Ms. Winfrey,
Can you lose weight while continuing to consume bread and other products made with wheat flour and grains? You absolutely can—though it is quite difficult physically and emotionally, requiring monumental willpower, as you already know. But I fear that you have overlooked crucial issues in your campaign for Weight Watchers and the exoneration of bread. You have, unfortunately, propagated some destructive misconceptions. And the people who you have hurt the most I suspect are the people who you would have preferred to help the most.
Losing weight by avoiding processed food products made with wheat and related grains is exceptionally easy because it means that you avoid the gliadin protein-derived opiates that stimulate appetite. The fact that you lost 26 pounds is testimony more to the power of your will than it is to the power of the Weight Watchers program. You have succeeded in losing weight—at least temporarily—despite having, I’m sure, to fight back against overwhelming hunger and cravings due to this effect of grains that you have chosen to remain in your diet. Yes: it can be done. But it is a test of willpower. Willpower wanes over time for most people, explaining why the majority of people who lose weight successfully by reducing calories and portion sizes regain the weight over time, often ending up heavier than at the start. I’d love to see you fit back into a size 4 dress, but it is far more likely that the 26 pounds you lost will return as soon as your resolve dissipates.
By embracing the Weight Watchers’ message, you have propagated the notion that people are overweight because they are gluttonous and lazy, just as government agencies claim. Americans are overweight, according to the USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, because they eat too much and move too little. In other words, it is your fault if you struggle with weight. I believe that this is wrong. I believe the blame lies with the predatory practices of Big Food who have chosen to promote high-sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and grain-based foods, a high-carbohydrate load that inevitably leads to weight gain. Blame also lies with organizations such as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Heart Association who have clung to outdated advice to cut fat and saturated fat and increase consumption of “healthy whole grains,” in effect advising Americans to create a caloric deficit by reducing fat and to fill that void with the carbohydrates and appetite-stimulating properties of grains that yield gliadin-derived opiates. Obesity on the unprecedented scale we now witness—the worst epidemic ever in the history of man—is not due to gluttony and sloth; it is due to this convergence of phenomena. Big Food companies are to blame, the U.S. government and other agencies that offered this advice are to blame. People gained weight because of bad advice, not because they are weak-willed and indulgent. (There are indeed people who have gained weight due to gluttony and sloth, but the majority of hard-working, health-minded Americans have gained weight despite doing what they thought was “right,” given such guidelines.)
Your endorsement of a calorie-cutting, portion-limiting program thereby reinforces the false notion that people are overweight and that it’s their own fault.
Another very important issue that you should be aware of with your reliance on wheat- and grain-based products: Be prepared to have a future of health problems. Populations who do not consume grains enjoy freedom from autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and psoriasis; type 2 diabetes; hypertension; acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, and constipation; coronary heart disease; depression and suicide; and bear a far lesser burden of cancer and dementia. These are the “diseases of civilization” that plague modern humans eating modern diets, but not societies that do not consume such Western foods. With your dietary approach, you have in effect endorsed a style of eating that can, with difficulty, achieve weight loss, but propagates risk for all of these modern diseases.
Segments of the population that have historically been exposed to grains and sugars via agriculture have less susceptibility to their adverse effects. This means that people of European and Asian origin have the advantage of partial adaptation to their consumption since they have existed in agricultural societies for 10,000 years. (Adaptation to grains and sugar is never complete, else we’d have no type 2 diabetes.) Native Americans, native Australian Aboriginal populations, populations of the South Pacific Islands, New Zealand and New Guinea natives, African Americans, and native Africans develop explosive levels of the “diseases of civilization” when exposed to Western foods, especially grains and sugars. This explains why, for instance, the Pima Indians of Arizona have the highest rate of type 2 diabetes in the world. It explains why primitive populations in the Amazonian basin develop rampant obesity and diabetes in as short as 2 or 3 years when exposed to Western foods. It explains why African Americans living in the U.S. have the worst incidence of type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, stroke, and heart disease compared to other ethic groups in the U.S. The message that groups like this are overweight and that it’s their own fault is counterproductive and wrong—they, in fact, have been the most deeply victimized by bad dietary information. Sadly, these populations are also the most subject to predatory advertising practices by Big Food—once again, it is NOT the fault of the individual.
Your message that Weight Watchers “works” and that bread can be a part of a diet program thereby propagates destructive and widely-held misconceptions that are increasingly crippling the health of Americans. I fear you have failed in your due diligence, embracing an outdated program based on government pronouncements based more on politics, scientific misinterpretation, and ignorance than an objective review of the science. You may have increased shareholder value of the Weight Watchers’ brand, but you have done tremendous harm to millions of people who trust your judgment.
