A few years ago I wrote a piece on cravings for the Sam’s Club newsletter. In the process of writing it, I became further convinced that sugar is a recreational drug to which a great many Americans are addicted. Today I’m going to discuss my impressions. But we’re going to start not with sugar, but with alcohol. Continue reading
Category Archives: Doctors
All Health is Personal
Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill, who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1953 to 1987, and was Speaker of the House from 1977 to 1987, was famous for having said that “All politics is local.” I believe he was saying that you come to understand issues more comprehensively when they touch you directly and personally.
For example, I could study asthma for many years and, someday, come to feel proficient at diagnosing and caring for asthmatic patients. But it’s completely different if I, myself, also carry a diagnosis of asthma; or if my young son develops it and suddenly needs his family to accommodate nebulizer treatments twice a day, effective immediately; or if you grew up with a sibling whose childhood years included several trips to the emergency room and several missed days of school each and every winter. That’s a completely different kind of understanding.
This post is a call to physicians, clinicians, my blog readers, and you, the patients for whom we care. Continue reading
I’ve Got a Whole Lot Going On
Hi all: This week is going to be short and sweet.
I retired this past week from clinical practice. What’s next? Lots of rest and relaxation until I can say I’ve caught up on my sleep. Long overdue. The truth is that I’ve been sleep deprived since college. Enough is enough.
I will still be writing the blog, and have added a monthly column at the Cleveland Jewish News. When I am ready, I’m going to pick up my book again and work on seeing it through to the end.
A few weeks ago I was interviewed by CNN about my thoughts on New Years’ Resolutions, and you can check that out here.
Lastly, I was totally blown away by all the comments, encouragement, kindness, and generosity of last week’s readers and for that and more I thank you very, very much. Wow. I’m still reeling over what each of you said.
I wish you all a happy and healthy new year, and will look forward to catching up next week.
What to Tell Your Doctor About The Way You Eat
You can probably guess that the obesity epidemic has changed the way medicine is practiced, but you may not know that this change has come about more quickly than doctors have been trained to address it. Ever wonder why doctors are clueless about how to address this problem? Because most of us are as stymied by the problem as the next person. If there was a quick fix, we’d all be better off. But there isn’t, and we’re all in the same boat. Continue reading