Do you have selective hearing?

I try, sometimes more successfully than others, to keep up not only on research in the fitness and the wellness industries but also in popular media. And to be honest, both are downright confusing and seemingly contradictory at times. Research can be confusing because sometimes studies on the same or similar topics seem to result in differing outcomes. Popular media (by that I mean magazines, popular diets, trendy weight loss or get fit claims, new books written for the lay person), well, that is a whole different story! We have been through the low fat craze and the low carb craze, the multiple fad diets and even extreme cleanses are touted as solutions to your every health or weight problem.

As a professional, it is frustrating. I just want to yell, ‘Ok guys, let’s get our acts together! Stop praying on the American public who, by the way, is suffering from devastatingly increased rates of obesity and chronic diseases in adults and children alike!’

But the truth is, you have to take personal responsibility to what you listen to, who you trust, and how you treat your body (and the bodies of those little people living in many of your homes…your children). 

I titled this entry ‘do you have selective hearing?’ because I think that most of us do, in fact, selectively choose to listen to whatever we feels fits our emotions or convenience or sometimes even personal values at the time. Now, that is good especially when it comes to making decisions based on personal values. BUT, don’t you at least want to do your diligence when it comes to your health?

My suggestions:

• Pay attention to reputable sources. If you recently bought a diet book, well, it’s likely that it too will escape public interest when the next one hits the shelves. There are plenty of more reputable websites and resources to pay attention to like WebMD or articles put out by national fitness organizations like ACE or ACSM.
• Look at popular media as optional entertainment and as sources with some good ideas and suggestions rather than as and end all, be all. Look what happened to Dr. Atkin after all….too many animal proteins and too few healthy carbs turned out to be a recipe for disaster for him and others.
• Get creative when it comes to making INFORMED choices about your body. Think about discussing your goal with a professional, your doctor, or even going to a workshop offered by a reputable organization (we can help you decide who is reputable in the industry if you have questions about that!).
• Create your own system and healthy lifestyle plan once you have the tools to work with. Following someone else’s ideas, structure and opinions verbatim likely does not mesh exactly with your personal needs and lifestyle. That is why I always ask an individual to answer a series of questions for me before we start any wellness coaching because I know that she will be far more successful, not to mention it will feel like a more natural transition, if she is working towards developing new habits that fit in with her existing life.
• Stop hearing only what you want to hear! When something sounds too good to be true….it is! When something touts unbelievable results with a disclaimer at the bottom….don’t believe it. Do your own homework.

Fads are fads…….facts are facts. That will never change.

Even when research seems confusing, it exists for a purpose and without it we would be lost. If you need help deciphering what the body of literature says or what the fact of the matter is on some issue you are dealing with, ask a professional.

To conclude, I want to link you to a Time article that I was thoroughly pleased with from the week of September 12. I believe that this is a worthwhile place for you to begin. It is written by Dr. Oz. While I don’t necessarily agree with everything he says, I do love his matter of fat approach and the way that he uses his celebrity status to point us back to the basics as opposed to some fad.  http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2091389,00.html

(in order to read the whole article you have to subscribe…but I at least wanted to point you towards a understandable yet very reliable source of information)

Dedicated to Delivering Reliable Fitness Information,

Katie

Katie Oldham