Perhaps it’s not too late to make amends: Sell your shares, learn and reflect on your mistakes, make the necessary apologies, come to understand that Americans have been misinformed, exploited, and used—refuse to be a part of it. And understand that solutions for weight and health will not come through conventional providers of dietary advice, whether government or private, as the profit motive is too strong and exerts too much influence. The solutions for weight loss and health are, in truth, simple, accessible to virtually everyone, and come at almost no cost. But those solutions won’t make anyone rich.
William Davis, MD
Almost two years ago I discovered the LC/HF way of eating. I was 63 years old, overweight, and suffered many ailments such as IBS, apnea, sinus problems, skin problems (outbreaks of boils), headaches, and hot flushes. Since then I have lost over 22 kgs and got rid of all these ailments.
When I saw Oprah’s endorsement of Weight Watchers, I couldn’t believe my eyes! Surely, Oprah of all people MUST have seen or heard about the dangers of sugar and carbs, as it seems that she’s been on every diet in the world. If she’d only give this way of eating a try – like I did – she would never ever look back and never have to “diet” again!
Hi. I live in South Africa where the Low Carb High Fat way of living is practically taking over across the country. Been living this way for two years now. FANTASTIC!!!! Never felt better. Was astonished that Oprah renewed her relationship with Weight Watchers!! How sad!!!! The world is changing and she chooses not to be a part of it. Thank you for the article – 100% agree
oprah wants money that is why she says and does what she does
Monty,
Oprah HAS money. More than that, she is more than able to be in spotlight and in public conversation.
I don’t think any of us can say we know what she thinks and why she says what she does any more than we could say why you say and do what you do.
However, her obvious power and presence “should” come enough response-ability to take the time to listen to and then reply to Dr. Davis.
That is all he is asking. Fair enough.
CA
If it weren’t for this article directed at a celebrity, Oprah you would remain anonymous. This is how you cared about weight watchers and other people who endorsed it why did you wait until now to speak about it? Very disingenuous concern
Gette wrote: «…why did you wait until now to speak about it?»
If you use the blog Search feature on “weight watchers”, you’ll see that it has been discussed 15 times previously in posts, and about 60 times in Comments.
This blog can’t respond to all nonsensical nutrition news stories, but does address the most prominent and dangerous. People doing web searches need to see that there is disagreement with mainstream foolishness and mendacity.
I note that you expressed no dispute with the actual content of Dr. Davis’ remarks here.
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Okay, I just saw the Oprah WW commercial again tonight. Yikes – really. Your many comments here are spot on!
Here is this wonderful and special woman who has done so much, gone so far, accomplished so very many of her goals, helped multitudes of people and in truly meaningful ways, has walked into the fire again and again to make change happen and there she is, not giving up perhaps the one thing that would help her the most.
I love Oprah and this hurts to watch because it seems like she is making it harder than it has to be to achieve her most elusive goal, permanent weight loss. I want her to succeed.
What struck me this time was her body language – arms raised in defiance – as if the whole goal of her new diet was to continue to embrace the old habits and bend them to her obviously very powerful will.
But it is not going to be a majorly successful journey and those of us who discovered Dr. Davis’ Wheat Belly and likewise Dr. Perlmutters’ Grain Brain have learned why.
Oprah!
If only you could see yourself through the eyes of those of us who have let these things go!
Bread is not a baked good, it is a baked BAD! The grains it is made from cause real harm, can hurt you, and are not innocent ingredients in our food. It is addictive and this is why people love it, crave it, and choose not to live life without it. What is dangerous is inside the grains. It is not your fault.
When I saw your commercial, I thought back to my introduction to Wheat Belly and Dr. Davis and how crazy and counter intuitive his ideas first sounded. I understood what he was saying was right. It felt so unnerving to take everything grain related out of the kitchen; put it in a pile on the counter and face the fact that it had to go! When it was all disposed of, I felt a strange loss, as if I had somehow made a mistake.
You already can tell you are reading the words of someone who was a true bread lover – oh, I remember all right… thumping the gorgeous golden mound of Ciabatta fresh that morning from the bakery, knowing how good it would taste, or the scent of a fine crusty elongated French baguette, warm whole grain toast, grilled cheese sandwiches made with sourdough, billowy clouds of Italian bread covered with that tight thin crispy crust, buttery Brioches, layered delicate Croissants filed with chocolate or almond paste, crusty pizza, pasta in all its configurations, cakes, pies,… all the desirable and now I know vitally destructive things made from grains that I used to crave, consume, and suffer from the effects of afterward. I wanted it, I had to have it. How could this possibly be so bad for me? It was killing me.
