Obesity and Diabetes - Is it All in Your Head?

Looking For Cheap Flights To Noosa Heads

[tp_search_shortcodes id=1 origin="" destination="MEL" hotel_city="Melbourne, Australia, 952, 5436, city, Australia" type="avia_hotel" subid=""]
[tp_in_our_city_fly_shortcodes destination=MEL title="" limit=100 paginate=true stops=0 one_way=false subid="" currency="USD"]

[tp_ducklett_widget responsive=true limit=9 type=slider filter=0 subid=""]

by avlxyz

So, what is a mental health specialist doing writing about a medical problem, diabetes?

The answer is that this most critical health care crises is being driven by lifestyle choices which, when altered, makes diabetes almost 100% preventable. I, like almost every American, have been personally affected and am concerned about the public health crisis the massive increase in diabetes is causing.

Many years ago, a physician and colleague of mine went into practice with a well known, highly successful "star" in his specialty of urology, a man suffering from diabetes. After a few years of working in the older doctor's office the standing joke with my friend and the staff was how to keep the good doctor from eating the dozen candy bars he kept stashed his desk at all times. Like the spouse or friend of the alcoholic who pours out the alcohol, they often raided his desk throwing out the candy, trying to no avail to help him control his addiction to sugar and his cravings for carbohydrates.

A few years later I had a heartbreaking experience when visiting this brilliant man. While only in his sixties, he was sitting in a nursing home bed with both legs amputated. An outcome that was most surely avoidable had he been able to manage his weight through a healthy diet and exercise.

Unfortunately, most of us see the power of the addiction to food all around us daily. Chances are, if you're a USA citizen, you're overweight (2/3rds currently are). And I'm almost 100% certain you know someone who is obese.

Why am I writing about obesity and resulting diabetes epidemic? Because of the old saying of "it's not what we are eating but what is eating us". Making the case for emotional eating helps to focus on the cause of the eating behavior not just the behavior.

You can clearly see the connection of food, lifestyle and obsessive behavior. How to break the addiction and eat to live instead of living to eat is the problem. I know it's going to take changing not only our diet but also our thinking about food to help us escape the looming health disaster of obesity and diabetes. If you or someone you love suffer the effects of over-eating, please know there is a way out and you've found a path.