Wyoming Woman Tells of Difficulties in Controlling Weight

Cheyenne, Wyoming, Tribune-Eagle ^ | 06-01-03 | Fashek, Allison

[Theodore R.]

Weight woes

By Allison Fashek Published in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle

CHEYENNE – Donna Keyt, 60, knows just how difficult it is not only to lose weight, but also to keep it off.

For years Keyt has been a local member of a weight-loss group, Take Off Pounds Sensibly, but she still hasn’t figured out how to get to her target weight and stay there.

When she first joined, she lost about 30 pounds and then slowly gained it again. Now she’s trying to lose that weight and an additional 30 pounds.

“The truth is America has too much good food,” she said Friday as group members from around the state came to Cheyenne to encourage each other and celebrate their achievements. “And when you get tired of one kind of food, then you just find another.”

Keyt is far from alone in her struggle to find a way to slim down and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

It’s estimated that two-thirds of adult Americans and 15 percent of the country’s youth ages six to nine are overweight and obese. Weight issues cause about 300,000 deaths in the nation annually. In 2000, obesity had a total economic cost of $117 billion.

According to the Wyoming Department of Health, 55.7 percent of Wyoming adults are overweight or obese. Additionally, 6.6 percent of Wyoming children are overweight and another 10.8 percent are at risk of becoming overweight.

Among other complications, being overweight can cause high blood pressure, high cholesterol and raise a person’s risks of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

United Medical Center registered dietician Tina Jones says the increase in the availability of fast food and a lack of exercise are the leading causes of the trend in Americans putting on weight.

Health department statistics show that’s true in Wyoming, where about 21.2 percent of adults don’t engage in leisure activity and 34 percent of children report insufficient or no vigorous or moderate activity.

Jones meets individually with patients looking for counseling and help in modifying their eating and exercise habits. But many people cannot afford to see her because of a lack of insurance coverage.

“Unless there’s already a diagnosis of diabetes or some other health problem, preventative medicine for nutrition is not covered,” Jones said. “People have to wait until something happens.”

Jones said she thinks there’s a lot of confusion right now about what makes up a healthy diet, particularly due to the popularity of high-protein and low-carbohydrate diets.

“Any type of diet that severely restricts anybody to one or a group of foods probably won’t be a successful plan,” she said. “You should mainly be trying to get eating habits that will last over a lifetime.”

Linda Chasson, the program coordinator for the Wyoming Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, said the health department has been thinking about shifting the focus of its Cardiovascular Disease Program to lifestyle issues and risk factors.

“If we create more awareness about physical activity and good nutrition, we won’t have to address the disease as much,” she said.

Another important part of losing weight is getting support from people working toward the same goal.

“I eat because I get nervous, or I’m upset,” said Don R., who has been holding weekly Overeaters Anonymous meetings in his Cheyenne home for seven years. At 60, he weighs 350 pounds and has weighed more than 400.

Before joining the group, Don said he was on the verge of suicide. Now he is exercising and avoiding foods such as baloney and hot dogs that he used to compulsively eat.

Many members of Take Off Pounds Sensibly also say that regular group meetings, which involve goal-setting and weigh-ins, have helped them succeed in losing weight and becoming healthy.

Until recently Janine Kelso, 63, couldn’t walk a lap in the gym near her home in Thermopolis, mostly due to painful arthritis. Now she’s walking 15 miles a week and has lost 37 pounds.

“You have to start out slowly,” she said. “But then your body really actually does better because of exercise. You just have to make up your mind and say, ‘Yes, I can do that.’”

Keyt admits that she’s been “wishy-washy” about her commitment to losing weight and wants to change.

“I just have to stick to it and I think I’ll be able to do it,” she said.

Facts

• Percentage of American adults who are overweight: 65 (50 million)

• Percentage who are obese: 33

• Varieties of snack foods for sale between 1960 and 1970: 250

In 1999: 2,000

• Percentage of Americans who oppose a tax on high-fat foods: 91

• Percentage of Americans who oppose a tax on portion size in restaurants: 84

• Percentage of inactive or under-active adults: 60

• Percentage of inactive or under-active children ages 12 to 21: 50

Sources: Centers for Disease Control National Center for Health Statistics, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Tufts University, National Restaurant Association.

