A 21 year old Tom Cruise starred in a 1983 movie called “Risky Business”. The plot involved a high school senior (played by Cruise) that needed to raise a bunch of money quickly, and while his parents were away for a weekend, turned his house into a brothel. As this is a blog about weight control and not the world’s oldest profession, let’s move on. I will come back to the title of this entry later.
“Risk” comes in many forms: Opening a new business, investing in the stock market, betting $$$ on sports, going to the MGM Grand and sitting at a blackjack table, quitting one job in favor of another…these are just a few examples of “risks” that many people take during their journey through life. There are, of course, many other “risks” that are taken in the course of a lifetime.
Coning this down to the health arena, we have always heard about “risks” for certain illnesses.
Here are some examples:
- High cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease
- Cigarette smoking increases the risk of developing COPD and/or lung cancer
- Excessive alcohol usage increases the risk of having liver disease
- Osteoporosis increases the risk of having bone fractures.
Now, specifically focusing on weight control, the “risks” associated with obesity are numerous and potentially life-altering/life-threatening:
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Lung disease
- Chronic pain
- Depression
- GERD
- Having severe complications from Covid
What are the “risks” of lowering carbohydrate, fruits and alcohol intake (i.e. the formula for controlling weight)? Hmmm…I am having difficulty finding any bullet points of “risk”.
