Why are we so Fat?

"Supper at the camp"

Here is an article I wrote a while ago at my fishing blog. Not sure what got me to put it there other than the habit of writing down my thoughts. I think it is still valid, though a bit out of date. Let me know if you think it makes sense.

We apparently have an obesity crisis in North America.

The fear of lawsuits is forcing fast food restaurants to change their menus and include healthier alternatives to their burgers and fries.

What a burden that must be for them, after all if there were money to be made in fast, healthy alternatives wouldn't there be a McHealthy’s on every corner?

Why should there be a penalty for a merchant who sells a product that is legal, the risks are known and the public wants?

Here is the thing; it is not the fast food guys that are the problem.

We are demonizing the wrong people. Have you ever finished dinner and sat down to watch some television for the evening?

By bedtime you have been exposed to more food, snack and candy advertising than the average person can resist.

Just try not to have a snack during an evening of television. It is almost impossible.

I can go for hours without thinking of food in my daily life but a couple of hours in front of the tube can have me craving everything from chocolate to popcorn chicken, whatever the heck that is.

You want to cure the obesity crisis in North America? Get some control of the advertising agencies that are engaged in psychological warfare with consumers every day of their lives.

Think about it. If you advertise a product simply by telling people what it is, what it can do and where they can get it, people who want the product will buy it.

People who don't want the product won't buy it. Simple right?

Advertising in North America today though is not about offering a product for consideration. It is about convincing people that they want the product by manipulating psychological triggers from fear to hunger to sexual drives.

It would be interesting to know how many of our brightest and best thinkers make their livings developing the science and art of manipulating the rest of us into this consumer frenzy.

One has to wonder what the world would be like if they spent their time trying to solve real problems like feeding the hungry rather than tricking the already well fed into eating more.

New Zipper Club T Shirts at Zazzle

I have a few new tee shirts up at the Zazzle web site. Folks seem to enjoy these and it sure is a conversation starter when you are first getting out and about after your surgery.

create & buy custom products at Zazzle

The Picture of Health

I ran into a couple of friends the other day while standing in line at Tim Horton's buying a green tea and a chicken salad sandwich on whole wheat.

Hector and I chat every month or so but Dave I had not seen in about six months. The inevitable question of "So, how are you doing?" went around the table as we settled down for lunch.

I never know anymore if it is a real question because of my heart surgery or merely a polite question as a precursor to conversation. In this case I couldn't get away with a mumbled, "Not so bad. You?". They really wanted a report.

The truth is- not so bad. I've been fishing most evenings when the weather is fit, maintaining my fitness regimen and starting to feel more optimistic about the future.

When Dave said I was the picture of health it caught me totally by surprise. The picture of health?

There is a funny psychological effect when one has been so sick for so long, it shapes one's self-image. My self-image was frozen somewhere around the week or two following my heart surgery. Who I am today is a long way down the road from who I was then. It just hadn't really sunken in.

The picture of health? I'll take it.

High Cholesterol Blues

Wow, time flies. It has been a while since I updated this blog.

My last ramblings were about my upcoming doctor's visit. That went well. I seem to be healing properly. Still pumping out bad cholesterol like that well in the gulf is pumping out oil though. My dosage of statins was upped by another 10 milligrams. But the truth be told, we spent most of the time chatting about new technology and the impact on the social fabric as luxuries become necessities.

It is strangely comforting to visit your heart specialist and have it be more of a "just touching base" than a "here are the things I'm concerned about" if you know what I mean.

So a year and a half out from my bypass surgery I guess I am repaired. The rest is up to me. Diet, exercise and minimizing stress are the things to focus on going forward, And you know what? Those are all things that make us feel better anyway.

It is easy to slide into a couch potato mentality but being lazy and gobbling snacks only feels good for a little while. Eating well and being active feels good constantly.

Doctor Visit One and a Half Year After Open Heart Surgery

Well, I have not had much to write about recently. Things are going pretty well for me.  As long as I pay attention to my work-out schedule, keep eating well and rest when I need to, I'm feeling pretty good.

The big medical check up is coming on May 10th. That will be just about a year and a half since my bypass surgery.

If I do an inventory of pluses and minuses I think there are lots more positives than negatives.

I've started to feel some renewed enthusiasm for hobbies I'd drifted away from. For example I've gone fishing almost every day after work these last couple weeks. The weather has been grand and I've enjoyed every minute of it. I built a fly rod and tied a dozen flies last month too.

