That same mix of compassion and straightforwardness comes through in his new book, The 4 Day Diet, and as he discusses his latest project, The 50 Million Pound Challenge.
The 50 Million Pound Challenge is a national initiative founded by Dr. Ian two years ago. It calls on people to build a community of support while they get fit, lose excess weight, and resist weight-related diseases. The campaign offers free online resources and tools, including a month-long customizable diet plan, weight and activity trackers, a blog, and opportunities to meet up with other participants. On May 16, participants will be walk together in several 50 Million Pound Challenge Annual Walks organized in cities across the country. In the two years since Dr. Ian started the challenge, people have registered for the program, losing a combined 3.8 million pounds toward the goal.
Dr. Ian recently explained to me why his new book and this project are not only important for our individual health, but for the well-being of our whole country.
1. Shine: Your motto for The 50 Million Pound Challenge is "give up the pounds, not the fight." Why do you think so many Americans are resigned to living as overweight people?
Dr. Ian: A large part of what's happened is that we have a skewing of what is overweight. We now think that "normal" is "overweight." There is a prevalent thought that "I may be overweight but I am not that bad." The second part is that people don't realize the health dangers of being overweight until they are afflicted by a disease. Type-2 diabetes is a big concern, and if we don't get serious about obesity, we are going to see a lot more of it.
2. Shine: For those of us who sit in front of computers all day, how can getting back online be helpful in our effort to lose weight?
Dr. Ian: Computers and being sedentary are a big part of the business world and of how we spend our leisure time. I believe people should use the computer to get information they need.
Part of the philosophy is focusing on small changes -- small changes that yield big results. The big picture of losing weight is overwhelming, so you have to think about the small milestones. The tools of program that address these small changes -- the finding a new exercise or devising a grocery shopping list -- are dispersed throughout our site and it is designed so you will spend only five or ten minutes a day on the site.
The great thing about The 50 Million Pound Challenge program and website is that it is a 24/7 approach. All you need to do to get started is go to the website and sign up. There are 8,000 teams you can join, there is an electronic journal, a weight loss tracker, and an activity tracker you can access from your PDA or your computer at home or at work.
If sitting at a computer is a concern for your health, here's a tip -- You should schedule the time you spend on the computer, even at work. You should not be on the computer more than 45 minutes at a time. Give yourself 10 or 15 minutes to take a walk or go do something. It is physically counterproductive and you are more likely to have mental burn-out if you sit a computer for long periods without a break.
Shine: You say people should know how much they weigh. We've also been hearing a lot about intuitive eating and not depending on the scale as a gauge of your health. What do you think about that?
Dr. Ian: I am not against intuitive eating or measuring your success other ways than the scale. The scale is one measure. From a medical standpoint, we cannot remove the metric of having a weight measurement. Other measurements are important, too -- if you lose a dress size or can now climb the stairs without getting winded, if you aren't craving foods that are not healthy. I see making healthy choices on a continuum and you should try to make them as much as possible.
People email me and tell me they've been with their relatives, who are all eating unhealthy food. They've told me stories about leaving the table and eating something healthful. That is what I think of as intuitive eating and that is one part of long-term weight loss success.
3. Shine: Your program has had a lot of success with participants already losing several million pounds collectively. What are some ways you would like to see employers, doctors, or other systems support the cause to end the obesity crisis?
Dr. Ian: The 50 Million Pound Challenge is addressing just one of many needs. If every business had, as a part of its plan to help employees lose weight and get fit, healthier foods available in the cafeteria, or if they provided an extra 30 minutes at lunch for time to participate in a walking club, we would be better off. These are communal and inexpensive ways that businesses can support people coming together to live better. Businesses can't just be about the bottom line of the company; they also have to think about the quality of life of the people who are doing their work.4. Shine: There are a lot of mothers who read Shine every day. What advice do you have for mothers who are overwhelmed by their family and work responsibilities and still want to be healthier, lose weight, get fit, and be more active?
Dr. Ian: This is a very common problem and I've addressed it many times with people. Part of the reason I wrote the The 4 Day Diet book is that most diet books are written for parents and the recipes and meal plans are geared for adults. In my book the meal plan calls for healthy, inexpensive foods that can be used to feed the whole family, kids and parents. It isn't an extreme calorie-restricted program that isn't healthy for children.
I believe children should grocery shop with their parents. Children and their parents should cook something together once a day, whether it is muffins or baking a chicken. When they get involved, children are learning.
Also, in terms of physical activity, don't just send kids out to ride their bikes. Go ride with them. Family-centered activities around eating and preparing food and exercise will help everyone.
Our participants who are parents tell us they love this approach. A lot of times parents say they are overweight and their kids are overweight, too. That is why I wanted to make sure that the information parents are getting on our website is information that can and will take back to their family. The important thing to know about weight loss is that it has been shown that when you lose weight in a buddy system or support network, the weight stays off longer. This shows up in families.
5. Shine: We're talking about addressing what you call the #1 health crisis in this country. Even when your 50 Million Pound Challenge is met, there's still a lot of work to do. What keeps you motivated and inspired?
Dr. Ian: What keeps me motivated are the personal stories of people who come off of diabetes medication, or they say this is the first time they've been able to stick to a diet. The personal touches go so far. Where I sit, I am able to touch millions of people on a platform of being a healthier country. But when someone reaches back to me by speaking to me in an airport, when they say they don't have confidence or this is their cry for help, or when they send me one of the hundreds of emails I get, that is what keeps me going. There are so many people who would live so much better if they would lose weight.
6. Shine: What's the one thing each of us can get up and do right now that will contribute to being healthier ourselves and to being a healthier nation?
Dr. Ian: You can assess where you are right now. We are so quick to jump into action. People don't take 15 minutes to first assess where they are -- to understand what their weight is or their BMI, to ask how it is they got to where they are now. People need to ask themselves why they think they need to lose weight. Did you stop working out because you got too busy? Did you lose a loved one? They need to ask themselves where they, how they got there, and where they want to go in the future. Your mind has to be right before your body will follow.
Also, remember that weight loss is not going to be easy. The most important thing you can have is patience. Success will come if you believe in it, but you cannot resign yourself that you are always going to be overweight. There are many programs out there and there is one for everyone.
Would a national challenge to get healthy and end
the obesity crisis inspire you to make a change in your own eating
and activity habits?
Dr. Ian Smith is diet expert on
VH1's Celebrity Fit Club,
contributor to The View, and a
former editor of Men's Health.
He hosts his own nationally syndicated radio show HealthWatch on American Urban
Radio Networks, has written for Time, Newsweek , New York Daily News and has been
featured in People, Essence, Ebony,
Cosmopolitan and University of
Chicago Medicine on the Midway. He is author of 5
books, including #1 NY Times bestsellers The
Fat Smash Diet and Extreme Fat
Smash Diet, and the new The 4Day
Diet. Find Dr. Ian Smith at www.doctoriansmith.com and
www.50millionpounds.com.
