Can you say these are unhealthy just because your fat Uncle Tommy told you they were good for you?
Yesterday, I wrote an article explaining why just following the diet of a health expert who looks good isn’t always the best approach.
What a few people missed is that it does make sense to try following their complete approach that includes other lifestyle factors like exercise, stress relief, sleep patterns and everything else they do.
My only point was that diet is not the only factor and you can follow a selection of diets and still look good.
Today, I’m going address the flip-side.
“Why would you want to listen to a fat, unhealthy-looking health expert?”
The answer to this is a little more complicated than you may think.
Here’s why…
1. In the past, I was being too judgmental.
I recently was talking about this very challenge with a friend.
I was saying it’s tough to listen to people who aren’t living healthy without wondering if what they’re teaching will lead you down their same path.
Results speak louder than words, right?
You don’t take business advice from a business owner in bankruptcy, why would you take health advice from someone who was out of shape?
My friend agreed, but then asked me, “have you learned anything valuable from any health expert who is not healthy looking?”
Honestly, I had never fully thought of it that way.
The answer, of course, was yes, I have learned from unhealthy looking health experts.
By his question, he had pointed out something I had conveniently forgotten or not even registered on a conscious level.
Apparently, I was being a little judgmental in my statement, not acknowledging where some of my education came from. Nothing is as black and white as we’d like it to be. (it makes things easier when things are!) In this case, it was evident there was a little gray I was ignoring.
So I modified my belief…
You can learn from unhealthy looking health experts* – but with an asterisk.
*Don’t take it hook, line and sinker.
2. You can save lives if you’re out of shape.
I know a few health experts who aren’t what you or I would consider trim or fit, but have made tremendous contribution to the health world. Tremendous.
Some have sold tens of thousands of books and more.
These books have even saved people’s lives.
Some of the principles and ideas in these books I use and teach as well.
So this makes it very difficult for me to discount their advice on diet, just because they’re not a perfect picture of health.
I guess sometimes the healthy ones are out exercising when the unhealthy are writing life changing books… 
3. “Do as I say, not as I do.”
Sometimes… people say one thing and do another.
So the question is, if this is the case, does the information have value regardless if the expert follows it or not.
I’m going to say that it can have value.
Stories and knowledge can be passed along through some of the strangest channels.
In this case, you could be getting your health information from an unhealthy messenger, not the source (who may or may not look healthy.)
I’m guilty of discounting the messenger at times. It’s human nature, but this doesn’t mean you can’t at least give them some time to share.
You might learn something.
4. You don’t always know what the healthy ones are eating.
This is almost a detour that maybe doesn’t have a place here, but I need to share it…
Being out on the road the last 2 years has really given me insight into the true actions of many health leaders.
We’ve met with many who are teaching – specifically raw food – but don’t eat all raw.
We’ve met with vegans who eat a little animal foods.
We’ve met with vegetarians who eat steak.
Many of these people look great. So that further complicates the issue. What’s making them look great, the diet they’re teaching or the foods that they’re including and not talking about.
On the other side, some of these experts are following exactly what they’re teaching and don’t look so hot.
Finally, others don’t follow what they teach and they don’t look good at all.
So who’s doing what?
How does the public benefit from any of this?
It’s a puzzle we may never solve.
5. The researcher rarely takes action.
Many health experts are researchers.
In my book High Raw, I break down three personality types, the caretaker, the researcher and the go-getter.
The researcher is a notable personality type, because they’re driven by knowledge. They want to dig into the truth deeply and completely.
The biggest challenge with the researcher is that they have a very hard time taking action on what they’re researching because they still feel like there is more information to gather and they haven’t fully considered all the risks of making a decision.
They’re basically led into inaction by their need to know everything.
I’ve seen health experts, particularly scientists or medical researchers, who are unhealthy in the very subject they know so much about because of their researcher personality type.
You can’t necessarily discount what someone says because they’re not willing to take action on the information they’re giving.
That’s not an issue of poor information, it’s an issue of their own psychological wiring (which can be changed!)
6. The caretaker is always forgetting about themselves.
I call it the “nurse syndrome.”
When I was a personal trainer, I’d get an unusual percentage of nurses that would call up and have me come out for an initial consultation.
When I got to their home, they almost always were significantly overweight.
I’d spend a good hour listening to them tell me how busy their life was, how they not only had to take care of all the people at the clinic or hospital, but also their husband (all we met with were female), their families, their dog and everything else that needed attention.
They didn’t have enough hours in the day, they’d say.
And the truth was, they didn’t have enough hours in the day – to take care of everyone else in the world.
No one does.
Inevitably, if they signed up with us, they’d always have to cancel last minute because something came up they needed to take care of.
Many didn’t even go as far as getting a training package with us. The thought of taking care of – or spending money on – themselves was too overwhelming.
Annmarie and I began to call this the “nurse syndrome,” and I can guarantee some of these unhealthy health experts have some of it in them as well.
They care, they want to help, and they have good information – they just completely neglect their own space and body.
So what do you do?
Back to the original question, should you listen to someone who isn’t a picture of perfect health?
The answer isn’t as clear as it used to be for me.
I still strongly believe if you want to get somewhere, you find people who are successful and learn from them.
So find a mentor who looks and feels like you want to look and feel.
But beware of shutting out those who aren’t living their teachings.
You might miss out on something that could save your life.
**
LAST CHANCE – Get The Entire Great Health Debate Call Package On Sale!