On that front, things are rapidly returning to normal. Sure, I still have trouble sleeping and a bit of pain but that is manageable if slightly unpleasant.


On balance things are going pretty good one and a half years out from the heart surgery. Still I will be glad to get the visit to the heart specialist behind me.

Heart Healthy Eating is Tough to Do

As everyone knows who is trying to change their lifestyle to be more heart healthy, eating well is a tremendous challenge.

My amazement has never abated at how irresponsible those who are in the business of selling food to the public are. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that businesses are in business to make money and will use every trick in the book to do so even if in the long run we, the consumer, are the ones who will suffer.

It is not just those of us who eat the trans-fats, excessive amounts of salt, and nutritionally poor food that suffer the consequences. Our whole society bears the burden on the health care system, poorly fed kids struggling to get through a school day and the serious , debilitating, consequences from a lack of activity and poor nutrition striking at an ever younger age.

Oh well, you have heard my rant before but here is a little bit of good news. Kraft Foods announced recently that it is reducing the amount of salt in its products by an average of 10% over the next two years.

When you think about it, that is a lot of salt that won't be eaten. Kraft has over a thousand products that will contain less salt.

On the Kraft Foods website it says this strategy will eliminate more than ten million pounds of salt from North America's groceries.

Why is this a good thing? Eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure and contribute to heart disease among other things.

Kraft is the first to admit that this is good for business but heck, more than 750 million teaspoons of salt will not be eaten in North America in 2012. Lets call it a win for health aware consumers.

Are You Dumber After Open Heart Surgery ?

  Are you dumber after heart surgery than before you went under the knife? Some patients who have undergone heart surgeries that require the heart to be stopped and life sustained by a cardio-pulmonary bypass machine report experiencing varying degrees of cognitive decline after surgery.

The condition has been nicknamed "pump head".

Now don't get me wrong, you don't go in as Albert Einstein and come out as Bo Bo the Chimp. It is more subtle and in a way, more insidious.

You see no one mentions this as a possible side effect. So when you start to notice changes in your mental capabilities it is quite disturbing. There is a simmering, low level of anxiety as it starts to dawn on you that there is something wrong with your brain. You have difficulty concentrating or following the thread of a conversation. You can't remember some one's name or an important date. It is a terrible, depressing feeling to realize that you are just not as smart as you used to be.

 So there you sit in the first weeks following your surgery, battered in body and mind, a prime candidate for the crushing depression that often haunts the survivors of open heart surgery.

There is some good news. The impact on your mental capacity while real is relatively short term with noticeable improvements three months out, six out and so on.

Here is what is thought to happen. The combination of prolonged anesthesia and the heart lung machine induce a certain amount of mental confusion and memory loss that is temporary and will diminish over time.

The physical challenge to the body during the process of restoring the body to normal temperature from the cool state it is in while on the pump may deprive the brain of oxygen for a short time. So it is a double whammy. The body and brain are put through an amazing ordeal. It is one of the casual miracles we take for granted in modern society that we come back at all.

If you are presently recovering from open heart surgery and have these symptoms:

• difficulty concentrating
• noticeable changes in mental capabilities
• increased depression

Talk to your doctor. Knowledge is power and just knowing that with a little time things will get better is very reassuring.

You are What You Eat After Heart Surgery

Like the rest of you recovering from Heart Surgery, I have been careful about what I've been eating. It requires forming new habits and overcoming a lifetime's bad habits.

Well it is not easy as I'm sure you know. In the first place it is hard to get accurate information about what is good, what seems to be good but isn't, and what really is bad.



Here is a case in point. Recently a study was published  by researchers at Harvard University that found it’s eating processed meat not regular old fashioned red meat that increases the risk for developing or worsening heart disease.

Like you, I have been told to minimize fatty red meat in my diet as well as deli meats, canned meats and more recognizably processed meats like bacon or pepperoni.

This research concludes that eating unprocessed meat does not "significantly" increase the chance of developing Heart Disease. It was eating processed meat, meat that has been cured or preserved by smoking, salting or whatever, that was increasing the risk of developing not only Heart Disease but Diabetes too.

So here is the quote from the report that caught my attention:

“To lower risk of heart attacks and diabetes, people should avoid eating too much processed meats — for example, hot dogs, bacon, sausage or processed deli meats,” said lead researcher Renata Micha, a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health. “Based on our findings, eating up to one serving per week would be associated with relatively small risk.”

