100 kilo kids: obesity SOS

[GoldenKelpie]

Its on channel 4 9pm tonight. I am just watching now. I was reluctant because I wondered if there was any hope for these young people with the advice and support they are being given at this hospital.

It upsets me greatly you see because I have been obese my whole teen and adult life up until I was 52 years old and I discovered the secret to losing excess fat and maintaining that loss permanently. Well, I'm 56 now, so four years.

I'm not sure why the doctors were focusing on scales and plates of boiled carrot when I think some therapy would do wonders. Something like weight-lifting with a positive male PT would have done wonders for Tommy

I thought the same.
In my city there is a not for profit service for overweight and obese children and teens. They give them therapy, group workshops, they have a gym with equipment that's sutible for their sizes, personal trainers and get them doing real activities together like camping etc
It's been quite successful and has shown long term positive results, I've often wondered why it's not replicated elsewhere.

@n00bMaster69 that sounds really interesting. Would you mind PM-ing me a website or something?

Just watched this. Poor Tommy has no hope. Imagine If he had been admitted for anorexia and his mum was taking his food away and encouraging him to not eat? It's the same thing, she was actively harming him and she knew it.

I assumed when they were talking to the little girl they were talking about something similar to prada-willi when they said one of her genes wasn't working? That's what that whole conversation was about?

The boy with the operation didn't have his operation for weight loss, he needed the operation because he damaged his hip. Low carving wasn't going to fix his hip

It was very hard to watch that bit

I don't think the little girl had Prader Willi: it was a gene therapy regulated Leptin or something I think? Prader Willi has lots of other symptoms that I think would have been picked up earlier (caveat know nothing about Leptin/genes, do know a bit about PW)

Gene that regulated

In a way I'm happy for the mum of the girl with the faulty gene because she seemed to be blaming herself when it wasn't her fault, the direct opposite of Tommy's mum really

Obviously knowing that it's a genetic problem isn't going to actually make their lives Any easier and the little girl will have to be medicated eventually but still it was like a pressure was lifted off her mum

They said all your other genes are working correctly, so not prada willi but a genetic thing that makes her hungry. That's what I meant by similar although prada-willi has lots other aspects

I've been massively discouraged from low carbing by my diabetic nurse.

Are you t1 or t2? It seems that eating a too low carb diet can send a t1 in dka. So it can be dangerous.

The gene conversation was weird. I couldn't figure out who it was pitched at. Too complex for the 5 year old and too simple/patronising for mum or the viewers.

Kahlan "Are you t1 or t2? It seems that eating a too low carb diet can send a t1 in dka. So it can be dangerous."

I work in education and supervise type 1 diabetics every lunchtime testing and dosing themselves. One follows Dr Richard Bernstein's protocol (google Typeonegrit) and has the most amazing stable readings I've ever seen (on the CGM) and needs only the minimum dose of insulin. This is only achievable because this particular pupil follows Dr Bernstein's low carb diet advice. He is an 85 year old Type 1 diabetic (since the age of 14) who discovered that reducing carbs also reduces the need for so much insulin. He calls it "the law of small numbers" leading to reducing risk.

@GoldenKelpie can you please answer my questions below?
Thanks!

Shortfeet what questions? Can't see them.

@GoldenKelpie
I said I really enjoyed your input and have 2 low carb questions.

1 - if the low carb / insulin stuff is true why can many people eat a lot of carbs and not get fat?

2- isn't a low carb diet really hard and antisocial to follow?

Well done on your amazing weight loss. I do think you can consider yourself a bit of an expert on weight loss!

@GoldenKelpie
I am enjoying your low carb input and have 2 questions

1. if the low carb /insulin theory holds, why can many people eat lots of carbs and not get fat?

2)isnt it difficult and antisocial to follow a low carb diet? I really admire you for doing it. I've never managed to keep it up

Thanks Shortfeet.

1. Some people are insulin sensitive and cope very well with eating cars, sugars, starches, they will remain slim. Others become insulin resistant and find that too many carbs, sugars, starches lead to weight gain and other metabolic issues including NAFLD, PCOS, type 2 diabetes, pancreatitsis, hypertension, heart disease etc.

2. I was suffering the effects of insulin resistance and at age 52 struggling to cope at work and day to day. Something had to give. It took me months of procrastinating to make the decision to try low carb because I didn't think I could cope without carbs; the idea horrified me. My in-depth research led me to believe that it might work for me. The book "Why we get Fat" by Gary Taubes was a relevation, it covered the history of diet and food and the science too.

Was it hard and anti-social to follow? I imagined that it would be. In practice I made it work because I had committed to trying it for one month, so I planned to achieve that goal 100%, then stop if I didn't like it.

I felt benefits within a couple of weeks though and was encouraged at how delicious the food was that I was cooking and eating. The most amazing part though was never feeling hungry between meals. I'd never felt that satiety on a diet, ever. I loved it! It meant I didn't obsess about my next meal or snack and could get on with other things.

