The Medical Approach To Death By Dieting
by
Michael Applebaum, MD, JD, FCLM

Forgive my delicate use of language in the following paragraph.

It is time to tighten one of the last nooses around the necks of the sick care establishment and its ongoing murderous attempts to kill you (and your kids, if you have any) through its weight loss recommendations.

Let us examine the reasonableness of the 500-1000 Calories per day or 3500 – 7000 Calories per week reduction that is claimed to result in a "safe" 1-2 pounds weight loss per week.

Just about the whole universe of expert diet advice recommends reducing caloric intake by an “easy,” “simple” or “moderate” 500 – 1000 Calories per day or 3500 – 7000 Calories per week to “safely” lose 1 – 2 pounds per week.

Need proof? Google the terms. You’ll get tens of thousands of hits.

If you have read Why Diets Fail and MASSematics tm, then you know from two perspectives why this is insane advice and deadly, to boot.

There are data demonstrating that energy deficits of 15 – 20% are met with resistance and behavioral alterations. [i]

In fact, daily energy deficits of 15 –20% cause substantial hardship and negative personality changes. [ii] People grumble and grouse. They do not like it.

For a 500 – 1000 Calories daily reduction in intake to result in a mere 15 – 20% reduction in intake, how many Calories do you have to be eating per day?

I know.

Between 2500 and 6666.66 Calories per day.

Any less and you reduce your intake by more than 15 – 20%.

This would make you even more uncomfortable.

The average daily caloric intake has been estimated at 2300 Calories [iii] and Shaquille O’Neal’s BMR is ~2955 Calories. [iv]

Reducing daily Calories by 500-1000 is a greater than 15 – 20% decrease for most people in need of dieting.

This makes one lose weight faster.

And more uncomfortably.

Unfortunately, the quicker the weight loss, the less likely a diet will succeed. [v]

Bummer. Big bummer.

And an even bigger bum, if you know what I mean.

Failed dieting results in weight gain and a higher BMI.

And a higher risk of certain illnesses and death from those illnesses.

Diet advice is one way the medical profession generates business for itself, its hospitals and its drug companies.

And undertakers, too, to boot.