Presumably more than one serving a week would increase the risk significantly. I thought I was doing well by having a sandwich from the local deli at lunch instead of the restaurant's special of the day. I'm not so sure now.

Heart Disease No Longer Just for the Old

There has been a lot of heart health related news over the last little while, former Presidents having blocked arteries cleared, former Vice-Presidents having heart attacks and the sudden passing of an Olympian's Mother due to a Heart Attack.

Sad and sobering news. There have been a couple of major reports on the state of health of North Americans recently as well. We are facing a crisis.

Recent statistics tell us that one out of every five of us has high blood pressure severe enough to require medication. Another study reveals that people in their twenties and thirties are living with high cholesterol, too much weight and on and on.

The most provocative thought from all of this news is that we could find ourselves sitting beside our children in emergency rooms both being treated for the same heart related illnesses.

Heart disease is no longer reserved for the old.

I can't help but think that we have to address some of the issues with our food supply. It doesn't matter how many Olympic athletes are sponsored by a fast food restaurant chain, if the food has too much salt and any trans fats at all, it is really just a slow poison.

Sleep Problems After Heart Surgery

It is apparently very common after open heart surgery to have problems sleeping. What a curse it is too. Even now a little over a year down the road from my quadruple by pass I rarely sleep through a full night.


In the first weeks after coming home from the hospital sleeping was an ordeal. Just getting into bed involved some careful planning. As painful as it was to get into bed, getting back up was worse.

As time went by, it was easier getting up and down but sleep was still more of a doze interrupted by crazy, vivid dreams. As the house quieted in the night I would hear my own heart beat or feel it. Again, a very normal after affect but still a bit creepy.

When the breast bone healed it was easier to get into comfortable positions and sleep improved. I would still sometimes be uncomfortably aware of my own heart beat but not as often. I would still awaken every couple of hours. When I say awaken I mean wide awake. Glance at the clock to see if it is time to get up wide awake.

So it has gone, first awakening every hour or two, then after three hours and so on. For a month or more I would drift off and sleep well only to bolt into wakefulness at precisely 4:30 AM. Then I would I lay there thinking in circles, listening to my heart beating and reliving all of those moments of my life that seemingly only have the power to haunt in the dark watches of the night.

You know, it wouldn't be so bad if I remembered happy things, triumphs or great fishing trips while I lay there waiting to sleep again but it doesn't seem to work that way.

As I say, it is a common after effect of open heart surgery and should fade away with time. It is something that a doctor could likely help with but I have an aversion to the thought of taking more drugs. I reckon that now that I'm more fit and getting lots of exercise it should soon be getting a lot better.

There Is No Cure for Heart Disease

Well the news about President Clinton serves as a reminder that even though the immediate problem of blocked arteries can be repaired by a Coronary Artery Bypass Graft, the fact of the matter is that heart disease is only repaired not cured.

A bypass lasts for a decade or so and by then new blockages will have usually formed in the veins used to create the graft.

President Clinton's latest problem was fixed in an interesting way. They didn't perform another bypass to replace the graft that had plugged. The surgeon decided to use angioplasty to clear the artery that had originally blocked requiring him to have the bypass graft in the first place. Once it was cleared the surgeon inserted two stents to keep it open.

Mr. Clinton had his quadruple bypass in 2004. That seems like a short time for one of the grafts to have plugged up again but if ten years is the average time I suspect it is a matter of luck and how strictly he followed his diet and workout routine.

The good news for those of us living with heart disease is that as long as the heart isn't damaged by a heart attack, chances are we will live long and productive lives. We may have to go through more grafts or stents but I guess that beats the alternative.

So, my fellow members of the Zipper Club remember:

• eat well
• take your medications to keep your Cholesterol under control
• exercise
• watch your blood pressure
• reduce stress as much as possible
• keep your doctor's appointments
• call 911 at the first sign of chest pain

With luck, our grafts will be the ones that never get clogged again.

A Little More on Treadmills and Cardio Rehabilitation

For those of us working at getting more daily exercise, a treadmill is a great way to go. Before Cardio Rehab I had never used one or even thought much about them. Truth is, once I was back on my feet after my heart surgery I really didn't have much trouble disciplining myself to walk every day. It quickly became a part of my daily routine to head out immediately upon getting home from work and before eating dinner. That was until late last month. The cold, icy weather has made footing treacherous and the whole outdoor experience fairly miserable.