Email Article Link to a Friend

[Reagan is King]

They need to try Atkins. They're probably stuffing down carbs to avoid fats.

[randog]

• Percentage of Americans who oppose a tax on high-fat foods: 91
• Percentage of Americans who oppose a tax on portion size in restaurants: 84

Percentage of Americans that approved of a tax on cigarettes: ??

They came for my neighbor and I said nothing....

[Ff--150]

They need to try Atkins. They're probably stuffing down carbs to avoid fats

The Atkins diet may be the next killer of our children [/sarcasm]

[Kerberos]

"They came for my neighbor and I said nothing.... "

Yep, that's the way it works.

[BOOTSTICK]

Here it is, the diet that allowed me to lose 150 lbs
Breakfast; 1 slice of buttered toast-black coffee.......
Lunch; a large slim jim.....dinner a salad with vineger and oil, a roasted chicken breast. This diet plus 10 miles of walking per week will allow a 20 lb per month loss.THERE PROBLEM SOLVED!

[Theodore R.]

What is a "slim jim"?
How did you keep from getting "weak" throughout the day with such limited food intake?

[BeAllYouCanBe]

"Varieties of snack foods for sale between 1960 and 1970: 250

In 1999: 2,000 "

Yes, snacks are all around and mostly new kinds of candy bars.

Went to a fast food hamburger joint yesterday. They automatically "SUPER-SIZED" my order. I said, "NO, Thank-you I want a small fries and small drink!" I got a "best-value" explanation almost like they wouldn't take no for and answer and I was to dumb to know what I wanted.

I have heard that restaurant portions are getting bigger -- why?? Are people like sheep and don't think about what they eat?

I do admit that it does seem Americans are getting fatter and very few know how to control the problem.

[YoungKentuckyConservative]

And the government can cure it all if we'll give in to our temptation and let them regulate our eating and spending habits. Utopia is just around the corner.

[ErnBatavia]

What is a "slim jim"?

Beef Jerky

[mewzilla]

If people don't regulate their eating habits, you're going to be paying even higher premuims and taxes. Unless folks who behave self-destructively are forced to foot more of the bill for their own vices. I think that would do more to help people lose weight than all the governmental admonitions.

[OldPossum]

Have you run this diet by a nutritionist? I have no doubt that it will do what you say it will do but at what risk to your health by leaving out important nutrients you need?

[DC native]

Exercise is the key. It changes your metabolism and decreases your appetite. I started four years ago, lost 32 pounds, and have kept it off. I walk as fast as I can for at least an hour about 5 times per week. I eat whatever I want, but I never "pig out." It lowered my blood pressure, too.

[Theodore R.]

Maybe the fast-food interested has learned that it has a long-term vested interest in giving out large-sized portion for the same price as a small-sized order. As people gain weight and depend on fast food, they do less cooking and want even more fast food. Sounds like the industry has figured out what benefits it long-term.

[BOOTSTICK]

slim-jim is a beef stick of apx. 1.2 oz, as far as weakness, your fat supply will keep you going, I never felt weak, just hungry. But those are the breaks!, as nothing is easy.

[Salvation]

I lost 60 lbs. starting March of 2002, and haven't gained it back.

Low carb diet, but not the Atkins diet.

A cardiologist viewpoint on the Atkins diet (heard on TV-House Call) "A person can not eat that much animal fat and not have clogged artery problems."

[BeAllYouCanBe]

"Exercise is the key."

I used to run 6 miles a day -- for about 20 years. I ate what I wanted and never gained weight. At age 56 with bad knees and a bad back excerise is more difficult. So exercise is not everyone's solution and I find that even though I walk 5 days a week it doesn't keep the weight off.

[BOOTSTICK]

My doctor ok'ed it, oh take a centrum everyday as well, but most important is to STOP MAKING EXCUSES NOT TO LOSE WEIGHT!

[Salvation]

Glad you lost weight, but you need protein in every meal and you need not walk that much.

