Trading Winstons for Whoppers

I remember the days when restaurants were smoked filled.  It was common to see people smoking in grocery stores and when travelling by air.  Television prime time was filled with commercials for cigarettes.  Remember the Tareyton "I'd rather fight than switch" black eye, the Marlboro Man, or the Tiparillo Girl?  During hospital rounds I would call ahead and tell the floor nurses to have my patients extinguish their cigarettes before I arrived, so I wouldn't smell like smoke the rest of the day.  Then culture began to change, and it is hard to imagine the smoker's world we once lived in. No smoking on planes or in restaurants, grocery stores, or hospital rooms now.  No television advertising for cigarettes.  And because of the reduction in smoking these changes have brought about, the lifespan of Americans was increased.

However, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on December 2nd, reveals that health gains derived from reduced smoking have been more than offset by the negative health effects of America's growing waistlines over the last few decades. It seems that all we have done is traded in our Winstons for Whoppers.

Ideally our future world won't have a drive-thru on every corner, people will actually eat meals cooked at home using real food, and cars won't be designed around supersized cup holders.  Maybe someday we will think back and remember school lunch programs dominated by the fast food industry, or TV ads for the Taco Bell fourth meal, and we will shake our heads in disbelief at how foolish we once were.  Possibly.  But I'm not sure I would bet your health or pants size on it happening anytime soon, and in the meantime the world is starting to tip on its axis more than is natural. 

You don't need to wait for culture to change in order to be slimmer, and healthier as a result.  Just start by doing a few simple things.  Use whole wheat bread instead of white; eat 5 servings of your favorite vegetables, 3 to 4 servings of fruit, and a cup of cooked beans every day; take the stairs instead of the elevator or park at the far end of the parking lot instead of near the door. 

Do those things and you may be a real trend setter, decades ahead of the crowd.

The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.

One Hundred Years of Wisdom

He is 101 years old, new to my practice, and I was asked to pay him a medical visit at his home. I didn’t know what to anticipate, but this new patient turned out to be the highlight of my day.  He vividly told me how he had fallen last May in his bathroom – a “silly mistake that was my own fault” – and as a result he had broken his hip. A hospitalization and rehab followed, but he had not regained the strength he needed in order to live independently, or to do much other than be in a chair during most of his day. He also had a urinary catheter placed during his hospitalization, and nearly died from a urinary infection last August. But other than a few injuries he had sustained in the distant past, this gentleman is amazingly healthy and his mind is as sharp as a tack.  His blood pressure is as good as a teenager’s. He takes no medication. He drove a car until he was 100, never having a traffic violation or accident. Until he broke his hip last May, he went to work in his wood shop every day, operating power tools such as lathes, saws and drills. He has a good appetite, goes to bed at 9 every evening and arises at daylight. He reads books during the day in order to keep his mind strong. In fact, he had just finished reading a book about Chinese consumerism, manufacturing, and exports, and the effect this may have on world economy. He proudly told me “I love my life.”

I’d like us to learn from the wisdom and habits of my new patient. In talking to him and his son, a couple of items stood out regarding the way he lives his life – clues, I believe, to his amazing longevity and the quality of life he continues to enjoy. The first is his mental attitude. He loves life, even with the recent adversity and challenges it poses. He realizes the value of making mistakes, and doesn’t beat himself up over having made them. To put it in his words, “The only thing wrong with making mistakes is if you don’t learn from them, or if you keep on making them.” The second significant item relates to his diet. It isn’t so much about what he eats, but rather how much he eats. He stops eating when he isn’t hungry and before he is full. He has done this his entire life, and I am sure it is related to how well he has done over the years. He is at his ideal weight. Third, he has been active physically and mentally all of his life – this continues even today, to the extent possible for him.

One hundred years of wisdom can be summarized as follows:

1. For today, and each day forward, keep a positive attitude. Learn from mistakes you have made and use that information to help you in the future.


2. Don’t eat if you aren’t hungry and stop eating before you are full.


3. Move more and look for ways to increase your physical activity. You don’t need to join a gym – start by parking further away when you shop, and build from there.

Do these 3 things and your health will improve, you will probably live longer, and your quality of life will be better. Impress your doctor when you are 101!



The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.