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Remember, if you were to attend an event like this, it would cost you hundreds of dollars. You’d pay for a plane ticket, a hotel room, meals and attendance fee.
On top of that, an event like this would never happen live, because no one would agree to speak. (Many wouldn’t agree to do so over the phone!)
So getting the calls and transcripts of this Event is a great deal.
Here’s where you can go to get the downloads now to have in your own personal library!
Also, we do have a money back guarantee, so if you feel they’re not valuable and don’t contain information you can use to improve your health, we’ll give you a complete refund.
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Live Awesome!
Kev
12:55 pm on February 18th, 2011
You cannot emphasize #6 enough. God. Caretaker syndrome is SO REAL. In healthcare, you spend so much of your life taking care of taking care of others that taking care of yourself barely registers or possibly even feels unnatural. I fight that *constantly* myself.
BUT you missed a couple of important things:
1) The assumption that fat = unhealthy. There are so many studies that question this that it isn’t funny. My understanding is that the BMI of “slightly overweight” actually means you’re significantly more likely to live longer than “optimum weight.”
2) What does “fat” mean anyway? Someone may think they’re “fat” at 15 lbs above ideal — which according to the studies I’ve referenced in point 1 is actually significantly healthier than if they lost that weight. (And oh yeah, “ideal” is a matter of perspective, of culture. Look at Marilyn Monroe – considered the most gorgeous thing EVER in her day, would be thought of as fat today. Our culture is insane and being a proponent of a high raw lifestyle, you *know* that.)
3) A practical example of point 1 — When I started acupuncture school (a decade ago?) I weighted about 30-40lbs less than I do today. I was also suffering from chronic depression, fibromyalgia, and barely controlled asthma – on 2 daily medicines and used my rescue inhaler 2-3x/week. Today, the mood issues are rarely an issue, I’m off all daily prescriptions and only use my rescue inhaler 2-3x/year, I get colds and flus WAY less often, and the fibro? It’s still there, but way more manageable. All this despite being a size 16-18 instead of 12-14. Fat does NOT necessarily equal unhealthy.
4) The “fat” person you’re looking at funny — may have lost 100 lbs to get to where they are and may have a hell of a lot to teach you. You have no idea where they’re coming from.
All that said, I know exactly what predjudice you’re speaking to. I often wonder if what I say as a health practitioner is less credible because of my size. Though apparently I’m well distributed or well muscled as when I mention my weight to people they look at me shocked and ask “WHERE?!”
1:02 pm on February 18th, 2011
I feel that sometimes the best teachers are fools in disguise. On my journey it has been difficult to take advice from people who are not getting the results that I am striving for. As I’ve been opening up my mind and heart, and practicing less judgement/more acceptance, I find I am learning from all interactions. Sure, not all of my learnings are a major “aha moment”, but a small learning nonetheless.
I still do feel a bit annoyed when unhealthy, sad, out of shape people try to give me health advice, but I do my best to accept the information and remind myself they could be a wise man disguised as a fool. It could be one of those “life tests” to see where I’m at on my path.
1:06 pm on February 18th, 2011
I had a yoga teacher, who i still revere and want to learn more from, who was a total superstar in her practice and who brought the best yoga to our city.She is the force behind all the rest of the yoga even happening. But she had never really been injured and….she failed to notice when some of her students were missing some information or getting the beginnings of getting hurt. On the other hand, i have seen teachers who have been there and got bumped around enough that they were much more careful to make sure all that was needed to be shared was passed on. I still do my highest practice with my superstar teacher, but I value both those who say do as I do or did and those who say do different than what I had to do to figure this out.
Cheers!
1:08 pm on February 18th, 2011
We cannot help the features we were born with. So ifs its a question of not being facially attractive or something like that, that wouldn’t bother me. That said, I would NEVER take health advice from an unhealthy looking person – - if they are heavy or unhealthy looking.
In an emergency situation, I have been to a hospital for stitches. I trust they know what they are doing owing to their training. But I would never ask them for dietary advice. I’m sure they are intelligent; I’m sure they are well trained. I use their expertise on the rare occasions I need it and am grateful for it. Otherwise, I take care of myself.
1:20 pm on February 18th, 2011
I believe as a health educator it is absolutely our duty to practice what we preach.
We communicate so much more by who we are and what we have become than the words that come out of our mouths….
I think there is a direct correlation between how healthy a person appears in their particular field (mental, physical, emotional etc.) and how worthwhile it is to listen to their message.
ps. The Great Health Debate rocked!! Can’t wait for part 2!
1:22 pm on February 18th, 2011
I like to remember that getting healthy and living in good health is a process, not just a destination point. It is most helpful to have someone that is further on the path than yourself when you are being coached. Appearance is not always the best judge, as they may have health challenges that they are currently addressing. Keeping an open mind and heart and experiencing your own change in response to them is a good way to examine whether their suggestions, ideas and knowledge are landing with you internally and keep you moving in your health change process.
1:23 pm on February 18th, 2011
What is going on INSIDE of these people is what counts. I’ve experienced heavy people blow past me when I’m running marathons, and I’ve noticed skinny, malnourished looking “raw” runners plug along during a race. People can have different body types and still be healthy.
