A personal, reflective, and “optional” philosophical note from Dr. Tague
Humans are complex beings. And that is an understatement! What is it that makes us who we are? Are we just a bag of skin containing chemicals and chemical reactions? Or, is there an immaterial, “can’t touch it” aspect to man that makes us unique as individuals? And could the immaterial part of man influence our health and sense of well-being?
Have you ever met anyone who wanted to gain an excessive, unhealthy amount of weight? Of course not! No one wants to be overweight!
Research says that many people would choose blindness over obesity. Others would choose to lose an arm or leg rather than suffer the emotional and physical pain of obesity.
So why does weight gain happen? It’s just not “logical” and it doesn’t make sense… until the actual causes are understood.
I often ask patients why they think they’ve become overweight. Too often I hear, “I think I’m just too lazy to exercise.” However, many thin people don’t exercise either. It’s not that simple.
In fact, 95% of Americans do not exercise regularly, even though they are aware of the health benefits. So NOT exercising can’t be the primary cause.
Many of my patients struggling with their weight actually spend more time exercising than thin people I know. One of my patients, who is more than 50 lbs overweight, regularly exercises 5 hours a week!
Has your scale steadily increased since COVID-19? You’re not alone. Gaining weight this past year has been epidemic, causing major setbacks to health and happiness. Many dine-in restaurants closing, gyms shutting down, and unprecedented stress has resulted in a lot of stress eating and comfort foods! Consequences were inevitable.
COVID-19 contributed to the deaths of over 200,000 Americans during the first several months of 2020. The CDC predicts 5,000 additional deaths per week for at least the next few months. Regrettably, many of these COVID-19 deaths were preventable through weight loss.
We now know that those with a BMI over 30 (the obese) have an 80% higher risk of ending up in the ICU from COVID-19 than those of normal weight. In fact, obesity seems to be the primary preventable risk factor for dying from COVID-19, and that will likely not change, even with a vaccine.
There are 3 reasons why losing weight now can be crucial for avoiding unnecessary COVID-19 complications and possible death.
If you are like me, you’ve never been more interested in your immune system and its ability to fight off infections. COVID-19 has gotten our attention! How peculiar that the same virus can cause an infection with few or no symptoms in some, but result in multi-organ failure and death in others! It’s the same virus, in the same species, but the hosts of that virus are NOT the same.
The question we are all asking is if we are in the group with a killer immune system that can knock out coronavirus as if it were a common cold, or are we more vulnerable to life-threatening complications from COVID-19. The answer to that question applies to other viral respiratory infections, including influenza. Let me explain.
Greetings! What a crazy time it is! Coronavirus (COVID-19) fears are all around us, with lots of unknowns and questions that have no answers. I’m writing to give you some of my thoughts and recommendations as we navigate through this time successfully, staying safe and healthy.
First of all, what an ideal time to be on a top quality, state of the art nutrition plan! Nutrition matters now more than ever. Let’s focus on using nutrition for maximizing our health, strengthening our immune systems and minimizing our disease risks.
Here are 5 factors that actually make a difference and put you at lower risk for contracting the virus and/or surviving a viral infection without complications if it occurs. And yes, these are key priorities that I am embracing for my personal well-being:
Are you frustrated with trying to lose weight with hunger-producing diets and sore muscles from the gym? Are you tired of jumping from one failed fad diet to another, each time with increasing confusion and disappointment? Let’s face it, if those strategies worked, our overweight problem in America would be solved!
Most of my patients have “been there, done that” and now know that when their weight increased by 20, 40, 60 lbs or more, it became a true medical problem, requiring medical solutions for true success.
When people contact us for the first time, usually referred by a successful friend, they typically have heard about patient successes. But you may still have questions about going to Dr. Tague’s Center for Nutrition to finally get in control of your weight. Let’s look at some facts, including the use of medications as one of many tools that can be help you lose weight.