Fat trapping in perspective Part 3

Which to my mind is one of the greatest travesties ever! And I shall use this platform to say my say and hope that some really bright medical aid official reads it and tries to do something about it: you guys pay for the treatment of all diseases which may be caused by obesity, right? That includes the effects of diabetes mellitus II as well as heart bypass surgery, right? Plus all those expensive tablets to help control blood pressure, cholesterol and depression, right? Then why in the world would you not be willing to pay for the prevention (by controlling obesity) of any of these diseases, which would cost you much less than all the long-term medications? And the same goes for birth control pills. You pay for all the expenses related to pregnancy and birth, but you won't pay for a tablet to prevent all these expenses. Add to that the fact that you don't pay for nutritional supplements. But you do pay for the treatment of diseases caused by a lack of these nutrients such as fractures caused by osteoporosis! The treatment of these diseases is far more expensive and longer lasting. But you go on forking out year in and year out, right?

Just thought I'd ask. Use it, don't use it ...

But back to the reason why Xenical achieves such remarkable results. Being on the program also qualifies you to enjoy the support of a dedicated help line, excellent dietary advice in the comprehensive and free reading matter provided, as well as the fact that the manufacturers work closely with physicians to monitor and support their clients.

Don't get your hopes up too high, though! Xenical is not prescribed as a matter of course. Your doctor will have to do an evaluation to see if you fit the criteria for use They are based, inter alia, on your BMI (Body Mass Index) and your cholesterol and glucose levels.

There also happen to be a few possible side effects. They usually only come into play if the product is abused: if you eat too much fat, you will experience excessive flatulence, as well as an urgent (and usually inconvenient) need to go to the toilet and if you don't get there in time, you may well soil your pants! You could also have orange-coloured, oily and runny stools that stain your toilet bowl. As far as I'm concerned, this is excellent, because it will hopefully prevent you from abusing fat in your diet!

What are the other points to watch out for? If you are pregnant or lactating, have nutrient deficiencies, are under 18 years of age or have gallbladder complaints, you are advised against taking the product. You should also inform your medical practitioner if you are allergic to or list at or any other medicines, foods or food additives.

But here is the proviso I mentioned earlier: If you plan to use any product that inhibits your body's uptake of fat, please realise that every single one of these products (as well as other diet products such as metabolic boosters and so on) only help you lose weight provided you fulfill your side of the bargain. Yes, you still have to follow a healthy and balanced eating plan. Above all, you still have to restrict your fat intake to around 33 g per day (in other words, no more than 30% of your dailykilojoule intake should be fat kilojoules).

Then what is the point of taking it, you may ask. The point is that these products, especially Xenical, are serious medications and they or any other supplements should never, ever be abused. If you take them without addressing your lifestylehabits and existing diet, which in itself will mean you are not that serious about your weight and health issues, you will not lose weight or become healthier, for thatmatter. You will merely lose your good money, possibly harm your body and end up giving the product a bad name by saying it doesn't work. Or, if you are the decenttype, you will do the right thing and blame yourself, which will simply make you feel worse about your weight than you already do.

In the end, you have to evaluate your motivation, your intentions and your dieting history in order to establish whether you are a perpetual dieter or a desperate dieter. Radical honesty will help you arrive at the right conclusion. If the answer is yes, you are a perpetual or desperate dieter and you want to stop that syndrome permanently and you are willing to take the responsibility, then and only then should you invest in one of these products. If you are going to do it for the wrong reasons (such as having an unrealistic expectation of the products efficacy or wanting instant gratification), believe me, you will merely perpetuate your past history to your own detriment. Without any of your old habits changing, your weight will most definitely also not change. In fact, wanting these products to help you lose weight without wanting to bring your side, is a guaranteed way of ensuring that you will end up weighing much more in the long run than you weigh today. And emotionally you will feel far, far worse than you ever thought possible. So bad in fact, that you will spend the greater part of your waking moments trying to pretend that you are fat and happy!

