ANGELS OF LIFE VOL. 5

It’s no secret that obesity is a problem here in America. One may simply go to any public place such as a mall to see the overwhelming evidence of obesity. Additionally, the diet pill and diet plan industries make hundreds of millions of dollars yearly selling people the idea of weight loss. There is the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, Weight Watchers etc.

So apparently people are interested in losing weight otherwise these industries could not prosper. The motivation for most people to lose weight, at least in America, seems to be for the beauty of appearance. As summer months draw near I have often been amused at how the number of people that attend the gym increases. I have seen this at the various gyms where I have worked out; no matter in what state the gym was located this seems to always occur.

Being obese however, is more than just having an unsightly appearance... it is dangerous.

OBESITY DEFINED

  In the Encyclopedia Of Natural Medicine by Drs. Michael Murray, N. D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D. we read, “The simplest definition of obesity is an excessive amount of body fat. It must be distinguished from overweight, which refers to an excess of body weight relative to height. A muscular athlete may be overweight, yet have a very low body fat percentage. With this in mind it is obvious that using body weight alone as an index of obesity is not entirely accurate. None the less, obesity is classically identified as being a weight greater than 20 per cent more than the average desirable weight for men and women of a given height…In terms of body fat percentage, obesity is defined as a body fat percentage greater than 30 per cent for women and 25 per cent for men.”[1]

In the work, The Cellulite Papers, we read: “If you are 20 percent or more above your ideal weight you are clinically obese; and if you are 10-19 percent above your ideal, you are considered overweight….

     The guidelines set by the Stanford Heart Disease Prevention Program for normal weight for females are defined as follows: ‘A female should multiply her height (in inches) by 3.5, and subtract 108…(this gives) you a reference point—a ballpark figure. Those who are muscular will naturally weigh more…As an example, an average 5’ 4” female should weigh about 116-120 pounds, give or take a few (64” x 3.5,minus108).”[2] 

DANGERS OF OBESITY

Obesity is associated with nearly all of the major killer diseases in one way or the other. Interestingly enough people who are obese tend to also have obese children and sometimes even obese pets!

Drs Murray and Pizzorno explain that “the number of obese children in the western countries is increasing dramatically; in the U.S. the number of markedly obese children nearly doubled between 1965 and 1980. The increase in childhood obesity will certainly result in an even greater frequency of adult obesity as these children grow up”[3]

Another researcher writes, “ Childhood obesity has become one of the hottest topics on the health agenda and is never far away from the headlines.

More than a million children under 16 in the UK are now classified as obese – double the number in the mid-1980s.

 “More than a fifth of children under four are overweight and nearly one in 10 is classified as obese… The arteries of overweight children can be in as poor condition as those of middle-aged smokers, research by the Chinese University of Hong Kong found.

 “The Food Standards Agency (FSA) chairman, Sir John Krebs, has said young people today would not live as long as their parents – the first reduction in more than a century…
An obese boy is 14% more likely to develop cancer as an adult and an obese girl is 20% more likely to develop cancer as an adult.

One in five adults in the UK are classed as obese and 30,000 people die prematurely every year partly as a result of chronic weight problems.”[4]

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Another article in the Detroit News had this to say: “U.S. male breast cancer rates rose from 8.6 cases per 1 million men in the 1970s to 10.8 cases per 1 million in the 1990s. The study covered 1973-98. The increase was much smaller than that for women, who saw a 52 percent increase in breast cancer cases.

The study raises suspicion that obesity may be responsible for the breast cancer increase in both sexes, said Dr. Michael Thun, epidemiology chief at the Atlanta-based cancer society….

But the waistlines of all Americans are growing. “Fat tissue produces estrogen,” which in turn can lead to breast cancer, said Thun, who was not involved in the latest study.” [5]

Obesity has become such a big problem that it has literally taken on worldwide proportions.

“About 312 million {are} now considered to be at least 30 pounds over suggested weight. It’s a bitter truth to swallow: About every fourth person on Earth is too fat. Obesity is fast becoming one of the world’s leading reasons why people die…. Around the globe, about 1.7 billion people should lose weight, according to the International Obesity Task Force. Of those who are overweight, about 312 million are obese — at least 30 pounds over their top recommended weight….From the glaciers of Iceland to the palm-fringed beaches of the Philippines, there are more fat people in the world than hungry people. In extreme cases, people who are heavy since childhood could die as much as five to 10 years early.

“We’re even seeing obesity in adolescents in India now. It’s universal. It has become a fully global epidemic — indeed, a pandemic.