[MarkL]

“The truth is America has too much good food,”

Simple way to fix that... Move to Ethiopia! Problem solved...

Mark

[wita]

Love walking myself, but there is nothing like hiatus hernia to keep your mind on what you eat, or don't eat.

[fishbabe]

but the american people are the most creative people on earth and we are waiting for someone to make all fatty foods,sweets,buttery things fat free and we just know there is someone out there who will do it!!!!until that time try fatfree.com i mean they truly have OUTSTANDING things to eat like chocolate muffins that are fat free and taste great,too..................recipes are free and there are thousands of them.

[Mr. Mojo]

she still hasn’t figured out how to get to her target weight and stay there.

Clue: Exercise, and stop stuffing your fat face.

[BeAllYouCanBe]

"As people gain weight and depend on fast food, they do less cooking and want even more fast food."

If you go to the supermarket and look at what takes the most space it is high carb aisles; high sugar cereals - one aisle, chips - one aisle, sugared pop - one aisle, prepared rice and noodle dishes - one aisle. Another thing I think is interesting is where I shop that orange juice has about 30 brands and huge space in the dairy section much more than milk.

I think people are moving to junk diets and they are supported by the whole food industry.

[GreenHornet]

I've always been a believer in the Rodney Dangerfield approach to the problem: If you want to look thinner, hang out with people who are fatter than you are.

[DC native]

Swimming is a great low-impact exercise, if you can find access to a pool. Sorry about your back and knees. Good luck and keep trying!

[MarkL]

Here are my observations from being on the Atkins diet for a few weeks now:

It's relatively easy to stay on. I rarely had any cravings, however, I've found that if you break down and have any sweets, you begin to crave more sweets. I tried one of the chocolate/mocha Atkins Advantage bars, and that may have cured me of ever having one of those again. I couldn't stand the damn thing... However, I also tried an Indulge chocolate bar, and I've found myself craving chocolate ever since.

It's easy to eay out, as long as you're somewhat careful. There are a few places that you really can't have anything, but for the most part, you can assemble a meal that you can eat from most menus.

Weight can be lost simply by changing your diet, reducing sugar and carb intake, although adding exercise will make it faster, easier, and I believe, contribute to your long term health.

I've come to some new conclsions about the problem with ADD/ADHD/Ritalin and children in the US. When I was a little kid, going to a restaurant was a treat, sodas were a special, once in a while item, and as long as it was light outside, kids were always out playing, burning off their excess energy. Today, high carb/high sugar food and drinks, combined with cafine, (I believe) make kids even more hyperactive than they would be naturally. Combine that with the fact that kids are stuck in school, recess is becoming more and more limited, and after school, kids don't really go outside to play anymore. When I was in grade school, we didn't have a "phys ed" class. What we had were two 30 minute recesses, and a full hour for lunch. We'd play baseball, football, basketball, soccer, or just run around for those two hours (I don't think that I ever spent more than 15 minutes eating lunch). No direct involvement by the school. Just letting kids be kids, and play around. It wasn't until about 7th grade that we actually had an organized "phys ed" class.

Anyway, I guess what I'm getting at is that kids today (and adults, too) are really jacking up the amount of fuel to power their bodies with high sugar/carb foods and drinks, cafine, and other stuff that would overload a marathon runner, and then we wonder why kids have so much excess energy, to the point of having to drug them!

Mark

[woollyone]

The basics...

Eat more calories than you burn and you gain weight.
Eat less calories than you burn and you lose weight.
Eat the equal amount of calories as are burnt and your weight remains relatively constant.
p.s….alcohol has calories

Do no exercise and muscles deteriorate and thereby lose their ability to efficiently burn calories.
Exercise regularly with a bit of resistance training and muscles build (especially with a protein rich diet) and thereby tend to burn calories more efficiently.

Seems kinda simple really. All these fad diets are merely an excuse to not have to sweat three times each week, and promote the notion that we can sit and grow a root into the sofa as we watch TV while filling our faces with our fat fudge filled fingers and then pretend that we are "doing something" about our laziness. poppicock. Results in anything require energy and often sweat.