Using these products is supposed to enhance your dieting efforts but not constitute them, regardless of what the cute and cleverly worded advertisements and infomercials may claim!

Sooner or later you will have to believe and trust your common sense.

For what sugar you had?

Several different types of sugar are available, namely white, golden brown and the so-called 'speciality sugars' which include soft brown, caramel brown, multicoloured crystals, castor, icing and yellow sugar. Golden brown sugar is the end product of the milling process. Also known as raw sugar, it is from this that all the following types of sugar are produced:

• Soft brown sugar is made by adding extra molasses to raw sugar.
• Caramel brown sugar is produced by adding caramel flavouring and colouring (also made from sugar).

Yellow sugar has simply had yellow colouring added to it.

• White sugar is a refined raw sugar.
• Castor sugar is very finely ground white sugar - which is why, if you're ever stuck without it, you can make your own by grinding ordinary white sugar in your food processor.
• Icing sugar is even more finely ground white sugar, with a little cornflour added to prevent lumps forming.

Sugar and nutrition

Sugar is pure carbohydrate and as such its main contribution to the diet is food energy. One gram provides 17 kilojoules (4 calories). This energy is readily availableto the body, that is, the body can use it very quickly and efficiently. This may be either an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on the situation. For example, for anathlete taking part in an endurance event and therefore requiring a quick energy top-up, sugar is very useful. On the other hand, for diabetics - who have difficulty keeping their blood sugar level under control - the fact bloodstream relatively quickly is a

Another aspect to consider regarding sugar as an energy source is that it is inexpensive. This may not be of concern in affluent nations, but it means that sugar can be used to supplement energy-deficient diets of impoverished communities.

Despite claims to the contrary, the difference between the nutritional value of brown as opposed to white sugar is negligible. The brown variety does contain more molasses (the syrup left behind when sugar crystals are produced from sugar cane) and molasses is a rich source of certain nutrients, but in terms of the overall contribution to the diet, the amounts are insignificant. As an illustration, while molasses is considered a good source of iron, in order to meet the Recommended Daily Allowance for iron for an adult woman from brown sugar alone, one would have to eat nearly half a kilogram!

Why is sugar found in so many foods?

One of the major concerns people have about sugar is the fact that it is found in such a wide variety of foods - including foods that don't even taste sweet - which makes it easy to consume relatively large amounts of sugar without being aware of it. The reason it is used so widely is because it is a very versatile product. It has certain properties which enable it to perform numerous functions in foods - for example, it adds flavour, colour and texture and acts as a natural preservative.

Although sugar substitutes are available, none of these has all the properties of sugar and many products in which it is used would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to produce without sugar. For example, sugar may be used in the production of bread to improve its shelf life and in beer to assist with fermentation. Since South African food law states that food ingredients must be listed in descending order of quantity, you can get a good idea of the extent to which sugar has been used in a product simply by reading labels.

A spoonful of moderation

Having looked at where sugar comes from, what it does and its role in nutrition and health, it is clear that as is the case with so many other aspects of nutrition, much of what is commonly believed is not necessarily accurate. Too often, what is held to be absolute truth is in fact the result of assumptions and hearsay rather than controlled scientific research.

As far as sugar is concerned, the conclusion to which research has brought us is that, provided it is used in moderation as part of a balanced diet, it is not harmful. But what, you may ask, is moderation? It is difficult to give specific quantities because we all have different energy requirements, but the general consensus is that it is acceptable to consume up to 10% of your total energy intake in the form of simple carbohydrates (that is, all sugars). For an average adult man, this would be the equivalent of about 16 teaspoons of table sugar per day; for a woman, about 12 teaspoons. However, because (as mentioned above) so much of the sugar we consume is 'hidden' in manufactured or processed foods, it is very difficult to establish exactly how much sugar you are in fact eating. The best policy, therefore, is to have three balanced meals a day, concentrating on fresh, wholesome foods which are prepared at home wherever possible. Sugar, used sensibly to improve the palatability of such a diet, forms a useful part of good nutrition.