At about the same time I was feeling less inclined to take long evening walks I started noticing treadmills on sale in the department store flyers delivered to the house every Tuesday evening. A quick comparison of the cost of joining a gym and the cost of a good treadmill made the treadmill option look more attractive to me. It seemed less expensive, more convenient and if I just didn't use it the way I thought I would I could sell it.

While in Rehab the physio therapist once offered some advice for those of us contemplating buying a treadmill for home.
It should have:

• a motor of 2hp or better
• the stride length of the belt must be long enough for you

I will add one more thing, power incline is a great feature and really a "must have" from my recent experience. I like the pre-programmed work-outs but they and the rest of things like i-pod connections, fans and stuff like that are more a matter of personal preference than critical to getting a good, reliable machine.

After a month of dithering and suffering through the weather I finally committed to buying a treadmill. I chose the model in the picture above, a Tempo 911t. It was on sale for around one third of its regular price and I was comfortable that I was getting a lot of machine for my money.

The nagging issue was, "how to get it home"? These things are big and heavy. The first thing I did was to visit the store and compare the various machines on display. Firstly to reassure myself that I was making the best choice for the money and then to get an idea of just how big the respective machines really are.

Reassured on both points, that it was a good choice and that I could handle getting it into place once home, I got the boys from the store to put it in my car for me.

The machine comes partially disassembled in a huge, flat box bound in yellow nylon strapping. By putting the front seats all the way ahead and folding the back seats down, it fit smoothly into the back of my RAV4 although it was a two man job to lift it in.

Once home I was able to slide it out and walk it by rocking, moving one side a few inches, then the other, in a slow but steady fashion onto the doorstep and into the house.

When inside I was able to lay it on a mat then slide it to where I wanted it to end up. It is recommended that you open the box and assemble the treadmill where you are going to use it.

I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box to find tools included as well as well written directions. The trickiest bits are already put together so it was really just a matter of adding the hand rails and mounting the electronics display. Within an hour the treadmill was together and running.

I have it set up beside a window that I can just reach over and crank it open to control the temperature if I get too hot when working out. A television is directly in front so that I can watch a movie when walking. One thing, I have a set of wireless headphones I wear so that I don't have the TV blasting while I huff and puff. I really recommend that.

All told, I got a great buy on a great piece of equipment. I can't wait for the weather to warm up so that I can get back outdoors but in the meantime I'm really enjoying the treadmill. I'm also getting a thousand or so extra steps a day with no fear of slipping and falling.

I'm obviously no expert, but if you are thinking about a treadmill and have any questions, drop me a note or leave a comment. I've done a fair amount of research on the topic in the last few months and will happily share what I have learned.

Steps yesterday: 11890

Smarter Heart Medications Are on the Way

Last week I read about a study done recently that identified more than a dozen genes that control the rate of our heart beat. After comparing the genetics of tens of thousands of people from European and Indian descent, researchers were able to isolate these genes. If you have certain combinations of them you are more or less likely to have heart conditions involving arrhythmia. Arrhythmia is an irregular heart beat.



Anyway, this discovery is the sort of thing that can lead to smart drugs that target specific conditions more effectively and efficiently. It is important because heart disease according to the report I read, kills almost seven million people a year. Half of those people suffer from some form of irregular heart beat.

On another note, I bought a treadmill the other day and have been using it with some regularity. Sorry for the bad pun but just trying to stick with the theme of this post. I bought a Tempo 611T as pictured above.

It was a work out just getting the thing in the house, down a flight of stairs and then wrestling it out of the box and assembling it but it seems well worth it.

The streets and side walks are icy and treacherous for walkers in this part of the world at this time of year so it is nice to get my ten thousand steps in the comfort of my home. It is pleasant to be able to walk away the stress of the day while reading or watching TV and without having to cope with sub-zero temperatures. I do miss the human parade of dog walkers, joggers and fellow heart walkers but spring will eventually come and I can resume my lakeside promenades.

My daughter is trying to teach one of the dogs to use it but he much prefers going out. If you have been thinking about getting one and have a good spot for it in your house I'd recommend it.

Steps today: 5,654 so far but I've been averaging around 11 to 12 thousand since getting the treadmill.