The evolution of weight loss science

Since the dawn of history, man’s knowledge has increased dramatically. It is estimated that the amount of knowledge mankind had acquired before 1750 A.D. had doubled by 1900. This means that it took only 150 years to double all the knowledge gained in the preceding millennia. By 1950, just 50 years later, man’s knowledge had again grown by 100 percent, and from 1950 to 1965 it doubled once again, this time in only 15 years. By 1975, a mere decade later, knowledge had once again doubled. Actually, some experts now say that we double our knowledge every two years.
The more science progresses, the more our knowledge grows. We’re living in a period where we are adapting to change, and our expanding knowledge is changing the world around us — for better and for worse.
In a single day, we receive more information than our grandparents did in an entire lifetime. This bombardment of information has an enormous impact on our lives. Although there is undoubtedly much more that is positive than negative in this avalanche of new data, it is up to the individual to be selective and to use this information wisely.

“The purpose of this book is to help you benefit from all the new possibilities that science offers, so that you may succeed in losing and maintaining your weight. If you really want to change, if you have the intense desire to lead a happy life — and you probably do since you’re reading this book — the new insights we have gained into human physiology and behavior will enable you to attain your goal.
Let this book be your guide. Written simply and clearly, it presents time-tested techniques whose effectiveness has been demonstrated in the many case histories you will read in these pages. Others have succeeded with these methods — why not you?

Illness: a choice

Until now, man’s knowledge of obesity has been a double-edged sword. It is alarming to note that, in all the so-called advanced industrial or post-industrial societies, we have created a host of affluence-related diseases. These diseases are responsible for 83 percent of all deaths before the age of 65. Although our knowledge in the fields of nutrition, physiology and human behavior has never been greater, and although our impressive arsenal of new medicines and treatments is increasing every day, from 1900 to 1970, man’s life expectancy has increased by only 4 years: from 63 to 67.

However, a few easily acquired habits such as eating a good breakfast, eating in moderation, having three meals a day, exercising, not smoking, drinking little or no alcohol and sleeping seven or eight hours per night can increase our life expectancy by 11 years, from 67 to 78.

Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the father of jogging and author of the famous book Aerobics, reporting a study from Belloc and Brislow, states that a man of 45 can expect to live to only 67 if he has less than four of the above habits; if he has four or five of these habits, he can expect to live to 73; and, if he has six or seven, his life expectancy will jump to 78 years.
What we do for our bodies can extend our life expectancy by 11 years, while vastly improving the quality of our lives. However, modern medical technology can extend our life expectancy by only 4 years, often delaying death by only a few, mainly miserable days.

“In his Texas clinic, Dr. Cooper evaluated the physical fitness of 30-year-olds who jogged three times a week and maintained their ideal weight. He then compared them with 60-year-olds who followed the same training program and had the same lifestyle. The results showed that it is possible at age 60 to be almost as physically fit as a 30-year-old.

A sportsman

I am always amazed at certain patients who come into my office for their annual check-up. Tim, a successful businessman, has been coming to see me every year. Nothing can prevent him from keeping his appointment. He wants to undergo every possible test for cancer, diabetes and cholesterol. As he puts it: “Health is precious. You shouldn’t wait for your health to fail to really appreciate it.

One year, when Tim came in for his yearly check-up, I diagnosed a serious case of diabetes. His sugar level was 3 times higher than the norm. A year later, Tim’s weight was the same and he had not changed his habits. Although I strongly advised him to lose the extra weight, he did nothing about it. A few months later, he lapsed into a diabetic coma and had to be hospitalized for three weeks. Today, he still has the same weight problem and still suffers from diabetes. He actually takes 12 pills a day and has insulin shots at night. He is a firm believer in medical science, and yet will do nothing to keep himself healthy. In 1980, Amercians spent $ 240 billion on health care, but only 3 percent of this total went towards prevention. Between 1968 and 1980, deaths from heart disease decreased by 23 percent. Why? Because of new methods of treatment? Not so.

Americans are simply taking better care of their bodies. Sixty percent of the population are now non-smokers. People are more concerned with nutrition, go for regular checkups and exercise more. In 1968, the year Aerobics came out, there were less than 100,000 joggers; in 1980, there were 27 million. The 3 percent of $240 billion spent on prevention has done more to increase our life expectancy and to improve the quality of our lives than the other 97 percent.”

Excerpt From: Maurice Larocque MD. “Be Thin Through Motivation.” Apple Books.

JF Larocque

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