Nothing much to say.

I don't know if you remember or not, but I baked a loaf of Italian bread Sunday just to see how it would come out. It was braided, nicely browned, and covered with sesame seeds. I have a photo I'll put up once I get around to it. The flavor was exceptionally good. It's as light as a feather with a good texture. The crust is crispy but not thick. El husband said I could make it any time I feel like it and he'd be happy. His way of saying make it next week again.

Gained a pound since yesterday. See what I mean about drinking a glass of water and gaining weight? A pound or two, up or down, might just be an artifact of bladder or bowel activity, not fat mobility. Damn. I was so happy, too.

I'm having a good time reading NewMe's links to medically-based obesity websites. I got a little caught up in Dr. Sharma's and have to be careful about that, since I missed a class assignment because of it. Couldn't help myself. Once I start reading something interesting, I often can't stop.

He was talking about how the relationship between obesity and diseases which are commonly attributed to it isn't what common thinking says it is. He doesn't find obesity to be a cause of excess cardiac death, stroke, etc. I think he makes a point in some ways, and it's a theory I read many years ago in a good book on the fat pride movement. I agree that there's a healthier obese person and an unhealthier one. Certainly if you're obese and fit, and eat nutritious (but scrumptious) foods instead of crap, and have decent genes, you're in a whole lot better position than the person who doesn't exercise, goes to Taco Bell and whose parents died at 60 of diabetes complications. I disagree that there's no relationship other than a statistical one, however.

Obesity--even simple overweight--does indeed cause insulin resistance, and thus diabetes, which is an extremely serious disease. The thinking now is that while genes are part of the problem, most people have some point at which they'll become insulin resistant, even if it's farther down the road than others. To say that overweight doesn't cause it is simple denial. Many people who lose weight go back to a normal blood sugar without meds. They do have to eat a good diet and do have to exercise, but hell--we should all be doing that anyway. Unfortunately, the disease isn't always reversed that way. It's usually asymptomatic for several years before being discovered during a routine blood test, so it's worse than it might have been if one were getting regular checkups. (And seriously--who does that? Does insurance even pay for it?)

So to say there's not much evidence that obesity causes disease and early death is whistling in the dark. But it's not as though every obese person is going to drop dead in between dessert and the drive home. Not every smoker gets lung cancer and dies young. If they did, I sincerely doubt there'd be any smokers.

I'll have to keep reading his site, though. I didn't check his sources or citations, so right now I don't know how large the studies were, what the controls were, how the studies were designed, and all that jazz. If he has the evidence about things other than diabetes, I'm willing to change my mind or at least, follow his lead wherever it goes.

Here's the link to Sharma's website:  http://www.drsharma.ca/

I started a chapter in Grilo's book on bariatric surgery. I know extremely little about it, but want to learn. One thing I wonder is why someone would choose a Roux en Y over a band, or a sleeve, etc. Why a sleeve over a Roux en Y? I imagine that if one surgery were good for every patient, there wouldn't be so many different types.

I think the early bypasses, which worked strictly through malabsorption must have been grueling. I had a coworker who had one around 1978 or so, and he had a lot of complications. They finally had to go in and restore what they could. Several years later, he had another surgery--which kind, I don't know--and tolerated that one well. To the best of my knowledge, he had no problems and is still maintaining his weight.

A relative by marriage had her stomach stapled--remember that procedure?--and it helped, but she had to have the staples removed. Or, it could be that they're supposed to be removed after a certain period of time? See, I know nothing whatsoever.

I'm going to try to discuss the surgeries next time, as long as I get my reading done. I can't believe that I've heard people say that surgery is the easy way out. OMG, it seems to be far more difficult than any other way! Must be ignorance, that's all.

Anyway, that's for next time. Take care and sleep tight.