Diet or Activity?

As part of the preparation to open our running and walking shoe store, my husband and I have been comparing different approaches to weight and health: Atkins (low carb), the South Beach Diet (cut bad carbs and bad fats), and Health at Any Size (no diet, no weight loss).

Let’s start with some areas of agreement. It is healthier to eat whole foods than processed foods, although each recognizes some need for convenience food and Atkins has licensed a number of “low carb” foods and condiments. “Low fat” on a label does not mean the food inside is actually healthful. Red meat can provide important nutrients and other benefits in an individual’s diet, although here again the three differ on how much meat and the meat’s fat content. Activity is good for your health, and it does not have to be time in the gym or on the treadmill.

Now the areas of disagreement. Diets disagree on what you can eat, how, and even when you can eat it. Nutritionists say to eat a varied diet with plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean meats and dairy products. The South Beach Diet says to avoid foods with high glycemic index, including most fruits and some vegetables; trans fats found in margarine and most snack foods; and saturated fats. Although Atkins recognizes that all carbs are not equal, its focus is on limiting carbohydrate intake of all kinds, hence the carb counting obsession.

Atkins and South Beach also gained popularity with the claim that dieters do not have to count calories — South Beach has the added bonus of not counting carbs — to lose weight. Research has verified that eating more fats has some effect on feeling full, and limiting the total amount of food in a sitting, as does fiber. It is not clear, however, how much of the success of these diets has been a result of cutting carbs, preparing food at home, or cutting variety and creating new “don’t eat” food groups. Clarity will come as more low-carb processed foods enter the market.

The biggest difference, however, is over the role of activity. The famous statistic about obesity as a cause of 300,000 deaths annually, second only to tobacco, is misinterpreted. The original 1993 study found, “Dietary factors and physical activity patterns that are too sedentary are together accountable for at least 300,000 deaths each year.” Nobody has yet determined how many of those deaths are from inactivity versus obesity or bulimia or anorexia nervosa, but research has begun to suggest that sedentary lives are the key factor.

Most diets, including the South Beach Diet and Atkins, suggest incorporating exercise into the diet to make it more effective. They also note that activity is “critical” to improved health, but the space devoted to the topic is small and is often followed by sentences such as: “Probably more harmful than decreasing exercise, however, is how food has changed.” This gives false comfort to those who start the diet given that no diet has been shown to be effective consistently for more than a year.

Before you throw away your diet books, take a look at the recipes and meal plans. These are often quite good and healthy. We have tried some of them using real sugar and other ingredients instead of the substitutes listed, and look forward to trying others. In general it is a good idea to switch to whole foods and fresh foods instead of foods that are overly processed or refined, eat fish and meat, and limit the added sugars in your diet (including beverages). Be conscious of what you eat but, if you want to improve your life and not just lose a couple pounds in time for your high school reunion or your best friend’s wedding, do not make the drastic changes required by a diet. Make a couple simple changes.

Eat breakfast. Do not just eat a bagel, a doughnut or a cereal bar, but something with fiber, some fruit or juice, milk or yogurt, and some peanut butter or lean meat for protein. This one step can do more to regulate your eating and provide you with energy during the day than any amount of willpower.

Do something. It can be as simple as gardening or taking the stairs (if you can find them) at your office. Get the adult happy meal from McDonald’s and use the pedometer. Walk at lunch, before breakfast, or after dinner. Walk around the room while you talk on the phone or while you watch TV. For variety, race the elevator up the stairs, compare the time it takes to find a close-in parking spot and enter the store with the time it takes to walk from a spot farther away that is readily available or consider the amount of gas you use while you drive from one end of the strip mall to the other.

Blue Cross Blue Shield has a great program, called BluePoints (www.bcbsnc.com/bluepoints), in which its members can earn small gifts based on the number of days they are active for 30 minutes or more. Their definition of “active” encourages simple activity instead of workouts. You can do your yoga, pilates, daily run, or bike ride, but you also can garden, go for a walk in the park, or find another enjoyable activity.

The key is to put some VERBS in your life and DO SOMETHING!