1:38 pm on February 18th, 2011
This was a very good article. This is something I had never thought about before. I’m glad to have many of the points you made. This question did come up in our house during listening to these health experts. Other things to keep in mind is that weight problems could come from other reasons. Hormone imbalances, thyroid problems, stress, menopause, hidden infections leading to high inflammation levels etc. Also if someone is a “nurse” type health adviser which could easily happen in this situation they could be overweight because they are so busy tending to everyone and everything else that they don’t exercise and don’t have enough time in the day. I can think of one person in your debate line up that would probably qualify for this. I’m sure they have a lot on their plate.
1:40 pm on February 18th, 2011
I am a holistic health practitioner/educator that practices what I preach and I will tell you, I still have things I am personally working on. I am not perfect. I am in good shape and am very healthy and there is more to improve. There are times when I am in continuing health education classes and some of my fellow students in the holistic field look very unhealthy. They have degrees in the health field, they know good stuff and they are sitting in the very classes that teach good stuff. Maybe they are teaching good stuff and not doing it. I see the ones who have dessert at lunch. Hmm? We all could improve and we all have something of value to contribute.
Kevin, thank you for all you contribute. I am loving it.
2:07 pm on February 18th, 2011
Good topic. I’ve been on this wellness/health/fitness road for a long time honing my expertise- and this wellness rebel does not sugar coat her truth pill-when i was knocked off my game with a head injury. I didn’t look so healthy for a long time and went through different healing stages (still going through them). That didn’t mean I didn’t have good info to pass along. That’s what shifting things for me. YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE SOMEONE’s BEEN or where they’re coming from or what magic they have to offer.
2:21 pm on February 18th, 2011
I tend to agree with you, Kevin. You have a level-headed approach which I appreciate. This is off the point, and I may be a little worn-out after the Great Debate, but it’s starting to be too much to have this blog and the Renegade Health Show both in one day, but I don’t want to miss either one of them! I hope you will integrate them in the near future, or I may have to give up one of them. There are so many other things to read, and it can be a little overwhelming. We each only have 24 hrs. in a day…
3:02 pm on February 18th, 2011
Hi Kevin, I believe we all should listen to what someone has to say. Then evaluate on what is said according to our body type, health issues and current lifestyle. The experts who appear to be out of shape may have issues that are unknown to everyone else. This does not devalue their expert knowledge.
Forming a habit of living a healthy lifestyle is something each of us need to contemplate and then take action to achieve. I like to think of myself as being on a path of enlightenment to better health and I’m constantly tweeking my lifestyle to incorporate what I believe to be better for myself and my husband based on the information from experts in the field of health. I don’t really know what situations these experts may be dealing with, i.e. spiritual, emotional, mental, or physical. Perhaps their environment and whatever toxins they are exposed to along with the time they have spent focusing on their expertise has given them little desire to be healthy looking in order to validate themselves as experts. However, someone has validated them.
To change ones own life of living healthy is based on the information from many experts, the plausibility of other peoples expert opinions, personal experiences and a whole host of other variables. If we focus on what our needs are and read, listen, & study from other experts it still comes down to how does or will their expert information bring value to our life and the lives of those we love and care about.
As a spiritual being I personally would rather make choices by my intuition. Am I drawn to their expert information? Is it viable to me or others? Am I willing to take all the necessary actions to achieve the results I expect from following the experts advice?
During The Great Health Debate we may have seen pictures of these experts, but whose to say when these pictures were taken? (Although I believe you mentioned that the photos were current for some of them.) Some people may not have seen the photos at all but they still listened to the opinions of these experts and made decisions based on what they heard. For their time and knowledge I am very grateful to each and everyone of them.
This is not to discredit anyone from making a decision based on what they see. Sometimes these decisions are correct. Sometimes they are made from hasty judgement based on their own preconceived ideas and ideals of health and have no more basis than a personal liking or disliking.
I agree that having a healthy body does tend to lend credibility to that persons expertise in the health field. But whose to know if the same individual is healthy spiritually, emotionally, mentally, as well as physically in other areas of their life? And does this matter? Or is it all about the looks and little to do with the whole being?
I think you need to take in a great deal more than how a person looks or you may pass on the very information that could be the best thing to know for your healthy life.
Love and Gratitude, Jan.
3:09 pm on February 18th, 2011
I would not assume that if someone were overweight they were unhealthy. I know some thin, hyper-driven folks who may appear well but are not glowing from the inside. We are very image based in our culture of youth worship and food choice obcessions, and what speaks to me most loudly is how self-honest, willing to grow and accepting of new ideas/new paradigms a person is. Health is not just about diet, weight or knowledge; it is about energy and consciousness, and those who have worked through– and continue to work though– some the very human layers of assumption, reaction, insistance, resistance, and the illusion of CONTROL, are the folks that get my attention, and whose relationships to body, to diet, to love, to being alive tend to vibrate with a vitality and vigor.
3:14 pm on February 18th, 2011
Ah, a topic close to my heart. I love personality typing information, but it is always limited because by it’s very nature it is putting people into boxes – something I always rebel against.
I could consider myself a researcher mainly because I never seem to get all the answers I want from mainstream medicine or nutrition so have gone searching for them myself. However, I do also put this into practice and am constantly evolving and trying new things to see what works best for me. And I love to share what I’ve found out with others. Resistance in this area always amazes me so I honor that is goes so much deeper than what people put in their mouths to fill their bellies.