Of course this doesn't pertain to those with thyroid problems, but the percentage of folks with this condition is so miniscule as to be not a factor in our obese national statistics.

Reminds me of the quote by...oh crud...forgot who said it (in a recent thread about stupid quotes by elected officials)...to the effect that America is the only nation in the world where all the poor people are fat. A sad statement, but the reason it was humorous was because it is true. Of course poor people aren't the only obese people by any stretch. Though our lazy socialist entitlement demoncrats have promoted and endorse a nation of sloths, who suck off the goverment teet. Now the sloths are rising up to blame others in the form of lawsuits. How pathetic!

Just my thoughts.
And no...I'm not fat...I prefer to call myself blubber blessed...spherically endowed...a wheel barrow of soap bars waiting for my moment to clean up the world...ready to use lamp oil to illuminate the truth.
Ok...just kidding...6' tall and 175 firm pounds of meat...thank you Mr. bowflex!

Twinkie, or devil dog anyone?

[Okies love Dubya 2]

Here is what another doctor did to explain how low-carb diets cause a decrease in cholesterol (my husband has gone from a cholesterol of 217 to 179 in 7 weeks of Atkins, and is down 27 pounds as of yesterday)--the carbs act as a primer coat on the inside of the arteries, which allow cholesterol to stick to the arteries. She also said that a diet that is low in cholesterol but high in carbs is the same--there may be the coating on the inside of the arteries from the carbs, but if there is not much cholesterol going through, then there isn't anything sticking.

All I know is that my husband is in better shape than he's been in a while, his cholesterol is down, his weight is down, his blood pressure is down, and he is eating well with very little snacking going on. Our food bill has dropped dramatically! He is a tall man, so it used to take a lot of food (mostly carby) to feed him.

I know that the 'experts' seem to disagree on low-carb diets, but they don't seem to agree on much of anything anymore, so I think my husband will be sticking with Atkins.

[chilepepper]

A cardiologist viewpoint on the Atkins diet (heard on TV-House Call) "A person can not eat that much animal fat and not have clogged artery problems.

<sarcasm>There you have it -- it must be true.</sarcasm>

Er, wasn't Atkins a...cardioligist too? Where is the evidence that animal fat without carbs clogs arteries, or is this just "common sense" as foisted upon us by the AMA and ADM for the past 40 years???

[BeAllYouCanBe]

" try fatfree.com "

Having tried the "Fat-free" fad for several years I'll opt out. I never lost a pound on a my health care professional's fat free diet. If I would have stayed on the diet I believe I'd be dead now. There are many people who cannot tolerate carbs and I'm one of them.

A muffin (no matter how much fat) in the morning sends my blood sugar on a roller-coaster ride for the whole day.

[CurlyDave]

What is a "slim jim"?

A very thin, but very long spicy sausage. Considered a source of evil by many diet nazis.

Go to any 7-11, gas station convenience store or truck stop and ask for one. These are my favorite sources of "haught cuisine".

[BeAllYouCanBe]

"Swimming is a great low-impact exercise "

Thanks, actually I lost 35 pounds on Atkins.

I go to a health club with a heated pool but I cannot get into swimming after 5-6 lessons. I can swim about 100 meters and get winded. I wear a heart monitor and I hit my max after 100 meters??

[FITZ]

“Unless there’s already a diagnosis of diabetes or some other health problem, preventative medicine for nutrition is not covered,” Jones said. “People have to wait until something happens.”

People don't have to wait until something happens. All they have to do is start walking one hour a day or running 30 minutes. You don't have to sit around until your insurance company decides to pay for counseling.

[chilepepper]

Eat more calories than you burn and you gain weight.
Eat less calories than you burn and you lose weight.
Eat the equal amount of calories as are burnt and your weight remains relatively constant.

Seems kinda simple really

The key is "seems" and "simple". Believe me, it is not. Human biochemistry cannot be modeled by burning something in a beaker to raise the temperature of water one degree.

There is an ASTONISHING range of metabolic efficiency amongst the population.

