Nutrition Miscellany: 3/25/12

Mayor Michael Bloomberg:
No Food Inspectors At Your Potluck
But If You Happen To Donate 
the Same Food To a Homeless Shelter...

[This is a revised version of a previously published commentary in my political blog.]

When I watched the embedded video clip below, a top 30 1979 Cheap Trick hit song, the "Dream Police", came to mind, and I decided to write a relevant parody:

The Food Police, They Come Into the Shelter
The Food Police, They Clear the Dinner Table
The Food Police, They Took the Salt Shaker
The Food Police, They Went Into the Kitchen
The Food Police, They've Raided the Pantry
The Food Police, They're Going to Arrest the Cook: Oh No!


I Try to Eat, They're Watching Me, They Won't Leave Me Alone
They Don't Get Paid to Mind Their Own Business, or Let Me Alone
They Stare, I Try to Hide My Plate, They Won't Let Me Alone
They're Stalking Me, They're the Judge and the Jury All in One.

Mayor Bloomberg has decided that since city bureaucrats haven't put their imprimatur on donated food to homeless shelters, because of insufficient data on various nutritional aspects (fat, fiber, and salt), donations are no longer accepted.  What about the homeless then without food donations? No doubt Bloomberg would say, "Let them eat (bland, city-sanctioned) cake..."


I mentioned before in past blog posts that I have a low tolerance for diets or guidelines which go beyond what has been established by controlled scientific results. I have struggled with weight issues most of my adult life; my mom will tell you I didn't have weight issues growing up. I'm the oldest of 7, and my mom, a housewife struggling to make ends meet on Dad's limited income as an Air Force enlisted man, had strict rules. I basically paid my way through college on a scholarship, work-study, and a small loan.

Like many freshmen on their own for the first time, I put on some weight, especially during my first two years. Now, I have to be honest and say things have vastly changed from the days of my eating at a college cafeteria, which mostly consisted of a single buffet line with servers and a choice from among 2 or 3 main entrees, self-served dessert portions  (plus dining area salad and yogurt islands). Don't ask me how in the world I gained weight; it's true I wasn't regularly exercising after having delivered newspapers daily on bike through high school. In fact, my first year in college I worked for the cafeteria and quickly got promoted from washing dishes to assistant cook. So I knew the games played with leftovers (in particular, mixing freshly fried frozen breaded fish portions).

[In 2008, I worked for a university ERP software company; I remember these private university clients wouldn't let me expense lunch but picked up my all-you-care-to-eat admission at their student dining facilities. This one campus (I think one of my two clients in the Los Angeles area)  had literally three different buffet lines (e.g., homestyle, natural foods/vegetarian, ethnic foods, etc.), a cook-to-order fast food island (burgers, fries, etc.), a freshly-baked bread/dessert island, etc. Heaven knows how much I would have gained if I had attended school there...]

Oddly enough, nobody really commented on my obvious weight gain, but I was determined to lose weight after seeing a snapshot of a rather portly, average-height me standing next to a very tall (over 6 feet in heels), thinly built coed (a sweet girl and a friend) at an academic awards presentation.  I bought into one of those liquid protein fads going on around the time; somehow 1 or 2 friends got wind of it, and they had a mini-intervention, worried that these diets were unsafe and I would kill myself. I reconsidered my decision and successfully got my money back; I then went on an old-fashioned, self-directed diet, literally willing myself to lose 75 pounds (just as my family returned from my dad's final Air Force assignment in Europe). This struggle would continue throughout my life, despite almost fanatical working out in the 1990's.

For example, during my brief service in the Navy, I gained enough weight during officer indoctrination at Newport that by the time I reported on duty in Orlando, I weighed in slightly over my weight limit and was assigned to the "fat boys program".  This meant after the end of my regular shift, say, 5PM, I had to report for daily workouts deliberately held in the open (so anybody off duty could see us, mock us, etc.)

The undergraduate loss of 75 pounds would only be exceeded by the loss during my low-carb days from 2003 to 2004. As I may have mentioned in a prior post, I had met a fellow DBA during a gig in the Chicago area during the late summer and early fall of 2002. He had noted my weight issues and said that he had run into the same problems, but told me about Atkins and this curious claim that as long as you held to the rules about strict carb limits (no "white foods"--flour, potatoes, sugar, white rice, etc.), you could eat however much you wanted--even a 2-lb steak--and you would lose weight. I will say this much: the first time I tried a modified Atkins approach, I was effortlessly dropping 2 to 3 lbs. a week over a sustained period of time. I decided to go off the diet temporarily for a couple of reasons--an upcoming big family event and the boring nature of the diet. I never really went back on the diet for a sustained period, and I'm gearing up for a second try.

One of the reasons I mention this is I got on the Atkins diet boards in Internet groups during my time on the low-carb diet (by the way, I still avoid the white foods, except for occasional trips home or business travel).

Along the way I educated myself on basic nutrition. I learned, for instance, on fats, that even much-maligned saturated fats were essential: the issue was getting too much of a good thing. Many of the Atkins dieters were judging vegetables strictly in terms of carbs per serving. I looked at foods on a more holistic level in terms of nutritional diversity--what about other vitamins, minerals, etc., from eating a variety of vegetables and fruits? I didn't like the fact that 20 carb gram limit held true whether you had limited mobility or led an active lifestyle.

