Fat Head For Foreigners
Let’s start with the big news: If you check the sidebar on the right, you’ll see that Fat Head is finally available outside the USA. We had hoped to have this all set up a month ago — just in time for Christmas shopping — but the fulfillment center ran a bit behind schedule.
For the past year and a half, I’ve been receiving emails and comments from people who live outside the U.S., asking where they can buy a DVD. It was no fun telling them they couldn’t. Eventually, I started hearing from people who downloaded the film illegally and wanted to make a contribution as payment. I certainly don’t approve of illegal downloads, but since our international distributor (and I use the term loosely in their case) never managed to place the DVD overseas, I understood why people who wanted to see the film ended up downloading it.
After seeing the response to the Big Fat Fiasco DVD, we decided to author a new Fat Head DVD without the U.S. region restriction and distribute it ourselves. (In retrospect, I should’ve gone that route a year ago.) By way of saying thanks for your patience — and to sweeten the deal for those who’ve already seen the film — I added the Big Fat Fiasco speech as a second bonus track. That means the non-USA version includes:
- Fat Head, the documentary (duh)
- Bonus interviews: nearly 40 minutes of extra interview footage with Drs. Mike and Mary Dan Eades, Dr. Al Sears, Sally Fallon, Eric Oliver and Jacob Sullum
- The Big Fat Fiasco speech
The fulfillment center has the DVD in stock and is ready to process the orders. (Direct link to the order page here.) They tell me the DVD should arrive in most locations within 5 to 10 business days after an order is placed. We’ll still process orders for the U.S. version ourselves.
Dad’s Alzheimer’s
During our time away, we visited my family in Springfield, Illinois and then my wife’s family in Chicago. It was a fun and relaxing vacation, and the girls enjoyed themselves immensely. They even got to participate in a snowball fight on Christmas with a gang of cousins.
The only downer of the trip was visiting my dad in the nursing home. Last year, Dad couldn’t remember my name, but he brightened when he saw me and tried to carry on a conversation. This year, he simply looked at me for a second, then looked away. No spark of recognition. He smiled at the girls, but I’m pretty sure he was just happy to see some kids. All the old people in the nursing home smiled at the girls, some waved, and a few even wandered over to talk to them.
What really struck me when I first walked in the room was how much my dad reminds me of his grandfather now … but Great-Grandpa Markwell was in his 90s when he looked like that. (He lived to be 101 and was lucid until the last three years.) Dad is only 76.
High Cholesterol, No Heart Disease
A friend of my mom’s is also 76, but looks and acts at least 10 years younger. She dropped by one day for a lunch visit, and during the conversation she mentioned that every few years, some doctor will insist she get her coronary arteries checked. The reason? Her cholesterol is over 300. She tries telling the doctors her arteries always check out just fine, but they still insist. Then they look at the lab results, shake their heads, and say, “I just don’t see how this can be true. Your arteries don’t show any blockage at all.” Then they pronounce her genetically gifted.
Home, Sweet Home
We drove home from Chicago two days ago. I still haven’t finished going through all the mail, but I’m getting there. I spent yesterday and today catching up on processing orders for the Fat Head and Big Fat Fiasco DVDs. If you ordered in the last 10 days or so before Christmas, sorry for the delay. We ran out of stock and then left for vacation. All the existing orders have been processed and went into the mail today.
Gary Taubes’ New Book
As you probably know, Gary Taubes recently published a consumer-friendly version of Good Calories, Bad Calories titled Why We Get Fat – And What To Do About It. My copy was in the mail when we arrived home. I’ll write a full review later, but I can already tell you it’s a much easier read than GCBC. This is the one you could probably convince your Aunt Martha to read.
Overeating, But Not Gaining
In Good Calories, Bad Calories, Taubes described experiments in which naturally lean people massively increased their food intake but barely gained any weight. Judging by what I’ve read in online discussion groups and various blogs, quite a few people still insist that overeating must always lead to gaining weight, and also insist that anyone who says otherwise simply doesn’t understand the laws of thermodynamics (thus proving that they don’t actually grasp the laws of thermodynamics themselves).