It is the height of arrogance on your part to assume fat people are lazy. I used to mountain bike 100 miles a week, did the nordic track for an HOUR, would swim for another hour, ate very modest amounts of food, and lost NO WEIGHT AT ALL.

Until I went on atkins and stopped eating carbs...

[Arthur McGowan]

I have heard that restaurant portions are getting bigger -- why??

Because food is cheap--but larger portions are a visible way to give the customer more for his money--meaning that he will keep coming back. They could give the employees a 10% raise, and the customers wouldn't know the difference. But with the same money, they can supersize all the orders, and the customers are impressed, and pleased, and will return for more.

[SkyPilot]

Eat Less, Exercise More

[tortoise]

Went to a fast food hamburger joint yesterday. They automatically "SUPER-SIZED" my order. I said, "NO, Thank-you I want a small fries and small drink!" I got a "best-value" explanation almost like they wouldn't take no for and answer and I was to dumb to know what I wanted.

They are fattening you for the slaughter.

[Hildy]

When I was young, I struggled with a weight problem, I mean. In Jr. High School I was probably about 20 pounds overweight but took it off by High School. I'd say that I was probably one of the heaviest children in my class during Jr. High (20 Lbs. overweight). But now, I'd say 25-30% of kids are obesely overweight! How did that happen? Not only do we eat the wrong foods, we just eat too much. Why is everything "supersized" The other day I was itchin for a soft ice-cream cone. I stopped at Foster Freeze (or something like that), and asked for a small cone @ 85 cents. He gave me a cone that looked like it was probably a 1/2 a pint. I was stunned. I told him to lop off 75% of it. Who needs to eat that much? We go to a restauranta and we expect to get a 2LB steak. WHY? We're training our kids to eat incredible amounts of food, and it's scary.

[tortoise]

I used to run 6 miles a day -- for about 20 years. I ate what I wanted and never gained weight. At age 56 with bad knees and a bad back excerise is more difficult.

Same here, until I ruined a knee in the Army. I've had to settle for walking, golf, lifting weights at the gym, and eating sensibly. Of course, everyone should eat sensibly anyway.

[tortoise]

So what she's saying is that she has a discipline problem.

[woollyone]

arrogance? Hmm...if you consumed Less calories than you alledgedly exerted in all of your fitness routines, how is it that you didn't simply wittle away. After all, the fat reserves would naturally be the used energy you body would reach for when undernourished.

Also, you haven't mentioned how many calories you consumed through alcoholic beverages. So often people fail to account for the huge caloric intake of their nightly beverages.

It would really be the height of ignorance to believe that you ate (and drank...topic as yet unmentioned by you) so starvingly little calories (as your post would have us believe), then biked 100 miles each week, an hour on the machine each day and an hour of swimming each day and lost no weight. Gimme a break! That dog don't hunt. You ahve obviously nto represented the picture accurately.

I work out on the bowflex for 1 hour three to four times each week, ride my bike about 20 miles twice a week, cut and trim up the yard and eat whatever I wish. I'm forty years old, 6' tall and weight 175 pounds. My percent of body fat is less than 10%. I eat what I wish, though don't eat less than thee hours before bed, have a glass or two of wine in the evenings.

Interesting that no other nation on the planet has the problems of weight that we have. Think the evil "carbs" are the problem? Then how is it that nations which consume so many carbs in the forms of rice and pasta don't have our obesity problems?

To hear some tell it, everyone was overweight until the blessed god atkins came down to enlighten us. For certuries, people ate rice, bread, or whatever with no culture recorded as being as overweight as we are today. No, in this culture we don't exert enough energy for the dainty dleicacies we delight in and that's the bottom line. History refutes your savior atkins notions friend.

The bottom line is energy expelled verses calories consumed.

[LibKill]

I suppose I could stand to lose 10lbs or so. But that one guy weighed in at 400! Just thinking about that makes my feet hurt.

[tortoise]

Of course this doesn't pertain to those with thyroid problems, but the percentage of folks with this condition is so miniscule as to be not a factor in our obese national statistics.