I am 55 now and 4 years ago almost left the planet from serious health issues after 20+ years as a single mom, college student and then college teacher. I was definitely not very healthy in that high-stress, overwhelm lifestyle. Since my surgery 4 years ago, I’ve been researching and exploring nutrition with the attitude that I choose to heal from the inside out and that it takes time to create a new body this way. It has been a learning experience all along the way as I’ve experimented with a variety of things.
I’m still overweight by about 50 stubborn pounds. Exercise is challenging because of physical and hormonal imbalances causing fluctuating energy levels. What I have noticed though after almost 2 years of adding superfoods and more raw foods, especially my daily green smoothies, is that inflammation I wasn’t even aware of is gone. My vitality, while not yet stable, is way up. I notice many differences even while still getting frustrated that I don’t look the way I’d like on the outside just yet…
I’m going back and forth now about stepping out to help teach what I’ve learned to others. One of the main things holding me back is the judgment that is so common in our society of what someone looks like on the outside. I keep thinking I need to look great before I can do this, even though my inner wisdom and feedback from friends lets me know that I have a lot to offer.
Healing is a process. Change is a process. Most people are too busy and have too many commitments to turn their lives upside down and recreate from scratch.
I have been most motivated by David Wolfe’s philosophy of just starting to add the good things and allow your body to start realizing it wants that more than the junk. Another role model is Donna Eden – the trait they share in common is an incredibly high vitality and joy in living. That is my goal.
For most of us the unhealthiness took long years of abusing our bodies before they started falling apart – and much of this is cultural so it’s not just personal health that we need to achieve, but this huge shift in our entire food production and distribution system. Systems are typically not easy or quick to change because of the group dynamic.
We must be the change, not just talk the change or preach the change, but BE the change – the best teachers have experienced what they are teaching. They are effective change agents because they’ve been at the bottom or beginning and worked their way up and know how hard it is. I quickly turn away from those who just talk about what comes easy for them because that is just coming from knowledge and not the hard-earned wisdom of life. And that always goes many layers below the surface…I have seen many fanatics in all areas of life and they are not usually the role models of health across all dimensions of life.
Look for teachers who truly ARE the change.
3:17 pm on February 18th, 2011
With all information I rarely question the source, but rather weigh it based upon all the other information that I believe to solid. Again, it comes down to my belief system and what resonates with me. If a very fit, healthy looking practioner told me to stay away from vegetables, I would check it against what I believe to be true and then would ask that person their explanation as to how they believe it to be true. If it warrants further investigation then that would be the next step. Likewise, if a very overweight person told me that exercise would benefit my body and mind, then I would not discount it, because I would know that he knew what he was talking about! In my opinion, it’s more about common sense and less about judging the book by its’ cover.
3:22 pm on February 18th, 2011
I think there is no point in playing with words, or open our mind to much,just in case our brains fall of, nor is it good to be to agreable to be able to win a debate,as this change the direction the the main interest.
I mean, a vegetarian is a vegetarian 100%
a raw eater is a raw eater,lets not twist the meaning within words because for ones,it gives those who have no experience the idea that it achieves the same results,and it does not! To be or not to be!
About the fat guru, I also believe that we showld whak our talk,as a form of inspiration and as a proof of experience,because obviously a fat health guru does not have the feeling that real health creats. Health is the highest form of love,and if we dont have it for our selfs we cannot give it with the same power as those who have. Of course we can learn a lot from books,and give back based on that information, but it is not the same thing…. It is very important to understand that when we see a patient, we are communicating from mind to mind,and within that, the flow of energy counts,at least at unconscious level.
Sure there are fat people that know about health. but they do not believe it enough to practice it on themselfs,other ways they would not be unhealthy..It is also truth that some people seem healthy evenh eating junk food,but that is because they inherited a good blood line, but they ignorance is an deshonour to they ancestores and degeneration to they children.
3:41 pm on February 18th, 2011
Kevin, I enjoyed your approach to the great debate because you presented the pros and cons of various issues in a level headed manner. And I agree with you that people can follow different types of diets (raw, vegan, vegetarian, paleo) and be healthy, and that some of the common denominators (regardless of diet) seem to be exercise and the elimination of processed foods. Even though the raw diet did not work for me (I went back to eating meat and other cooked foods), I still read your blog as I learn a lot from it, and apply what rings true for me. Thanks for allthe amazing work that you do.
4:21 pm on February 18th, 2011
Hi Kevin,
Hmm, interesting question. And no, I think that if I met a person who looks really unhealthy, who wanted to tell me about how to eat, I think I wouldn’t pay much attention to that person. But I also think that your story about the steak eating vegetarian and the raw foodist who doesn’t eat raw food at all, opens a totally new question: why would any body do that? Claiming to be one thing and then to do something different is to lie. Not only to the world, but also to your self. If you don’t do what you are preaching but are doing something else, and what you do is good for you and you feel great and healthy, then why would you not be honest about it?
No, I would at any time expect my teacher to walk the talk so that I know, what I buy is what I get!
4:48 pm on February 18th, 2011
When it comes to physical fitness i gravitate toward someone who looks like they practice what they preach, just because that is what i am aiming for. I have learned to listen to what others’(maybe an overweight personal trainer) have to say, because often the message is what is important. All too often people have a hard time allowing themselves to be successful. That doesn’t mean that i can’t utilize their message. I also listen to some people who are nowhere near fit, or successful in many areas of their lives, because they know what they ‘could’ have done differently. Ultimately for me it is not just the outsides that are important, someone can look great and be a complete mess mentally and emotionally. I also think integrity is important, and if vegetarians are preaching vegetarianism and eating steak then that is their integrity on the line. The trick for me is to practice what is right for me, then no matter what someone else does i will be able to continue on.