Those people should talk to some of my relatives. As I’ve recounted in a few posts, my naturally-lean son has occasionally tried to gain weight by eating quite a bit more, but his weight refuses to budge. Over the holidays, one of my wife’s relatives — a thin woman in her 40s — told me she’s been losing weight despite trying to gain. (Yeah, yeah, I know … some of you wish you had that problem.) Over the past few years, she’s gone from a lean, athletic build to a too-skinny build. Her veins pop out like a body-builder’s, she’s losing fat everywhere including in her face, and she’s tired of her friends and relatives hinting or outright suggesting she’s suffering from anorexia.
She told me she’s been eating more and more, including plenty of meat, fruit, potatoes and other starches, whole milk, butter and cream, but can’t gain a pound. She set a goal of gaining two pounds during her two-week holiday vacation, ate as much as she could stand, but didn’t gain an ounce. I asked if she’s been checked for diabetes. She has, and that’s not it. Her blood sugar is normal, and her doctor can’t explain the weight loss. I told her “we don’t know what’s wrong” isn’t an acceptable answer from a doctor and suggested she visit an endocrinologist.
The point is, she’s eating far more than she used to, but losing weight. That doesn’t violate the laws of thermodynamics; it just means her body is finding a way to burn off or otherwise waste all those extra calories.
Happy New Year
We’ll be celebrating the new year by doing absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. My wife can rarely stay awake past 11:00 PM, so the beginning of 2011 will probably find me watching a movie by myself in the family room, as is often the case on weekend nights. The real celebration for me will be on January 15th, when we’ll see Bill Cosby perform live at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.
When I started doing standup comedy in my 30s, Bill Cosby was my inspiration — not that I ever came close to his level. In fact, I don’t think anyone has ever come close to his level. I can’t think of another comedian who can make 10-year-olds and grandparents laugh equally hard, and whose material is so timeless. I recently watched a concert he recorded nearly 30 years ago, and it was just as funny now as it was then. My ribs were sore from laughing.
Happy New Year to all of you, and may 2011 be your best year ever.
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When people said GCBC was hard to read, I just told them to go watch Fat Head.
I lent my dad GCBC and he never got past the second chapter. I showed him Fat Head and he got through 3/4 of the DVD before he fell asleep. (My dad’s 78. Getting through half of a DVD without falling asleep is an achievement for him. 🙂 )
Based on his track record, he could surely finish half of Gary’s new book.
When you think the world finally stops eating the crap Dr. Keys fed to the world, you think it’s only natural that all the vegetable oil companies later replace the big oil companies as the major manufactures of energy? It’s like a two for one deal.
If we’re going to subsidize corn, let’s produce corn-oil-burning cars. When a car dies from the effects of inflammation, you can just buy another one.
Tom,
sorry about your dad.
i wonder if his alzheimer could’ve been prevented.
or at least a ketonic diet could still help him now?
have a wonderful & healthy 2011
My mom tried giving him MCT oil, but he was too far gone.
Tom,
sorry about your dad.
i wonder if his alzheimer could’ve been prevented.
or at least a ketonic diet could still help him now?
have a wonderful & healthy 2011
My mom tried giving him MCT oil, but he was too far gone.
As others have mentioned, your wife’s relative might actually be very ill. Both my grandpa and my mom experienced rapid and unexplained weight loss when they got cancer. I hope that’s not it…
On a lighter note, my grandparents had all of Bill Cosby’s records and I used to listen to them all the time when I was little. It’s rare that you can find someone who appeals across the generations like he does. I’m jealous that you’ll get to see him!
I’m also worried that something is seriously wrong. That’s why I emphasized that “we don’t know” isn’t an acceptable answer. People die because of what their doctors don’t know.
As others have mentioned, your wife’s relative might actually be very ill. Both my grandpa and my mom experienced rapid and unexplained weight loss when they got cancer. I hope that’s not it…
On a lighter note, my grandparents had all of Bill Cosby’s records and I used to listen to them all the time when I was little. It’s rare that you can find someone who appeals across the generations like he does. I’m jealous that you’ll get to see him!
I’m also worried that something is seriously wrong. That’s why I emphasized that “we don’t know” isn’t an acceptable answer. People die because of what their doctors don’t know.