Thyroid problems don't really make you fat, though they may aggravate behaviors that tend to make people gain weight. Calories is calories is calories -- it doesn't matter what "medical condition" you claim to have. More poignantly: There were no fat people in Auschwitz, thyroid problems or not.

[Shooter 2.5]

You may have been doing the right thing because muscle weighs more than fat.

While you were exercising that much, did you feel and look better?

Too many people rely on weight scales instead of checking how much fat they're carrying.

[SamAdams76]

Exercise is the key. It changes your metabolism and decreases your appetite. I started four years ago, lost 32 pounds, and have kept it off. I walk as fast as I can for at least an hour about 5 times per week. I eat whatever I want, but I never "pig out." It lowered my blood pressure, too.

I totally agree. But this is not what most people want to hear. Most people would rather be 100 pounds overweight than to begin (and stick to) an exercise regimen, which, by the way, must be sustained for life in order to keep the weight off. (People hate hearing that too.)

I have been overweight for a long time and tried over the past two or three years to modify my diet. While I stopped gaining, I didn't take a single pound off. It wasn't until I started walking every day that I started taking the pounds off. Curiously, as my walking increased, my appetite decreased, which accelerated the weight loss. I am now losing 2-3 pounds a week and have dropped nearly 30 pounds since the beginning of April.

While I haven't been to a doctor since I began, I can tell that my blood pressure is down. My heart doesn't "pound" anymore after climbing a flight of stairs and I have an incredible sense of well-being. I sleep like a baby too.

The human body was designed to walk. It is a very efficient walking machine. I am positive that this has been the catalyst for my weight loss. I carry a pedometer with me to measure my steps to ensure that I walk a minimum of 10,000 steps per day. (I usually do 12,000 - 15,000). That translates to roughly 6-8 miles a day. Now I know that many here will say that they just don't have time for that. But I'm a busy guy too and here is my secret: I get up at 5AM and do a three-mile walk. I then take my lunch hour and walk another three-miles. The walking I do the rest of the day is just gravy. But I do what I can to increase my steps. For instance, I will park further away from things and I will take the stairs rather than the elevator (unless it is a skyscraper). If I miss a walk, no big deal, the pedometer will allow me to make up the steps somewhere else. For example, I didn't have time for my noon walk yesterday so while at the mall, I went around it several times, putting 4,500 steps on the pedometer. Once you get in the habit, it's easy to do.

[woollyone]

great point on the starvation camps.

I'm surprised that Dr. Atkins wasn't need there. After all, those potato soups were absolutely loaded with carbs!
/ sarcasm

...no ill will intended upon those poor people who suffered horribly. Theirs was the nightmare that free men weep over fight from ever happening again. (stop the tyrants!)

[tortoise]

I go to a health club with a heated pool but I cannot get into swimming after 5-6 lessons. I can swim about 100 meters and get winded. I wear a heart monitor and I hit my max after 100 meters??

It takes most people's cardiovascular system a little while to adapt to swimming, which puts a very different load on it than most out of water activities. Lung and oxygen efficiency suddenly plays a huge role, whereas it doesn't for most sports ("breathe all you want, we'll make more"). You have to build up slowly to being able to do a lot of swimming. Go slow and take your time, its not a horse race.

I used to be able to swim underwater for 3-3.5 minutes without coming up for air. I recently went swimming and was shocked to learn I'm only good for about 45 seconds now. But with practice I could probably get it back up to a close fraction of my old capacity. (Damn aging.)

[SamAdams76]

You think walking 10 miles a week is a lot? I've been walking at least 50 miles a week since early April. I do not think that excessive at all. The human body was designed to do a lot of walking. BTW, I was inspired in part to start walking 6-8 miles a day based on a biography I recently read on John Adams. He would regularly walk at least seven miles a day, even into old age. He lived to be 91. Not bad for an era where life expectancy was almost half of what it is now.

[Salvation]

**All I know is that my husband is in better shape than he's been in a while, his cholesterol is down, his weight is down, his blood pressure is down, and he is eating well with very little snacking going on. Our food bill has dropped dramatically!**

Wonderful! The diet I have been on has done the same thing for me, without all the animal fat calories.