Diet Wars: A New Approach to Weight Loss (Part II)

If you read part one of this series, you know that we're talking about a new way of looking at weight loss -- a new way for a new year.

Which brings us to Gary Null.

Gary, who has long been one of the guiding lights of the wellness community, just published his umpteenth book, Gary Null's Ultimate Anti-Aging Program, and it deserves to be read by anyone interested in living a healthy, vibrant life. But among the hundreds of pages of information about antioxidants, phenols, exercise, healing strategies and the like, one fact stood out for me, one piece of information that was critically important to all of us in the weight loss field. It is this one fact, just a footnote in Gary's book, that inspired this column.

Gary traveled across the country testing his program on thousands of people. He worked with randomly selected volunteers in five cities. He designed their diets and their supplement program, and he measured the results by checking dozens of parameters. He measured things like cholesterol level, energy, freedom from disease, weight loss, reduction of symptoms from illnesses, personal sense of well-being and vigor, and the list goes on.

And what he found was this: The program worked. For those who stuck with it.

Therein lies the rub.

Most people couldn't stick with it.

Among the overweight volunteers, the dropout rate was as high as 90 percent.

So Gary went back to the drawing board. And what he found was what I suspected all along. The missing ingredient was the whole person. If you don't take the whole person into account, all the best information in the world won't make a difference.

Here's Gary himself: "What I had omitted was what I would now find to be the single most important part of the entire program -- modification not only of the behavior but of the existing beliefs as well. What I did next was create a program for self-empowerment. We talked about what has been lost in life -- relationships, loved ones, jobs -- and discussed ways of letting go and getting back into life. I realized that people frequently didn't receive unconditional emotional support at home or at work. I quickly saw that this was the missing ingredient: there was now a 90 percent success rate among people who stayed on the program. I found that if a person just followed the diet or exercised regularly, they would not stick with the program. However, if they dealt with the more important issues, they would stick with the diet and exercise."

Thanks, Gary. My point exactly.

Please don't misunderstand me. You need to know about food and its effect on hormones such as insulin and glucagon. You need to know how what you eat can and does affect serotonin levels, which in turn affects appetite and impulse and cravings and mood. You need to understand the potential effects of sugar and alcohol and the power of supplements and nutrients on well-being. You need to understand some basics about metabolism. But if that information is the only thing you take away from your personal weight loss project, you're missing a big opportunity.

So if you're new to Weight Loss Coach, or to the Shape Up Community Challenges™, let me take this opportunity to welcome you. Let me assure you that I will continue to give you what I believe to be state-of-the-art information on how to lose weight and get healthy and fit.

But let me also invite you to take advantage of the other opportunity offered here. If you embrace the idea that weight loss is just one part of the whole, you can discover a lot more than just how to lose pounds; you can learn about your self. Chances are it'll be a wild and bumpy ride, but when all is said and done ...

It's the only game in town.

Got a question or comment for Jonny? Post it on the Shape Up message board!