Ugh, I’m still fighting Graves’ Disease. I’m taking less medication and the symptoms are mostly gone. PMS is still ultra-no-fun but now that’s the only time I have the vicious mood swings (yay hormones). And guess what, eating clean and grain free *massively* helps with the symptoms. No more losing muscle, no more hair falling out, no more drastic energy drains, no more depression and anxiety. The medication helps keep my thyroid from going too far overboard, but I thank my diet as the reason that my endocrinologists have not seen fit to start pushing to destroy part of my thyroid. (Despite everything, I still do like my glands).
tl;dr – Graves Disease is a pain in the hindquarters. It’s serious, but not heinous to diagnose or treat.
I hope for her sake it’s something less serious, such as a simple gluten intolerance, but I’ll mention Graves’ as a possibility she should have checked.
Hi Tom.
Just wondering if you have tried coconut oil for your dad’s condition. Dr. Mary Newport found that it had an amazing regenerative effect for her husband. It breaks down into ketones and provides an altrnative fuel for the brain that can’t untilize glucose properly. Coconut oil and coconut milk seem to provide ketones even for those not following a ketogenic (low carb) diet. Dr. Newport’s article is here: http://coconutoil.com/AlzheimersDrMaryNewport.pdf
Also, I read about a supplement that comes from fish called phosphatidyl serine on Jimmy’s blog. I was doing research for a friend with Alzeimer’s and after reading about it, I started taking it myself, figuring it couldn’t hurt. I find that it does help me with quick recall. I like the one called Sharp’s Gold. (Some are made form soy, this one is made from fish.)
I also posted some studies on my blog about how low carb helps with memory and rejuvenation for aging brains here: http://carbwars.blogspot.com/2010/12/amazing-benefits-of-carbohydrate.html
I don’t intend to go down without a fight!
Hi, Judy. After I heard Jimmy Moore interview Dr. Newport, my mom tried giving my dad coconut oil and MCT oil. She didn’t notice any difference. I’m afraid he was too far gone by that point.
Ugh, I’m still fighting Graves’ Disease. I’m taking less medication and the symptoms are mostly gone. PMS is still ultra-no-fun but now that’s the only time I have the vicious mood swings (yay hormones). And guess what, eating clean and grain free *massively* helps with the symptoms. No more losing muscle, no more hair falling out, no more drastic energy drains, no more depression and anxiety. The medication helps keep my thyroid from going too far overboard, but I thank my diet as the reason that my endocrinologists have not seen fit to start pushing to destroy part of my thyroid. (Despite everything, I still do like my glands).
tl;dr – Graves Disease is a pain in the hindquarters. It’s serious, but not heinous to diagnose or treat.
I hope for her sake it’s something less serious, such as a simple gluten intolerance, but I’ll mention Graves’ as a possibility she should have checked.
Hi Tom.
Just wondering if you have tried coconut oil for your dad’s condition. Dr. Mary Newport found that it had an amazing regenerative effect for her husband. It breaks down into ketones and provides an altrnative fuel for the brain that can’t untilize glucose properly. Coconut oil and coconut milk seem to provide ketones even for those not following a ketogenic (low carb) diet. Dr. Newport’s article is here: http://coconutoil.com/AlzheimersDrMaryNewport.pdf
Also, I read about a supplement that comes from fish called phosphatidyl serine on Jimmy’s blog. I was doing research for a friend with Alzeimer’s and after reading about it, I started taking it myself, figuring it couldn’t hurt. I find that it does help me with quick recall. I like the one called Sharp’s Gold. (Some are made form soy, this one is made from fish.)
I also posted some studies on my blog about how low carb helps with memory and rejuvenation for aging brains here: http://carbwars.blogspot.com/2010/12/amazing-benefits-of-carbohydrate.html
I don’t intend to go down without a fight!
Hi, Judy. After I heard Jimmy Moore interview Dr. Newport, my mom tried giving my dad coconut oil and MCT oil. She didn’t notice any difference. I’m afraid he was too far gone by that point.
sorry, my bad.
it’s ketogenic diet.
it makes me very angry that the so-called “healthy diet” for the last few decades have been killing us & the next generation(s)!
best,
sorry, my bad.
it’s ketogenic diet.
it makes me very angry that the so-called “healthy diet” for the last few decades have been killing us & the next generation(s)!
best,
I’m so sorry about your Dad, that must be hard.