5:11 pm on February 18th, 2011
If you don’t practice what you preach, you’re a hippocrite or a liar. Why should anyone trust in that? The way to share our knowledge with others is to be a good example to them by first taking care of our own needs properly, and then, when we are the living proof of the successful application of our methods, to share that success with others who will use, benefit from, and appreciate it. That is integrity. Most all of the self-proclaimed “leaders” you are refering to do not follow the principles that they “teach”, and are therefore not real leaders at all. They are just typical entrepreneurs. Why are you all so confused?
5:13 pm on February 18th, 2011
I have a friend that was very very overweight. She has lost probably Over 100 lbs. She still looks heavy and I know where she came from but if you didn’t you might discredit her advice. I have a degree in Exercise Physiology and have trained lots of people but I personally have never had that much to lose. Her advice and wisdom having done so well with diet and exercise is in a way probably more valuable to someone severly overweight. So while I might still look better than her discrediting her would be a mistake.
On a side note I have had young, skinny gals come in my spinning classes that looked in shape and yet couldn’t even finish the class. When I Hung out with them their diet was horrible. They had great genes and youth on their side but by no means were they healthy.
So all that to say listen to people hear their whole story, how they have changed, what they have overcome. Don’t discredit someone cause they are not perfect (who really is) we are all still on our journey, still changing, still learning.
5:32 pm on February 18th, 2011
I often pass on health information – but I do not look slim, energetic or even terribly healthy at times.
What has affected my outcomes is mainly difficulty with exercise. I have MS and increasing my core temperature brings on chronic fatigue. Plus I am still fighting the dreaded nicotein.
On the other hand – I am still upright and ambulatory when many other MSers of my age are not.
Everone is fighting their own battles and it can be difficult to know all the factors which can affect another’s outcomes.
5:38 pm on February 18th, 2011
I have many thoughts on this topic, since I have seen people who are excellent practitioners but have had some very bad life experiences, physical injuries, etc that have left them less than healthy.
Some physical injuries may not be evident, but could interfere with being able to do abdominal exercises (rib subluxations, for example) so a person may look less than fit.
Some have had traumatic psychological experiences, or chronic stress which takes a long time to overcome. Adrenal fatigue from such chronic stress would cause abdominal weight gain, no matter how wonderful a person’s diet or lifestyle might be. Reversing adrenal fatigue can take years for full recovery.
So, I think, considering where a person has come from and how much they have improved their own health over this time period is a better measure than how a person may look in a first meeting.
I, too, have had my prejudices about this very topic and have seen practitioners help their patients in tremendous ways, having an excellent track record with returning their patients to good health.
Remember, optimal health is a journey!
6:09 pm on February 18th, 2011
We all know the theory – eat natural foods, exercise, get enough sleep, quit smoking, etc etc – but we don’t all put it into practise. Some people are all theory, but that doesn’t discount their ideas.
6:49 pm on February 18th, 2011
I appreciate the level headed approach that you guys give to your work and what you share.
I do think that people should practice what they preach – but going by appearances can be very deceiving – it is what is on the inside that counts.
I have always struggled with being overweight but the dietary and lifestyle choices still allow me to be more active and healthy than others my age. What we share should be what we are working on ourselves or what we have learned along the way.
Thanks for all you share with us!
7:59 pm on February 18th, 2011
I have enjoyed the experts you have “called” and I wish to thank you for your efforts.
Have you heard of Mrs. White? Her full name is Ellen G. White. She wrote quite a bit of information regarding health and the proper diet for a healthful life. Yet, she herself did not look as fit as we today think a woman should look if they are healthy. She was born in 1827 and died in 1915. She wrote that cancer was a virus. It took the science community until the 1950′s to agree with her. Her book entitled: “Counsel on diet and food” is a very fine book on health and can be downloaded from the Internet.
8:30 pm on February 18th, 2011
Jan and Stephanie (and others)nailed it on the head exactly.
Julia, you’re confusing the types you mention (and they are there) with the types we are talking about and mixing them together. You’re not wrong, but you are not seeing the difference.
I live in a very judgmental; narrow minded community lacking in knowledge to begin with. Much of my conversations are a waste of time. But after five years, I do get the questions, and I do see some people slowly making their changes. Did I help influence that? It would be nice to think so; but I’m just happy to see people listening and learning even the small things in the most unhealthy state in America.
I’m not the raving picture of health when I lived back home in one of the healthiest areas in the US – but I explain lifestyles in the smallest of increments that are understandable: such as sidewalks everywhere back home, versus no sidewalks and narrow rural, busy roads here; dogs safely in yards, or on leash back home; dogs running wild, unneutered and VICIOUS here (now making my walks non-existent); the higher crime rate, etc. But, although I’m not the picture of health I was; they didn’t know me then anyway; and I am always told I look 10-15 years younger than my age and rarely get sick, so those things they notice.
8:40 pm on February 18th, 2011
Are you kidding? Them being/looking unhealthy is the PERFECT reson to realize what they are selling oh sorry “teaching” is BS. Being FAT and having to rely on drugs is NOT healthy no matter how many people buy his books and eat a little better. It hurts way more people then it helps when a unhealthy, heavy “leader” sells people crap they don’t need (deer placenta comes to mind).
