By Seun Sowemimo, MD, FACS, FASMBS
I’d like to reinforce one of Mom’s many lessons which was right on target–
“Eat your vegetables.”
The Lancet published a global study a few months ago about dietary habits and resulting life span, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Research confirmed that consuming vegetables, fruit, fish, whole grains and nuts were strongly associated with extending your lifespan.
Conversely, eating low quality processed “food” is responsible for more deaths than any other risk factor in the world.
If you eat certain foods, it will help offset disease and premature death.
On my YouTube vlog, I explain what to eat to improve the probability you’ll live considerably longer–and what you’re eating now that could be shaving years off your life:
Poor diet is responsible for more deaths than any other risk factor in the world.
The study found that people who ate processed foods packed with chemicals, salt and sugar ultimately died before their time.
You might recall one of my more popular videos called “Stop Eating Crap.”
The study found that people who eat this crappy quality, fake food die sooner.
And it’s not just Americans.
While obesity continues to ravage the United States, food is also killing millions in other countries as well.
Millions of people are dying around the world from poor diets, often packed with sodium and lacking in whole grains and fruits.
The Gates Foundation study looked at rates of sickness and death based on what major food groups you eat—or don’t eat.
One in 5 deaths (that’s about 11 million people) are linked to eating too much processed meat, sodium and sugar-laden food and drinks.
Food Killed 11 Million People
Food.
How did these 11 million people die?
When people consistently eat poor quality food, and omit eating seeds, vegetables, fruits and grains, they most commonly die as a result of 3 diseases:
• Heart (cardiovascular – accounting for nearly 85% of deaths)
• Cancer (10% of deaths)
• Type 2 Diabetes (5% of deaths)
Food is breaking our hearts by clogging the arteries that feed the heart with bad food.
As an obesity medicine specialist who has been preaching about weight loss and weight management for the past 10 years, I wonder (and worry)…
Is anybody out there actually listening to these frightening statistics?
Cause of Death: Poor Quality Diets
Of these 11 million senseless deaths:
* Excess salt resulted in 3 million deaths
* Low intake of whole grains caused another 3 million deaths
* Inadequate fruit consumption accounted for another 2 million deaths
Here in the US, we do not face food shortages, in fact, our problem is too much food availability, much of which is processed, artificial and laden with chemicals to make it taste great.
As a result, the US has the highest rate of diabetes-related deaths.
Our taste buds are so messed up from eating fake flavoring, we don’t even know what unprocessed real food even tastes like anymore.
Three Steps to Overhauling Your Nutrition
1. Stop eating crap—food that comes boxed, is processed or contains added sugars and excessive amounts of salt.
2. Avoid animal-based products, particularly red and processed meat.
3. Eat real food: whole grains, nuts and seeds, vegetables, beans and fruits
Prime Surgicare Offers Comprehensive Bariatric Weight Loss Services
If you are considerably overweight and interested in learning more about weight loss surgery, join me at an upcoming New Patient Seminar.
Mid-May and June Prime Surgicare Bariatric Surgery Seminars
Until then, you have control over what you eat.
Make smart choices. Your health will reward you for it.