As for your relative, also have her get her adrenal function checked–that can cause weight loss too. Your suggestion to see an endo was a good one. I hope she finds some answers and solutions soon.
M
I think seeing an endocrinologist is her best course of action right now. If it’s not cancer or another undiagnosed disease, it must be something hormonal.
I’m sorry to read about your dad, Tom. That’s so very difficult!
This is probably not useful information at this point, but I just talked to someone yesterday whose husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in his mid-60s. When they took him for a work-up at a special Alzheimer’s facility, the doctors there said he didn’t have Alzheimer’s, he was taking a bunch of prescription drugs that were interacting and muddling his brain. Sure enough. They took him off those drugs, and he’s back to normal now.
You’re probably right about the damage caused by the statins your dad took for years–that more than the cereal and margarine. I think there’s a lot that the manufacturers know but aren’t telling about the long-term effects of statin use. Unfortunately, the man I was talking about is still on a statin. He reacted badly to it some years, so is taking only half the prescribed dose. His cardiologist is having a conniption about that. 🙁
My dad’s cardiologist went ballistic when my dad decided (during a lucid moment) to stop the Lipitor. They think statins are wonder drugs, and there’s no convincing them otherwise.
I told her “we don’t know what’s wrong” isn’t an acceptable answer from a doctor and suggested she visit an endocrinologist.
I disagree, slightly.
“I don’t know” is exactly the right answer, when you don’t know. A lot of doctors will pretend to know, and issue prescriptions. I run into this all the time in the world of IT; experts who always have an answer, and are always right, even when they’re wrong. I have respect for an expert who tells you when he’s stumped.
Now, “I don’t know” isn’t the end. It means you need to keep searching, so you got that right. I told you it was a slight disagreement.
You are correct. A doctor who can’t identify the problem should admit being stumped. What I emphasized to her is to keep checking with different specialists until she gets an answer.
I’m so sorry about your Dad, that must be hard.
As for your relative, also have her get her adrenal function checked–that can cause weight loss too. Your suggestion to see an endo was a good one. I hope she finds some answers and solutions soon.
M
I think seeing an endocrinologist is her best course of action right now. If it’s not cancer or another undiagnosed disease, it must be something hormonal.
I’m sorry to read about your dad, Tom. That’s so very difficult!
This is probably not useful information at this point, but I just talked to someone yesterday whose husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in his mid-60s. When they took him for a work-up at a special Alzheimer’s facility, the doctors there said he didn’t have Alzheimer’s, he was taking a bunch of prescription drugs that were interacting and muddling his brain. Sure enough. They took him off those drugs, and he’s back to normal now.
You’re probably right about the damage caused by the statins your dad took for years–that more than the cereal and margarine. I think there’s a lot that the manufacturers know but aren’t telling about the long-term effects of statin use. Unfortunately, the man I was talking about is still on a statin. He reacted badly to it some years, so is taking only half the prescribed dose. His cardiologist is having a conniption about that. 🙁
My dad’s cardiologist went ballistic when my dad decided (during a lucid moment) to stop the Lipitor. They think statins are wonder drugs, and there’s no convincing them otherwise.
I told her “we don’t know what’s wrong” isn’t an acceptable answer from a doctor and suggested she visit an endocrinologist.
I disagree, slightly.
“I don’t know” is exactly the right answer, when you don’t know. A lot of doctors will pretend to know, and issue prescriptions. I run into this all the time in the world of IT; experts who always have an answer, and are always right, even when they’re wrong. I have respect for an expert who tells you when he’s stumped.
Now, “I don’t know” isn’t the end. It means you need to keep searching, so you got that right. I told you it was a slight disagreement.
You are correct. A doctor who can’t identify the problem should admit being stumped. What I emphasized to her is to keep checking with different specialists until she gets an answer.
Woo Hoo! Put my order in, now will wait impatiently in New Zealand until it arrives.
Sorry to hear about your Dad. When I visited my Grandmother when she got to this stage I just talked to her about her garden, which she adored for most of her life. So even though she had forgotten us and lived in a retirement home (and no longer had a garden) she always enjoyed talking about what she was planting, how pretty the roses were and how the weeds were getting away on her.
My dad used to think the retirement home was his office and he was working. That was nice. Now he doesn’t say much of anything. I just hope that in his mind, he’s somewhere he wants to be.