8:43 pm on February 18th, 2011
I love this article, thanks Kevin
9:16 pm on February 18th, 2011
Kevin, I think you are very wise to see past the surface of things. I appreciate your integrity and humility and it is also the experts with these qualities that get my attention and respect. There is always more to a story than meets the eye. Over the 20+ years that I have been fasting, studying fasting and practicing radically natural health, I have found that there are just as many unhealthy-minded people who ‘look great’ as there are who don’t look the part and there are just as many who don’t look as dazzling whom are rich with wisdom and emotional balance. In striving to be close to nature and vital health, it is best to look past the surface of things and to listen closely to what the deeper levels reveal to us. Let that be the same for the representatives of these ways.
9:38 pm on February 18th, 2011
“Healthy” does not mean “slender.” The healthiest weight is often what we would judge to be 20 or 30 pounds overweight. The slender person may have too much body fat and too little muscle. Be careful how you judge “fit.”
Dr. Atkins was overweight. After his accident, he became very edematous in the hospital. Then the vegan people eagerly used the stolen autopsy report to call him “obese.” We tend to attack the person we disagree with for more than the points of disagreement.
Objectivity is not a human trait.
10:06 pm on February 18th, 2011
I think no one would listen to me, as I have a 51″ waist, and several hernias and a very large diastasis. I can not get in or out of the tub for the lat 3 years, because of the ruptures. I am 78 and have lived a healthy lifestyle, doing all the yoga, belly dancing, tai chi, 10BX, and with tennis, swimming and squash weekly, I moved into a condo that had indoor workout room, squash room, pool and sauna, and hot tub. I loved it. Now I injured myself while landscaping my yard. It is unbelievable how badly I have been looked at by people who seemed to love me before. I can hardly walk with the ruptures pulling my back, and make me lean forward. The doctor also gave me mirtazapine to sleep. It then made me gain 50 pounds. Now you got a picture of a healthy, and called obese person. They say they will not repair my abdomen, because it is considered normal for females to be that way in old age. How can a woman win in this cruel world of male physicians ? In Canada there is no longer any services except heart and cancer, and diabetes. In my case they may even give me a new knee or hip… maybe. but that is not as it should be, and women should have the same chances as men to be fit in old age. Do they repair diastasis and hernias in women in the USA ?
I still give out advice, but less frequently. I see in their face they are not listening.. The debates were excellent, and I will pass on my notes to family only. thank you Kevin, mary
10:09 pm on February 18th, 2011
This is something I struggle with. I have had a lifelong passion about health and wellness. I am a massage therapist, esthetician, and nutrition educator. So I went to school for nutrition, and then thought “who wants to listen to me telling them what’s healthy, when I am overweight myself?” Where I work, everyone comes to me for health advice, questions about herbs, supplements, etc. I am a walking encyclopedia.But I have hesitated to put myself out there as a professional telling others what to eat. I use my nutrition education to tie in with my skin care business. I know a woman in the same position who was in my class. She was bigger than me! She started her business called “Nutrition for every body type” She specializes in nutrition for large size women. Us big girls HATE to listen to stick-thin women who never had a significant amount of weight to lose telling us how to lose weight. That’s why I love Angela Stokes-Monarch. She can tell me what to eat any day. I know SHE knows what it feels like to be me.
10:24 pm on February 18th, 2011
We all have our unique challenges when it comes to navigating the waters our complicated food system. How much of your ego is tied to your clothing size? Rather than judging based on appearance and alienating one another, can we create a healthy community by meeting people where they are, loving and appreciating the value each person brings, despite size? Some people are fat, some people are “ugly”, but that is never the single marker for judging some one’s health. Skinny people who ridicule and pass judgement are emotionally unhealthy, and that will manifest physically someday, even if they look pretty now. Isn’t our emotional health as important as our physical health?
10:29 pm on February 18th, 2011
Good point on the fact that many folks are “researcher” types they can gather the info in any field really but may not practice what they find. At first when I saw your title i thought “no way, would I listen to someone who seemed unhealthy..” but that madke sense. Also I really think diet has to be adjusted within a healthy range-as you said veggies, fruit, unprocessed “real” food-then it’s a matter of biologically meat, no meat, dairy??? I find Ayurveda a wonderful system for getting an overall handle on the variety of needs/seasonal and age demands vis a vis diet! And it’s not just diet-what about sleep: http://www.embark-lovethelifeyoulive.com/2011/02/8-simple-tips-to-sleep-better-rest-in-winter-creates-more-energy-in-spring/
12:27 am on February 19th, 2011
Masterful commentary, Kevin!
I’m really beginning to appreciate you more and more each day, Brother! (I had never even heard of you or your ministry before the Gerson Institute sent an ad email my way just days before the GHD started.)
This latest blog topic is so beautifully done. A+
12:52 am on February 19th, 2011
I always love your food for thought.
1:04 am on February 19th, 2011
I have this bias as well. When someone who looks unhealthy tells me what’s best for me I just think that if they think it’s such a good idea then why aren’t they doing it themselves. It makes it seem that they can’t have much belief in what they are saying.
But your examples above have help me look at this differently, especially the nurse example. I think sometimes we all do things that we know aren’t good, but for one reason or another we still do them. Life isn’t perfect and never will be. We just need to do the best we can.
