What an extraordinary achievement for a civilization: to have developed the one diet that reliably makes its people sick. - Michael Pollan (Food Rules)

I am not someone who believes in long-term predictions. I am always skeptical, however, if this prediction is even close to accurate, our country will be in "a world of hurt". Currently, the statistic is 1 in 10.

For a moment, forget all the pain and misery that comes along with diabetes. Think about the health care costs. Currently diabetes costs $174-billion per year. Now triple it. Ut oh.

I certainly hope we can reverse this horrific trend. 

Source: ABC News Report

Before you believe all the research findings that you hear about, I recommend reading these articles:

Lies, Damned Lies, and Medical Science

Experts and Studies: Not Always Trustworthy

And, I subscribe to this blog: Health News Review.

Other interesting reads.

Dr. Dean Ornish shilling for Mars (the candy company). 

Nothing shocks me anymore, however, I must admit, that I was surprised to see Dr. Ornish associate himself with a junk food (M&Ms, Milky Way, Skittles, Starbursts, Twix, and more) company. No doubt, great candy, but a whole lot of sugar and empty calories. 

Dr. Ornish: I hope you got a great PayDay.

That's the title of this opinion piece at CNN. I recommend reading it because it perpetuates many myths that need to be debunked.  Read the article and then read my response.

Where to begin: Well, you, like many, give the impression that you must eat celery or other taste-less foods to lose weight. This is a myth. In fact, there are many delicious food items available for dieting and healthy eating.

You ask us to observe ten people we know. The problem with that is we are observing the wrong thing. I am a "professional" observer. Here's what I observe. Most people eat very poorly. We live in a toxic food environment and most people think it's normal. News flash: It's not.

You also give the impression that if you are older, it's hopeless to lose weight. Wrong. People who know how to eat properly and exercise can do it. And, it's not difficult. You just have to want it.

I wouldn't bestow too much praise on Mrs. Obama or any governmental action or agency. People need to take charge of their own lives and make change on their own. The toxic food environment we live in is not changing anytime soon. I, for one, certainly am not going to depend on the government to assist in this area.

You end with a punchline: "I still have my celery and my chocolate days, only now I do celery when the kids are around -- and chocolate cake when they are not."

This implies you're fooling the kids. Also, again you make a false choice between celery and chocolate cake. You don't have to eat celery to eat a healthy diet. In fact, I rarely eat celery. But I do enjoy many delicious food items.

This article just continues the wrong-minded myth about living a healthy lifestyle.

While I do not believe that training for triathlons is necessary for health and fitness, here's a 70-year old neurosurgeon who finds time to run, bike, and swim. No excuses, start exercising. It does a body good.

There are many ways to lose weight. However, this is not one of them.

I recommend reading Dr. David Katz's "review" of this "diet".

I grew up in West Orange, New Jersey. I don't go back too often. However, I was there this weekend. I decided to go for a run past my old neighborhood. One stop (not to eat) was this Burger King. Since I used to walk by BK all the time, I assume this was where I munched on my first fast food fiasco. Oh, about 45 years ago.

Since I moved, a new establishment was built next door ... Dunkin' Donuts. Surprise, surprise.