Woo Hoo! Put my order in, now will wait impatiently in New Zealand until it arrives.
Sorry to hear about your Dad. When I visited my Grandmother when she got to this stage I just talked to her about her garden, which she adored for most of her life. So even though she had forgotten us and lived in a retirement home (and no longer had a garden) she always enjoyed talking about what she was planting, how pretty the roses were and how the weeds were getting away on her.
My dad used to think the retirement home was his office and he was working. That was nice. Now he doesn’t say much of anything. I just hope that in his mind, he’s somewhere he wants to be.
Thank you for releasing the new version complete with extras Tom. I’ve ordered it and can’t wait to show it to ppl who are trying to lose weight as per their New Years Resolutions to wake them up to the real science in a fun entertaining way.
I’m a low-carb type 1 diabetic in England, UK and I hope it sells like, er, hotcakes? ;0)
Steve
I guess we need a low-carb version of “selling like hotcakes.”
I second my big sister’s “Woo Hoo” from two posts ago! Have just put my order in also and can’t wait to see your doco again. A great post-Christmas pressie for myself.
And I love the ‘Fat Head for Foreigners’ by-line, has a nice ring to it!
Happy New Year (-:
I realize, of course, that from you sit, I’m the foreigner.
Thank you for releasing the new version complete with extras Tom. I’ve ordered it and can’t wait to show it to ppl who are trying to lose weight as per their New Years Resolutions to wake them up to the real science in a fun entertaining way.
I’m a low-carb type 1 diabetic in England, UK and I hope it sells like, er, hotcakes? ;0)
Steve
I guess we need a low-carb version of “selling like hotcakes.”
I second my big sister’s “Woo Hoo” from two posts ago! Have just put my order in also and can’t wait to see your doco again. A great post-Christmas pressie for myself.
And I love the ‘Fat Head for Foreigners’ by-line, has a nice ring to it!
Happy New Year (-:
I realize, of course, that from you sit, I’m the foreigner.
Also I would like to say that I am sorry about your dad, Tom. I can relate . My grandmother has Alzheimer’s disease too , and the progression sounds very similar to your own story. JUst knowing faces, not names etc. Terrible disease.
Value the time he is here, and make him happy is all anyone can do.
Sincerely,
Raz
The blessing in this situation is that he doesn’t seem unhappy. He smiles a lot at the staff in the nursing home and they tell my mom he’s very pleasant.
Hi Tom 🙂
I really liked this article a lot. Very good points. I am every bit as critical of the nostrum to “eat less and move more”.
Dr. Jeffrey Friedman is not a fan either. You are welcome to use any and all of the information on my blog.
Best Wishes,
Raz
Thank you, Raz.
Also I would like to say that I am sorry about your dad, Tom. I can relate . My grandmother has Alzheimer’s disease too , and the progression sounds very similar to your own story. JUst knowing faces, not names etc. Terrible disease.
Value the time he is here, and make him happy is all anyone can do.
Sincerely,
Raz
The blessing in this situation is that he doesn’t seem unhappy. He smiles a lot at the staff in the nursing home and they tell my mom he’s very pleasant.
Hi from Sweden.
Just saw the Fat Head documentary, excellent work.
I’ve been on a LCHF diet for 12 weeks now and lost 41 pounds. Though I wouldn’t call it a diet, it’s more of a lifestyle. I know I won’t quit the LCHF lifestyle even when I have reached my goal weight, the health benefits are just too good.
Check out this site if you are interested in reading more about LCHF. It’s a friend of Tom (At least I believe he is).
http://www.dietdoctor.com/
I agree; it’s a lifestyle. I’ve already added Dr. Eenfeldt’s English blog to my blogroll.
Hi from Sweden.
Just saw the Fat Head documentary, excellent work.
I’ve been on a LCHF diet for 12 weeks now and lost 41 pounds. Though I wouldn’t call it a diet, it’s more of a lifestyle. I know I won’t quit the LCHF lifestyle even when I have reached my goal weight, the health benefits are just too good.
Check out this site if you are interested in reading more about LCHF. It’s a friend of Tom (At least I believe he is).
http://www.dietdoctor.com/
I agree; it’s a lifestyle. I’ve already added Dr. Eenfeldt’s English blog to my blogroll.