Your normal weight depends on three factors: height, age and skeletal structure. Of course, the weight of the individual should change throughout the different stages of life. And of course, the amount and type of food needed to maintain the right weight also varies depending on the person’s job and general activity level.
Saying that obesity is the result of overeating is like saying that a fire is the result of a match. Who struck the match? What caused the overeating? Overeating is not a cause but a consequence. Have you noticed how different your eating habits are when you’re busy and when you’re not busy: when you’re lonely and when you’re not; When are you tense and when are you relaxed? The busy, content and relaxed people of this world are rarely overweight. The idle, lonely and nervous people often are.
When you’re not busy and feel like you should be, eat to excuse your idleness. (“I do it after dinner – after I’ve eaten a sandwich – as soon as I’ve finished eating – you have to eat, you know.”)
When you’re lonely, eat to replace the satisfaction of friendship. When you are nervous, eat to forget the cause of that tension or distress. The inseparability of mind and body is also evident here.
The unfortunate consequence of unhappiness is not just overeating, but consuming worthless, fattening foods. The act of substituting food for the body for a need of the spirit or soul is a form of blackmail. They “purchase” the spirit with ransoms paid for the body. Of course, this ransom must be luxurious. That is why the unfortunate people of the world rave about chocolate, ice cream, rich cakes and the like. And there is often a ridiculous contradiction here. The unfortunate soul gorges on appetite suppressants and often neglects essential health foods. Contradictory as it may seem, many people are a stone and a half overweight yet anemic, malnourished and suffering the ravages of malnutrition!
I have long recognized the truth in the words “happiness is medicine”. You must recognize this, too, for it is an undeniable law of nature.
So are the underweight people of the world "often products of a mental rather than a physical condition. You’ve seen our world’s “drivers” throw themselves into their jobs with no thought for their well-being. They are often victims of the “success philosophy” that believes that only wealth and power bring happiness. They push themselves and their peers to the pinnacle of production and creativity, but when it comes to eating, they mostly need to be driven to the table. What they eat is of little use to them, it goes through their bodies like mercury when they return to their devotional work. The man who thinks life is all work and the man who believes everything is a play usually end up on the scrap heap years before their time.
I will not be silly enough to say that underweight and overweight are just the result of a mind without peace; but I contend that fear, nervousness, despair, and contempt for one’s fellow human beings, one or all of them, are either the cause or a major contributor to underweight and overweight, and many of the world’s physical diseases.
When dieting to gain or lose weight, there are two dangers to avoid. The underweight must avoid increasing their caloric intake while ignoring basic nutritional requirements, and the overweight must beware of haphazardly reducing their food intake, thereby depriving the body of minimal energy, bone, blood, and nerve nutrients. The staple diet for everyone should include some organic foods and a full proportion of all the vitamins and minerals needed to maintain a healthy body and mind. Above all, beware of the fad diets that will build you up or tear you down within 24 hours. These “Seven Days to Health” and “Ten Days to Beauty” programs are at best a scam and at worst a threat to your life.
There is no such thing as an overnight diet for total health. In fact, there is no such thing as a total health diet. The food you eat is only one element in your life pattern. The path to health begins not just with your stomach, your skin, your feet, or your mind, but with all of that and more. We pave the way to health with a life in harmony with nature.
"A Complete Guide To Healthy Eating,” an article in my online wellness journal describes several nutritional regimens that, when added to a life in complete harmony with nature, will help give you the radiant health that is yours should. There you will find nutrition programs for the underweight, overweight and others. These have been carefully prepared with the aim of providing the healthiest, tastiest and most natural nutritional program for each person’s needs. As you read through these wisely chosen diets, remember the words of Socrates, "Some men live to eat. I eat to live.”
Thanks to Andy G