 In an anecdote I probably mentioned in a past post, I remember that one day this one lady had despaired that she was on this diet but she didn't seem to be losing weight. She published what she was eating, and I remember looking at it and thinking to myself, this is a great, healthy diet. Meanwhile, the Atkins diet wolf pack was busy speculating on whether the corn in her mixed vegetables was responsible for holding back her weight loss,  and I basically flamed back, "STOP THE MADNESS!"  (I asked her what she was doing for exercise, and she mentioned being wheelchair-bound and didn't know what exercises she could do. Our email exchange changed the nature of the thread as a flood of suggestions on exercise for the mobile-impaired came in.)

So when I see or hear about government leaders or bureaucrats impose certain guidelines as inflexible,  iron-clad rules, my instinctive response is for them to mind their own business for much the same reason. Apparently when you are homeless, public assistance comes with strings attached--including taking away the liberty to choose what you can or should eat. By shutting off wholesome, nourishing food donations, the government artificially raises the cost of feeding the homeless (all for their alleged own benefit, of course).

The Donna Simpson Story (Updated)


[Being a fat person myself, I hesitate to be critical of other obese individuals. There are reality TV shows based on people losing weight; I must see a dozen TV commercials a day on Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, etc. Many people would rather stand up rather than sit next to an obese person; most single obese people find it difficult to date other people; buying clothes that fit is next to impossible, expensive and a hassle (i.e., alterations). Do some obese people eat too much of the wrong fools? No doubt, but I can tell you  that I've also known thin or medium-weight people whom eat more than any obese person; just look at who wins hot dog or other eating contests: the winners are usually not the biggest guys with double chins. I can tell you that I never buy baked goods or desserts, I can't recall the last time I bought ice cream or frozen yogurt, I've occasionally purchased nuts, but no other snack foods. If you look at my Sam's Club tape, you'll find things like skim milk, frozen blueberries, fresh strawberries, kiwis, apples or blackberries, mushrooms, lettuce or spinach, eggs, frozen chicken breasts, fresh broccoli and brussel sprouts,  salsa, and some cheese (mostly for omelets).

So two years ago I had written a post draft on the Donna Simpson story making the newswires, about an obese woman whom had drawn the attention of men with a fetish for obese women and was actively trying to become the world's largest woman. I have a miscellany format I've used for my daily political blog posts, and I had adopted the format on occasion  for this blog; it normally involves two or more smaller commentaries. There is a follow-up to the story; what you'll see first is my original unpublished commentary. I've had to drop a currently unavailable link.]

[Original Unpublished Post, 3/10]

Donna Simpson is a 42-year-old New Jersey woman, mother of two, whom happens to be over 600 pounds, 4 times the weight of her supportive boyfriend (with a fetish for obese women). Not satisfied with having been the biggest woman on record (532 lbs.) to have given birth (she's the 43rd heaviest woman on record), Donna is aiming at eclipsing the 1000-lb. mark over the next 2 years, insisting she is in good health (but relies on a scooter to move about). Donna's regimen includes a food budget of some $3000 a month, supported by a paid-subscription website for fat-admiring men wanting to see her eat.

I don't intend to judge Ms. Simpson; generally speaking, I think it's important for obese people to have a positive self-image. But the level of her involvement in the fetish world can distort her perspective, and the mobility and related health issues can affect her quality of life and performance of her parental responsibilities. Most of us gain weight not intentionally but as a consequence of other issues (e.g., weight creep via slowing metabolism). My personal philosophy is not driven by some externally recognized status or achievement (e.g., an entry in the Guinness World Records book or Pulitzer Prize) but my personal goals and objectives, which can be motivated by certain external heuristics (e.g., a normal weight range for my height and body build).

[Follow-Up, 3/12]

A year later Donna Simpson had broken up with her 5-year fiance Phillipe Gouamba, the father of her youngest child, and decided to move back to her hometown of Akron, OH from New Jersey. Although some reports had her weight as high as 730 lbs., she claimed she never exceeded 600 lbs. and said the stress of moving had dropped her weight down to 540 lbs. She said that without a significant other to help her take care of herself, it was unfair of her to expect her kids to take on that responsibility; hence, she intended to get down to a more self-sustaining weight of 370 lbs, although she was open to future relationships with men having a weight fetish and even the possibility of resuming her weight gain track.

By a second follow-up report late December, Donna Simpson had closed down the pay website which reportedly had earned her up to $90K/year, so men with a weight fetish could watch her eat. She had dropped another 25 lbs., down to 515 lbs., and is still aiming at reducing to 370 lbs. although she no longer seemed to be talking about finding another soul mate with a weight fetish.

My comments? First of all, I think the fact that Donna lost 85 lbs. in less than two years is a great accomplishment; I did it myself in 2003-2004, and it's easier said than done. It's a fantastic first step, and I congratulate her for acknowledging that she has a way to go to reach a healthy sustainable weight. I don't think 370 lbs. is sufficiently ambitious, even if she was over 7 feet tall. It's not enough for her to wish to be independent, to not be a burden to her kids; I think she needs to want to be there for her own kids' benefit. The single best thing she can do for her kids is to take responsibility for her own health and thus set a good example for their future. I feel that once she gets to 370 lbs., she'll realize that the goal is just a number and she'll continue on her journey to regain robust health. I do understand that setting an ambitious goal of losing over 300 pounds can be demoralizing because it'll take years to get there.