Is weight loss advice unsafe?

The advice we are getting on what is a safe and effective weight loss diet has become a safety issue, as evidence mounts that the advice is probably wrong. Let’s start with some major cover-my-rear disclaimers: I am not a doctor. I am not a biologist. Nothing in this area is certain at this time. So this is not medical or any other kind of advice. But if you are looking to get thinner and nothing has worked, here are some points to bring up with your doctor. Not only should you see a doctor before starting a weight loss diet, but also talk to the doctor about monitoring your health with blood tests along the way.

OK, here’s the thing. We fat people have been told for decades that we are either lazy, gluttons, or both. It is real simple they say; if you would just push away from the table and go burn more calories, you will lose weight. Eat more than you burn and you will get fat. So if you are fat, you must be eating too much or exercising too little or both – end of story.

Evidence is mounting that this is the opposite of what is really going on. You are not fat because you over eat and are inactive. You have more hunger and less energy because no matter how much you eat, your body is starving. If you do eat less and exercise more, you are only starving yourself more. Eventually, as anyone knows who has tried to lose weight the low calorie way, you will eat. At some point your body takes over, and just as you can’t hold your breath for ever, you will go get something high calorie to eat. Since you have been taught this is bad, you will feel guilty and depressed, but only after you have eaten. This is not new information, it is just that now there is a building body or research to support it. Here is how it works.

We are told that a healthy diet is one that is mostly carbohydrates. Carbs are sugar, potatoes, bread, etc. Eat as little fat as possible (we can not live without eating some) and keep the protein down. The current recommendation is for over half our daily calories to come from carbs. In our body, the carbs turn to sugar, which will kill us in high enough dosages, so the pancreas produces insulin to get rid of the sugar. As we continue to eat so many carbs, the insulin starts to over produce. What the insulin does is cause the sugar to be stored in fat cells. It also keeps it locked up there. Because so much of what we eat is a carb, there are not enough calories left available to fuel our bodies. So we are starving ourselves. We are hungry and we have little energy. If we eat less, we will lose weight, because we are after all eating fewer carbs, so less insulin and more calories can escape fat cells. The actual process is more complicated that this, but this is the gist of it.

The most important influence on weight is heredity. It is your genes that will tend to make you gain weight eating the same food as someone whose genetics allow their body to eat the same foods without weight gain. In fact people who cannot store carbs as easily will not only be thin, they will also tend to be over active, because they need some way to burn off the energy floating around in their body. But ask them this question, “if a doctor convinced you that you would live longer and be healthier if you gained 100 pounds, could you do it?” Most of them will admit that it would be hard. Unfortunately, because it is easy for them to not eat and be active, they assume it is easy for everyone. They assume everyone is just like them. So they think a fat person must be fat by choice.

Not only are we not losing weight, we are depressed and embarrassed. We have bought into what everyone tells us, even though we know from experience, that it is not true. We are getting fatter and that is unsafe. I am going to write more about this, so stay tuned.

Holiday safety tips

The holiday season is underway and I hope you have a wonderful and safe celebration. This time of year, with Christmas trees, decorations, candles, and cooking, there can be additional risks if safety practices are not followed.

In a five year period 1200 fires to home structures are caused by burning Christmas trees. These resulted in 65 deaths not counting fire responders, 130 injuries also not counting fire responders, and $83,500,000.00 in damage. About one fifth of those Christmas tree fires were caused by electric powered lights. Altogether lights or other electric decorations account for 750 fires, 40 deaths not counting fire responders, 70 injuries also not counting fire responders, and $42,000,000.00 in damage. So including trees and lights, there were over 1800 fires.

Candles were involved in 11% of Christmas tree fires, and 20% of Christmas tree fires were caused by a heat source being too close to the tree.

During a three year period over 16,000 people were treated for falls involving holiday decorations. Ouch!!

Most kitchen fires are caused by unattended cooking, but the kitchen is also a place where people, especially children can be injured directly from the cooking.

Here are some reminders to help keep the celebration from becoming a tragedy:

If you use an artificial tree make sure it is fire retardant.

If you use a real tree, make sure green needles don’t fall off when you touch a branch, cut 1-2inches of the trunk and put in a stand with water. Water daily.

Keep any heat source at least 3 feet way from the tree. This includes space heaters, fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents, hot lights.

Make sure the tree does not block an exit.

Make sure any light strands are in good shape (no frayed cord or loose light sockets) and make sure the lights are intended for use on the tree if that is what you are using them for. If you are using them to decorate outside, make sure they are certified for outdoor use. Turn lights off before bed or if you are going to be gone.

Never use lit candles to decorate the tree.

After Christmas get rid of any natural tree. A dead dry tree is a major fire hazard.

Keep candles 18 inches away from anything that could catch fire. Make sure the candle is in a sturdy holder on an uncluttered surface. Don’t leave candles unattended and put them out before going to sleep.

