be getting good support following his amputations and is giving some serious thought about what led him to such a state. It's a very sad situation, to be sure.

Kristine -

I know how you feel. The situation you've described was awfull. It was NOT an isolated event. Sigh. I know I'm a hopeless convert to lowcarbing now, but even before I saw with horror what kind of food my parents (in Poland) considered healthy or how much crap carbs people fed to their children.
I would love to help my parents, they suffer from diabetes, high BP and God knows what else - the problem is we have a very bad relationship and they never ever listen to me. They would never believe it, anyway....

KAREN - Darwin???? My husband has the same theory. LOL
I agree It's a pity to see what is going on, how people keep on damaging their health. When I see a very overweight person with nothing but light-products and bread in the shopping basket.....well, I sometimes just want to go and say something.
I don't and I'm a little ashamed of it.
Alina

I was at my doctors a week ago getting my pap. On the table in the waiting room was a bunch of flyers on diet and dietbeties. It was that OLD FOOD PRYAMID which allows 6 breads and grains and very little fat or protien. This is what the patients are given by their health profesional.

My doctor has taken an interest in my diet. He has noticed that my blood pressure has gone down and that my cholesteral is great. I think he is still on the fence but his ears picked up when I mentioned I no longer get the blood sugar highs and lows. I think he is going to read Atkins. I can tell that he is really stressed over the amount of paitents he has with diabeties. But AGAIN, I am sure it is very scary for him to recomend something that goes against everything he was taught.

I would say many of us on Atkins probably have a pretty rebellious streak in us. It takes lots of courage to do something that is so against the norm, even when it comes down to your health. It has been great that recently there has been lots of positive buzz surrounding LCing... but think, what was your attitude when you first heard of it? It took me nearly 5 years before I knew this is what I needed to do and I knew about Atkins since the 70s. My dad was on it and lots LOTS of weight but my mom still blames her gallblader surgery on the high fat, high protein diet we were all on back then.

Almost everyone at work knows i am on Atkins but you won;t believe how many people say.. "you want a granola bar? You can have that, right?" The ignorance is high and will be that way for quite sometime.

Kristine-

Our society does suck! I just gave a lecture in my phys anthro class on secular change-short term plastic changes in humans that are mainly due to environment. One of the changes I talked about was the increase in obesity especially in children and the accompanying decrease in age of the first menses in girls.

From 1981-1986 the number of over weight boys in Canada (and I am sure the same holds for the US) went from 15-28.8%. The number of over weight girls went from 15-23%. Scary isn't it? That much change in just 5 years. I am sure it is even worse now. In addition, the age of menarche has dropped due to getting to the necessary body fat % to have menses earlier and earlier. Females have to have 17% bf to get their periods. We are getting to that 17% at such a young age these days.

As one of my bosses at a local community college said-"When they came out with the food pyramid, we all started looking like the pyramid."

It's even more alarming when you see how people feed children right into weight problems.

As a parent of three young children, I'm always in the role of "food police." It's amazing...any play groups or times when kids get together involve JUNK food. A mom needs to bring a snack, what does she bring....cookies and Hi-C!!!! I bring fresh fruits, wheat crackers, cheese, milk, water and OJ. Kids don't tend to be pigs with milk and OJ, but tend to be pigs with all other fruit juices and non-fruit sugar drinks. Whenever I provide snacks, the Moms always comment on how "healthy" we eat, but then they turn around and bring JUNK the next week! I don't make an issue about food in front of other people or my kids, but I strive to be a good example and minimize JUNK food exposures. I don't want my kids to become JUNK food bingers, either. Balance is key I guess.

Also, relatives seem to equate JUNK food with love. My MIL isn't really involved with my kids(her choice- she apparently has better things to do) but, whenever she sees them insists on bringing JUNK food. I've told her politely, and not so politely(when we're alone, of course) that they get enough JUNK when we go places with other kids and we really don't need to bring extra JUNK into our homes I've told her--bring them coloring books, cool dollar store junk, or bring fresh strawberries, blueberries, mangoes, etc. or bring nothing.....I'd prefer that she spend time with them rather then throw JUNK food at them and then ignore them for a month. I have, in front of her, put the cookies, candy, jelly beans, cake, etc. out of site when she walks in the door and not shown it to the kids(and have throw it away--not it front of her). She's starting to get the message--but is at a loss. How do you show love without JUNK food?--that's her question.

I must sound like a real drag. I'm not, by any means. I grew up with a Mom and Dad that were concerned about nutrition(low-fat, of course) and I'm still overweight. I don't want this to happen to my kids if I can help it. Life is hard enough......

Not at all! You sound enlightened!

If it were true, then we are all a bunch of "real drags" and clearly we are not.

Karen

Unfortunately, I think that society's perception of diabetes has changed over the past few decades. Maybe it's because more people have diabetes or maybe it's because of the development of medicines that can help, but diabetes is now perceived as less "serious" than it once was.

I have type II diabetes, as does/did my father, paternal grandfather, maternal uncle, and various cousins. (In my family, even thin people have type II diabetes.) In 1970, I remember how concerned my mother was about making sure that her diabetic brother had sugarfree things to eat when he came to visit. Like most diabetics at the time, he gave himself insulin injections--thus, his disease was perceived by family as serious. Now 30 years later, my mother loads me down when cookies when I visit. Since I control my blood sugar by diet and exercise alone, the family perceives my condition as not serious.

It's frustating, but I think that societal views with regard to diabetes are moving in the wrong direction.

OH MY GOD!! I must tell you how crazy I am about this same issue!!!! I took my 63 year old friend to the hospital to have his leg amputated last month (thin man). His heart was so irregular they canceled the surgery and had me take him to the cardiologist office near the hospital.

The waiting room was full of seriously obese folks. The staff was all a good deal overweight. HOWEVER, they not only had a Girl Scout cookie display, but also had a bowl full of dove chocolates at the checkout desk. These folks have to fast for testing - who in the world could resist???

My friend is checking out and grabs for a chocolate. I discretely put my hand on his and he says, yeah you're right (his sugar is already at 250, 70-110 is normal!). The freakin' receptionist pipes up, "well, I just think you only live once - why not have chocolate!" I say, well, since my friend here is having his LEG AMPUTATED and may have just had a diabetes related HEART ATTACK, his life could END with chocolate. I was SO FURIOUS! I am so sick of medical "professionals" and their twisted lack of knowledge! She said, oh I didn't know, well I guess you SHOULDn't have it. Nice lady, really, but GEEZ!

I swear I had a dream last night that my other diabetic friend (almost blind at 44, kidney transplant recipient) went into the hospital and the nurse tried to do a Girl Scout cookie display IN HIS ROOM.

The situation is indeed depressing.

I think it is the checkout line that gets me the most. I have never really been one for buying sweets. Once in a while I buy no sugar added ice cream (gotta feed those pregnancy cravings sometimes ). But to see what some people buy! I have actually had people look at me funny when 75% of my grocerys is fresh fruit and veggies! One lady in the produce section was "impressed" because my three year old asked me to buy asparagas. My girls love their fruits and veggies

My three year old will get up in the morning and sneek into the kitchen before anyone else is up and take a piece of cheese or a bananna. My five year old comes home from school and has had cookies for snack. I send 20 apples for the kids (one for each kid) on her day to bring snack and I get 10 back. Want to bet the parents that send cookies never get anything back