That was 4 years ago as at 1st March this year that I gave it a trial run. I still practice the same principles today because I suits me. I got lots of information from the dietdoctor.com website, it has loads of free resources and super recipes for all types of variations of low carb diets.

I eat out regularly and choose things like steak or salmon or chicken and salad, burger and salad (no bun), chicken and bacon salad, cheese salad, omelette. I have cream with my coffee. Restaurants are happy to adapt their dishes by leaving off the chips, bread, rice.

So no, low carb is not hard or anti-social. It was far more hard and anti-social to struggle with the mental and physical effects of obesity. Anti-social because I never went out if I could avoid it. Hard because of the sheer effort just walking about and struggling at work/home.

@GoldenKelpie
Thanks very much for that.
I read the Gary Taubes book many years ago.
It made an impression on me.
I have followed a low carb diet off and on but just can't stick to it. I always cave in and
Rebound really badly.

Shortfeet I feel your pain and frustration . The addictive desire for certain foods (usually carby, sugary, starchy) is extreme. After reading Gary's book and other publications they showed me that I would always be addicted to the sweet taste in particular.

Apparently the combination of fat/sugar/starch/grain is deadly; our satiety switch does not work to tell us we are full. We keep eating long after we should have stopped.

The reason is that the processed and hyper-palatable foods have been developed to silence our "full" signal deliberately so we eat and eat and eat. Food companies pay scientists £££££ to develop snack foods that will sell, sell, sell.

For example, pr1ngles have been developed to be addictive "Once you pop you can't stop!" It is not accidental that you want to finish the whole tub. The delicious taste and mouth-feel of ice cream; sweet, creamy, cool. Cereals; incredibly sweet, tasty, moreish.

Thank heavens I am off that insane treadmill of despair. I haven't eaten any processed foods for years now, I usually just get fresh meat, fish, eggs, cheeses and cook them with fresh green veggies and herbs/spices. Dead simple.

I am just one bite away from addictive behaviour and have to be aware of slipping. I do drink alcohol occasionally but have to limit it to one. Being very low carb means I am also very sensitive to the effects of alcohol; one drink is enough (I am a cheap date lol). I end up being the designated driver.

The children and young people in the programme are hold to eat low fat processed foods, eat less and move more, eat a balanced diet, eat loads and loads of carbohydrates. All advice which led to my obesity for decades. There is a better way if only authorities would consider low carb an option. I want these young people to have hope in their lives for their future. I had to wait until I was 52 to get that hope. My entire teen and adult life was spent feeling a failure, and a rubbish individual. I know better now.

Shortfeet, have a read of Gary's book again, and look at the dietdoctor.com website too. Good luck.

Just watched. That was sad and depressing wasn't it. Not sure as a documentary what it achieved and what the message actually was. But yes, Tommy's mother made me mad. She was so blinded by her own problems she couldn't see what was going on.

Coincidentally I also follow a LCHF diet. Have done for 2.5 years. Lost weight. Don't feel hungry. Have plenty of energy to exercise. Haven't had a bout of thrush since taking up LCHF etc etc. All good for me. Get cross that the NHS is stuck in its low fat 1950s diet despite a heap of evidence to the contrary these days. But generally when out and about when challenged I just nod and smile

Does anyone eat loads of carbs and not get fat though?.

Fluffy - yes, my son 😆

@GoldenKelpie
Thanks again for taking time to reply in more detail.

Do you still struggle to avoid carbs or is it second nature?

Do you eat fruit?

Does low carb improve your mental health?

Hope it's not too rude to ask but are you actually thin / slim now?

Do you have other people in your household and if so do they follow the same way of eating?

Second nature, Shortfeet, with the caveat that I am always aware that returning to eating that stuff will take me right back to addictive overeating of it. My personal experiences has shown me that time and time again, regrettably.

I grow wild strawberries and blackberries in my garden and eat them seasonally.

Mental health? God yes. I have an inner serenity and stability that is profound. Despite great difficulties personally over the past 4 years I have never 'eaten' over them and just faced them calmly. Sugar seems to mess with my brain in bad ways.

I wear size 14 stuff, some 12s. It is a miracle as I never got to do that even as a teen. I buy loads of stuff second-hand and have a vast wardrobe now .

Additionally, I stopped colouring my hair a couple of years ago and actually find that I have little grey covering. My skin is clear and I get comments about it. I don't use any products, not even soap, just water.

I got a transfer to a new school this January where I don't need to use my car - Its walking distance. It takes me 45 mins each way. Great start to the day and a time for planning the day's activities. Couldn't have done that when 18 stone. Have waterproof coat and walking boots .

Husband eats the meat/fish and sauces/veggies but adds rice, potatoes, breads and eats desserts. He has never changed his weight in all the years I've known him. Sod!

Thanks again @GoldenKelpie
You sound fab !