It is best to not have candles in a bedroom, and never leave a child alone with a burning candle. Consider using flameless candles that look like they have a flame.

Most kitchen fires are associated with cooking on the stove top. Stay with the cooking if you are frying, or grilling on the stove top. If you leave the stove top, turn it off, even if for a short time. If you are boiling or simmering, use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.

Keep things away from the stove top, including oven mitts. Remember that electric stove tops do not cool off immediately.

It is best to give the kids something to keep their attention out of the kitchen, but always keep a kid-free zone around the stove of at least 3 feet.

Have a lid handy to slide over any small grease fire in a pan. Do not open the lid until the pan is completely cool. If there is an oven fire, keep the oven door closed. If a fire gets out of hand, LEAVE and close the door. Make sure everyone else gets out, too. You should have an escape plan already worked out and practiced with your kids for any kind of fire. (You can make this into a game and there are resources on the internet to help you plan and practice fire escape.)

These are all simple precautions. Observe good safety and make it a habit. That’s the best way to ensure a happy holiday season. May this holiday season find you and your family happy healthy and safe and have a prosperous new year.

Hybrid vehicle safety

Did you know the first hybrid engine was invented in 1899?  Since 1999 over 1.5 million hybrid vehicles have been sold in the US.  A hybrid car still has a gasoline (or diesel) engine, but it also has a high power battery that at times takes all or part of the load off the gasoline engine.  As we all know, this saves fuel and is the main selling point for these vehicles.  It takes less fuel to produce the electricity to recharge the battery than to put the equivalent amount of gas in the car.

Because hybrids have conventional engines, people are going to work on them as they do now, but there is a difference.  In conventional cars, the battery does not produce enough electricity to cause major injury.  In a hybrid, the much more powerful battery can cause injury and in some kinds of battery even death, if proper safety procedures are not followed.  So before you open the hood on your hybrid, make sure you read the owner’s manual and pay attention to the safety warnings.  Here are some tips to help keep you and your family safe.

The power is not necessarily off, just because the engine is not running.  Make sure the ignition is off and the high powered batteries are disconnected before you do any work.  If there is a ready light make sure it is off.  Not only can you be shocked by the power, but in some cars if the battery is low, the engine will automatically come on to recharge it.  What a surprise that could be!!

Wait 15 minutes after disconnecting the batteries before you do any work.  There may be capacitors that store electricity and they need time to discharge.  Your owner’s manual may even have a procedure to discharge capacitors.

Under the hood there may be parts that are in the current loop when the power is on, but are not insolated.  Do not assume that you are protected from shock.

Wear gloves, but regular garage gloves are not good enough.  You need rubber Class 00 gloves rated to insulate 1000 volts.  Inspect your gloves each time you use them to make sure there are no pin holes or tears that might expose you to current.

Some cars have all of the potentially hot wires in one color.  Orange is popular, but not universal.  Learn the color for your car, and stay away from those wires.

Keep children away from the car while you are working on it.  They are naturally curious and want to “help,” but this is definitely one time to give them something else to do.

If you are ever unfortunate enough to be in a collision, safety devices are supposed to disable the power, but it is wise to be careful.  If your car can be damaged, so can its safety devices.  Safety devices are supposed to fail is a safe condition, but still…

If you are stuck in the car and first responders are helping you, help them by making sure they know your car is a hybrid, so they can use procedures to get you out without hurting them or you.

Protect your self against fraudulent bank accounts

It is too easy to open a bank account.  If a thief gets your name and social security number, most banks will let them open an account using whatever address the thief gives.  The thief transfers funds into that account from someone else’s hacked account and then draws the money out at an ATM.  When the authorities investigate, the path leads back to you.  You can do something about that.

Most banks use a credit bureau that specializes in giving them information about customers who wish to open a new account.  Unlike general credit bureaus, this company just gives any negative information about past accounts of the person applying for the new account.  This includes things like over drafting the account, ATM abuse, and the like.  It does not give information about things like credit card payments, car loans, department store accounts, mortgages, or personal loans.  The name of the company is Chex Systems.

You can tell Chex Systems to not give out any information unless you authorize it.  So when a bank asks Chex Systems for a report, Chex Systems tells them you have put a hold on your information.  The bank must then contact you to lift the hold temporarily.  That way you will always know if a bank is about to open an account in your name.  Chex Systems gives you a nine digit PIN that you can enter on the Chex Systems web site to lift the hold.

One thing to keep in mind is that putting the hold on may delay your ability to open new accounts.  The hold is not fool-proof.  Some banks may not use Chex Systems.

If you believe it is possible someone may try to open a fraudulent account in your name, go to ConsumerDebit.com and click on the Security Freeze link to read more about the hold and place one.  Make sure you spell ConsumerDebit.com with an i in debit or you will go to a web site that wants to fix your credit for a fee.  Chex Systems hold does not cost anything.

I do not have any financial or other interest in Chex Systems.  I am offering this information as a public service, and do not endorse the company.