1:46 am on February 19th, 2011
Hey Guys, Reading your article “bout advice from fat unhealthy looking people, brought an experience I would like to quick share! I was in a professional Ballet Co. and when I first made the company I thought what iS GOING ON…!!!HOW DoES This Work?!!..The Ballet Master/ Choreographer was about as huge as an Elephant, and Directed & Taught the whole Co. & Pieces & entire Nut Cracker from a stool that was about one Foot high off the ground! And Ya Know What Her Teaching was awesome, The dances were beautiful and all of the dancers in the company loved her and grew stronger with magnificent results from her great passion and direction Daily! So that was something to acknowledge and never forget; although a good point is that I believe a Dancer may also benefit somewhat greater when the Master can actually get up and physically touch your alignment and demonstrate & give physical direction…not only with words..! So we can also look at this example in parallel to healthy / Unhealthy People and their 2 cents! But how come it is always the Fattest sloppiest person in life who will pipe up and start to give you eating & abdominal work out tips?!!..Good point ’bout no Judging & Grains of salt!
P.S Enjoyed the debate Coool On Ya’s!!
4:12 am on February 19th, 2011
it should be your health guru is unhealthy looking – they could be obese or malnourished looking – both are unhealthy. Can be argued that some people with a little more meat on their bones are healthier than those skinny folks.
Taking health advice from those that improved their own health is preferable because they know where you are coming from.
8:59 am on February 19th, 2011
Wow. This is a huge, emotional topic for me.
Reactions:
- Would I take business advice from a business person in bankruptcy? You BET I’d listen to them! Dude! They’ve just gotten themselves in bankruptcy! Don’t you think they’d have some keen insight on how they got there and how one can avoid it in the future?
- Man, if I always judged people by the way they looked, I’d be missing out on some unbelievable people. I think it’s a real crying shame that we do this. I’m 5’4″ and weigh 185. To look at me, you’d never know my journey – know where I’ve been and what it took for me to get there. Does this mean that my information is less valuable because I don’t fit into some pre-constructed paradigm of what YOU (meaning, the viewer) call “health”?
- How did your ideal of a healthy person evolve? This is a crucial question. When I did the hard introspective work, I noticed that I had a bias: healthy = societally-acceptable beauty. DANGER, Will Robinson! I really had to work hard to undo this. Conventional, American-imposed “beauty” does not equal health.
Remember: we’re always refining (hopefully) our views on what constitutes health and nutrition. We’re all (hopefully) on a path, living the process. Remember that when you look and judge, you’re assuming that person has -already reached- the pinnacle of health. That’s unfair.
Besides that, we should all just listen to each other anyway. It’s the right thing to do.
Lisa Marie
Owner, Rite Chocolate
9:59 am on February 19th, 2011
i really appreciate this article; it underlines the truth we are all on our own journeys, regularly tripping over, turning into different paths, missing directions and sometimes arriving at dead ends
no one is better than another but with
compassion experience and enthusiam perhaps some folks. including all these speakers, have part of the maps, however crumpled, that are worthy guides
10:23 am on February 19th, 2011
Perhaps this has already been addressed. Sometimes the the health “expert” has come to their knowledge in overcoming their own health issues. They may still be in the process or have lingering effects from the issues they have overcome. Definitely not black and white.
10:34 am on February 19th, 2011
Ryan, Cindy, Stephanie and Lisa Marie have covered it for me!!! Thanks guys;-))) Loving the bankruptcy comment sooooo much haha too true! “YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE SOMEONE’S BEEN” (Stephanie), probably for me the ultimate deep truth – would you rather listen to the “fat” person who used to be clinically morbidly obese….or the stick thin model who has ALWAYS NATURALLY BEEN THIS WAY AND EATS BURGERS FROM McD’S???????????????Hehehehe….
Then again Ryan is essentially saying same as I was going to which is that: EVERYBODY YOU ENCOUNTER HAS SOMETHING TO TEACH YOU.
Sorry I didn’t manage to read every single comment in detail though…
Finally to ponder: I am extraordinarily lucky with my genetic heritage in some areas. Like teeth. For reasons I won’t go into I couldn’t clean my teeth for years. Yes years (during this time once in a year, maybe only 8months, they’d feel radioactive(!) – presumably from so many bacteria – and I’d clean them just once). And I ate a LOT of sugar. I shouldn’t have ANY left. My brothers clean their teeth twice daily and always have. I have two fillings. They have an entire mouthful including multiple root canals.
Yet who PRACTISED BETTER ORAL HEALTHCARE ALL THAT TIME!!!!!
Hehehe my grandad at aged 86 was not listened to by the nursing home dentist when he pleaded he had his own teeth…the dentsit STILL tried to take out the ‘dentures’…lol, I thank my late granddad for getting ‘his’ teeth. Thanks Pop:-))) xxx
10:44 am on February 19th, 2011
Actually I’ve just read a load more awesome comments (that resonate for ME that is) above ie Linda, Heather, Jan…I never read in order, lol:-) xxxx
12:23 pm on February 19th, 2011
In order to try to prove that my chosen diet & lifestyle weren’t good/right/necessary, I once had a person ask me condescendingly, “Do you think you’re healthier than me?” He assumed he was superbly healthy because he could run and I couldn’t. He lived on fast food & energy drinks and antidepressant meds. I wasn’t able to run, but I had been eating clean, nutritious food for a couple of years and walking regularly for exercise. What he failed to take into account is where I came from: diabetic, chronic lung problems, thyroid issues, and a bunch of other stuff. I told him that I was healthier than the former me, and that was what mattered most. I do health coaching. I practice what I teach. I still get sick sometimes, I still don’t have the endurance to be a runner, and I am still struggling with insulin resistance. I am not a picture of perfect health, perhaps, but I am off all antidepressants, off thyroid medication, and happy, and I am well enough to go to work every day & to be a good mom.
