Welcome

I heard a statistic today in lecture that stuck with me--95% of patients who are put on a diet/exercise plan by their doctor fail.

 I can't find any sources for this number, and it may have been made up by my professor in class today (I hope not!), but it opens a discussion on an aspect of medicine I am truly interested in and would like to share with anyone who is willing to listen--how do we achieve healthy living to prevent disease and promote quality of life? There is so much conflicting information presented to us about this topic by the media: Should we supplement with antioxidants? Wait, now antioxidants cause cancer? Endurance exercise is the best way to lose weight...or is it resistance training? Or is it more sleep? It's hard to know what are the exact goals we should aim for to live a "healthy lifestyle" (and it may not be the same for each person!). So, this is my attempt to share what I'm learning from my professors in medical school with family (ahem, parents!) and friends who are interested in this topic too. I'm no expert, but I hope that what I write is some reflection of the current accepted theories and practices in the medical world in 2012 and will be useful as a guide.

 So why do 95% of patients fail to reach diet/exercise goals set by their physicians? It could be because the emphasis of these interventions is on weight loss only. Healthy living is more than just losing weight. Yes, it involves eating more nutritious foods, appropriate portion sizes, and exercising regularly, all of which may lead to weight loss, but healthy living also involves a regular sleep schedule, appropriate hydration, a balance of daily activities and the sense of well-being and energy that result from following this lifestyle. The goals of healthy living should not be based solely on weight, especially because other factors, such as distribution of weight on the body's frame (pear vs. apple shape) and % body fat vs. muscle, may be better indicators of overall health than a single number-- pounds or BMI.

 So before I write a thesis here, I'd just like to say that I hope to write small nuggets in this blog every so often that will be helpful to readers who want to move closer to healthy living. Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, so don't take any of this as serious medical advice, just suggestions based on what I'm learning.