Certainly the United States — home of the Whopper and the Super Big Gulp — remains a nation of scale-busters, with two of every three Americans overweight.”[6]

   WHAT TO DO ABOUT OBESITY

Louise Tenney, M.H. explains, “When we come to understand how harmful being overweight is on our bodies, and how it can predispose us to diabetes, heart disease, strokes and many other illnesses, then we will realize how vital it is to control our eating habits…The body has a natural appestat mechanism in the brain telling when we have eaten enough, but because it has been distorted, we become obese. We have not listened to our body. We have essentially destroyed the ability of our own bodies to warn us when to stop eating. And now, because our appestat is not working properly, it is time for us to get control of ourselves and work toward losing weight.”[7]

Christian author, Ellen White, also writing about the mis-education of eating wrote: “Children are generally brought up from the cradle to indulge the appetite and are taught that they live to eat. The mother does much toward the formation of the character of her children in their childhood. She can teach them to control the appetite, or she can teach them to indulge the appetite and become gluttons. The mother often arranges her plans to accomplish a certain amount through the day; and when the children trouble her, instead of taking time to soothe their little sorrows and divert them, something is given them to eat to keep them still, which answers the purpose for a short time but eventually makes things worse. The children's stomachs have been pressed with food, when they had not the least want of it. All that was required was a little of the mother's time and attention. But she regarded her time as altogether too precious to devote to the amusement of her children.”[8]

So one of the first and most important steps in weight loss is to correct faulty eating habits. There are many people who eat when they are not hungry, when the system needs no food. Thus they form a habit of eating not for strength, but because the food is there.

THE ART OF WEIGHT LOSS

As far as the consumption of food is concerned the art of weight loss is simple. You must burn more calories than you take in. This is a basic concept if there is to be any lasting weight loss. We read in the cellulite papers: “It takes 3,500 calories to make 1 pound of fat. Hence eating just 100 calories per day more than you need, will put 10 pounds on you per year. In just five years that’s 50 pounds. However, if you cut back your daily calories by 500 for just seven days … you will loose 1 pound that week.” [9]

  So any serious steps dealing with obesity must entail correcting faulty eating habits.

   MORE BASIC PRINCIPLES

1) One of the first things that I would do to lose weight is to go on a cleanse. Many people lose some weight by just doing a two-week or so cleanse. This I believe should be the first step, because it begins to help the body return to where it wants to be; and many times leads to weight loss.

2) Another principle that has shown to contribute to weight loss is increased water intake. At least twelve 8-ounce glasses of water a day is very helpful.

 3) The habitual tendency to eat or snack between meals will undermine any weight loss program. This is one of the chief ways to add pounds and yet many, many people indulge themselves without restraint on snacks. Nothing at all should be eaten between meals. For many people this principle alone will cause them to drop a few pounds.

Although these principles seem simple they are more than worth their weight in gold. And if you begin to put them into practice you will be amazed at the results!

Next month’s issue will be part 2 on the weight issue and will go a little further into the weight lost issue. So until then may God bless and keep you.

K.M. Henry

DONNA’S CORNER

           PMS

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) affects many women during the one to two week period prior to the onset of menstruation.  There are over 150 symptoms linked to PMS, of which the most common include abdominal bloating, cramps, backache, drastic mood swings, depression, breast swelling and tenderness. If a young woman has menstrual problems, she can suspect that here female organs might not be in good condition. For instance the symptoms below are indicative of a problematic system:

Amenorrhea: absence or suppression of menstruation

Dysmenorrhea: painful or difficult menstruation.

Metrorrhagia: bleeding between periods.

Oligomenorrhea: infrequent or scanty menstruation.

The pain or severe cramps that are associated with Dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation) can start 2-3 days before, or even a few hours before the onset of bleeding.

Red raspberry tea, peppermint tea, chamomile tea, or catnip tea are known to help treat the symptoms. A capsule of cayenne with any of these help to warm the internal organs. If the cramps are really severe, cayenne ointment externally on the abdomen to act as a counter irritant, can be helpful, but be sure to cover the application with a gauze, as it can stain your underclothes.

Excessive pain in the abdomen, small of back, and down the legs may be linked to a pelvic disorder (inflammation, uterine malposition, endometriosis, tumors, etc.).  Hormonal imbalance is usually involved.

Food allergies can be involved in painful menstruations.  Eating a healthier diet such as abstaining from animal products as much as possible helps to eliminate the problem.  Adequate exercise is always necessary to maintain a healthy body.

It is best to avoid drugs. They are toxic to the liver, and because the liver is the body’s most important detoxifier, even small amounts may adversely affect the body’s ability to handle toxins; these building up in the system may actually increase the pain in menstrual cramping.  In particular, steroid drugs such as Prednisone, really can cause problems with menstruation.

Over the years, herbalists have helped women overcome painful menstruation, heavy flow, irregularity, etc. This has been done using natural herbs that God has given us for the service of man….psalm 104:14.

God Bless

  “The Cellulite Papers”,  is a step-by-step guide on how to beat cellulite. The retail price is $17.00;available from phase 3 ministries for $10.50 This is a must read for all women.