1:44 pm on February 19th, 2011
Hi Kevin
You make very valid points. I don’t discount a source of information purely on their state of health. However i do favor a person who gets results. I lean towards lfrv but do read what the critics have to say just in case i have a blind spot because of my beliefs. Valid criticism can help me make my approach more effective, safer. I am turned off by sweeping assumptions, circular logic, and name calling. An angry person with absolute beliefs probably has only examined one side of an issue.
That said, I am more likely to trust someone who can show good results. There is nothing like applying the theory. When one makes a new product testing is necessary to get the bugs out and make it work. Testing exposes deficiencies in design and points the way to needed modifications. Until then the product is hardly practical no matter how good it looks on paper.
2:16 pm on February 19th, 2011
Kevin,
Thank you for all your hard work coordinating this amazing event called the Great Health Debate. I wasn’t able to listen to every call but I caught most of them. I didn’t think it was, literally, a “debate” – but more of a presentation of different ideas/stances on diet and health. Only the first call with Dr. Cousens and Dr. Mercola had more of a debate-like environment. Nevertheless, the Great Health Debate was hugely informative and very interesting. I’d love to see it continue. So many questions unanswered. For example, I’d love to hear more about the pH ash of foods and how the experts, whether they be vegans, vegetarians or those who eat meat, have to say about this. Dr. Young brought the discussion to light but none of the people who advocate eating meat addressed it. It seems like a vital issue. In this instance a true “debate” would have been very welcome to shed light on a seemingly black and white issue. I’ve been vegan and mostly raw for nearly a year now. I’m not the type to just take someone’s advice because they are an expert in their field. My health is my greatest asset and investment. I like to read, listen and then take what makes sense to me and incorporate it into my own life. Then I listen to my body and see if my health truly is improving or not. Just because an expert says a 100% raw diet is the best doesn’t mean that it is. I’ll see for myself. I can say that after nearly a year, I’ve lost excess body fat and feel very energized. I’ve lost quite a bit of muscle mass as well – although I’m not sure if that’s due to my vegan diet or to a lack of exercise – I’m still in the experimentation phase of the mostly raw diet. But this brings me to another important issue which most of the experts didn’t discuss. I feel true, vibrant health can’t be achieved through diet alone. There are many aspects to wellness, many keys needed in order to thrive – including exercise, sleep, mental attitude, skin care, dental hygiene etc. I also feel like most of the experts missed the importance of good quality water and how often and when to drink it. Good water is vital for good health.
Just a few thoughts. I just wanted to say again, THANKS for such an informative, interesting and much needed discussion called the Great Health Debate. I know coordinating such a large event was a tremendous but worthwhile challenge!
Andy
Dallas, TX
8:27 pm on February 20th, 2011
Andy, I can see the benefit of a vegan diet for detoxing and weight loss but after a certain point need to make sure you are adding in missing nutrients as a vegan diet can deplete your nutrient stores.
“There are many aspects to wellness, many keys needed in order to thrive – including exercise, sleep, mental attitude, skin care, dental hygiene etc.”
With the correct diet sleep, mental attitude, good skin, good teeth all taken care of.
4:16 am on February 21st, 2011
Knowing what to eat is as difficult to determine as anything else in life. You need to mine information and use what works by trial and error. There is no other way.
7:16 am on February 21st, 2011
Ive been vegan for coming up 10 years and 2 days ago ran the fastest official 10k of my life in 37:22.
Those that say a vegan diet aint healthy, they dont really know or they did some starvation fad diet.
There are no missing nutrients on a vegan lifestyle cos if there were, we would have disease conditions that are ONLY found in vegans but we have ZERO. The closest thing we come to is veganjudgementalitis but thats cos us vegans care enough to speak the truth!
12:30 am on February 22nd, 2011
Truth even when rejected….is still the truth.
Most people have learned the hard way….those are the ones who are teachable, “still” learning and become a wealth of knowledge.
Sometimes we want people to think we are perfect, that we have arrived…there is no such thing. Life is a continuous journey. Everyone on the face of this earth is in process.
When we think we know more than others…we have become unteachable, stagnant in life, and lonely, because no one wants to be around arrogant people.
A blind man is not swayed by outward appearance…what he does see clearly…is the heart. What a blessing to be blind.
My 2 cents….
Cindi
1:11 pm on February 22nd, 2011
For me the issue is the lack of honesty in sharing what a teacher is dealing with, in direct contrast to Kevin making his blood test results a “share”, there are a few very overweight professionals who even cite weight loss as a direct result of going raw. Its kind of like they never mention the elephant in the room, the elephant being that they gained their weight back, and they are in fact fat.
If it were shared that their test results were getting better all the time despite the weight, and honestly discussed and admitted, I could hear them better. I do think the raw diet facilitates you becoming more psychologically and spiritually available to higher frequencies, and sharing openly what you are going thru is a large contribution to us all. Pretending it doesn’t exist, well we all already know how to do that!