By Dr. Sawraj Singh
I know a girl in her twenties who is very slim. She told me that she only eats four high protein bars in a whole day. Then I met a young man who is a trainer in a gym. He told me that he only eats twelve eggs in a whole day. Believe it or not eating a low carbohydrate and high protein diet has become a quite popular way to lose weight. I never felt comfortable with this approach because it looked so unnatural to me. Then I started finding out about the people who damaged their livers or kidneys with this approach. Finally The Lancet, the most prestigious British medical journal, has come out with an extensive study done over a period of 25 years to prove that a low carbohydrate and a high protein diet is not good for your health.
I happened to visit a center in Punjab where surgery for weight reduction is performed. I saw very obese people in the center. The interesting thing about the center was that most of the patients I talked to were Punjabis from Canada. Weight reduction surgery is not an easy answer to the problem of obesity. Besides the physical risks of surgery there is another big risk that is worsening of their depression. I know from my own experience and from talking to psychiatrists who deal mostly with Punjabi population in Canada that depression is extremely common in the Punjabi population in Canada. Many factors which lead to obesity also push you into depression.
Inactivity or lack of exercise plays an important role in both conditions. Very cold weather in many parts of Canada keeps many Punjabis indoors in winter. Winter can be very long in some parts of Canada. This leads to inactivity and lack of exercise. Exercise helps to release Endorphins which elevate your mood. Another aggravating factor is that you may not see much Sun in the winter. Sunlight also helps to release Endorphins. This lack of Endorphins is a very important factor in pushing people into depression, particularly in winter. This condition is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Many Punjabi women get addicted to watching TV for long hours, 6-8 hours a day or even more. Many Punjabi men take to alcohol for fighting monotony and boredom. However, drinking makes your depression worse. Both men and women also take to snacking while watching TV or with their drinks. This leads to overweight and obesity. Depression and obesity complement each other. The weight reduction surgery or the dietary treatments often lead to worsening of your depression.
To avoid falling into this vicious cycle, you should try to adopt a healthy life style. Exercise regularly, eat a healthy and a balanced diet and do some kind of meditation to cope with your stress. Your diet should have at least 50 to 55% carbohydrates. Another interesting thing in The Lancet study was that if you have to take high protein diet then the vegetable proteins are less harmful than the animal proteins. A healthy life style gives you the best chance of staying healthy.
Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S. is the Chairman of the Washington State Network for Human Rights and Chairman of the Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice. He can be reached at [email protected].