So why wasn’t I standing up, raising my arms to declare, I can still eat this every day? What allowed me to be strong and turn away from grains?
Simple, like all of you, I learned that what I believed about bread – the so-called staff of life, and those “healthy whole grains”, was completely false and that I had been betrayed.
How did I learn this? From listening to Dr. Davis, following his suggestions, giving up grains, learning what I should be eating, enjoying those things and feeling so much better – and yes – losing weight. What else did I learn? How to thrive, how to keep feeling even better, how to heal inside and out and how to keep the weight off! Was it easy? Yes, yes it was.
In the scope of all the hard things in life, it was easy!
Surprisingly, it was fun too and tasty, and a new healthy adventure! Do I miss anything made with grains? Nope – only the dreamy idea of them and that wasn’t the truth. I live well with the truth now and I will never go back.
How do we get this message to Oprah?
Stay on the path,
CA
Yes, thank you Dr. Davis. I do hope Oprah will listen and hear. .
Oops. I forgot to check “notify me” when I posted my comment above . . . and I’d certainly like to follow this topic.
I love Oprah endlessly, but I sincerely hope she takes heed to the truth you speak, Dr. Davis.
All I can say is THANK YOU!!!
What is this rampant hatred of bread?? I’m 5’9″, 115 lbs. I’ve always been thin, never dieted. I am also a non-meat eater and do eat bread and pasta. I don’t eat crap and sweets or drink coffee or eat kale. The key in life is to yes, not consume too many processed foods (if any) but also to enjoy balance. I LOVE a good, crusty baguette. While you people are eating kale and animal fats and dark chocolate, I’m having salads and fish and bread. Bread with olive oil, bread with butter, bread with hummus…I love it and I assure you, it’s not causing me any problems. The idea that some foods are villains and some are heroes is just nonsense.
With all due respect, you must not be an IBS sufferer . . . which is what I *was* up until the moment I ditched those crusty baguettes and pasta.
andrea wrote: «What is this rampant hatred of bread?»
Oh, bread’s fine. It’s just the breads made with grains that are the problem, the gluten-bearing grains in particular (yes, that’s virtually all commercial breads). Wheat in any form needs to be avoided, not just bread.
I’m guessing that you haven’t read any of the Wheat Belly books, or much of this blog.
«…but also to enjoy balance.»
Here’s Dr. Davis on the ‘Everything in moderation.’ myth:
https://drdavisinfinitehealth.com/2012/07/in-the-mood-for-a-little-excess/
«The idea that some foods are villains and some are heroes is just nonsense.»
Are you willing to be mistaken about that?
You are betting your life on the answer.
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Blog Reply Associate (click my user name for details)
Bravo Dr. Davis. When I first saw Oprah’s ad I was aghast, disappointed, and saddened. I am so pleased that you have written this letter and hope that Oprah will have as much courage to consider what you have shared.
She must not have any joint pain, i am sure she would give Dr Davis’s ltr a good long look
Dr Klassen, you are amongst a very few true health care heroes.
I have worked for weight watcher’s for 4 years,I love the. New changes.. it’s a great program,the only problem I have is I work for a franchise,and we make pennies… we help alot of people and love helping them on their journey to get healthy and taking time for them.. but the pay that we get is ridiculous. . I would work full-time 24 hours a day helping .. if the pay was better
Dr. Davis, your letter to Oprah was kind, respectful, and informative. One only hopes she heeds the advice and takes the information provided seriously. I have tremendous compassion for Oprah’s battle with her weight having also been on some diet or another since literally preschool age. I hated going to the doctor as a child because he would slap my butt and say, “Let’s get some of this off!” Needless to say, this implanted a lifelong sense of shame over my “lack of control” with food. Aside from the fear of repeating the withdrawal symptoms of getting off of wheat and grains keeping me on the Wheat Belly path, I wouldn’t risk getting enslaved by the constant cravings and hunger again either. This freedom I’ve experienced is too precious.
Wow! Great letter!
Thanks for making these good points. I struggle to provide this same advice day after day with my patients. It is not a lack of willpower, but a hormone-driven process that perpetuates poor food choices and habits. Dr Davis has had a significant impact on how I practice and help patients to achieve the gains they have not seen by simply limiting calories, when they go grain-free. I would also like to add that understanding the importance of healthy gut microbiome and good digestion can also help to improve weight management and healthy metabolism. We really need to encourage folks to appreciate the importance of good food and a healthy gut.
Dr. Klassen, you are among a very few health care heroes out there.
A wonderful letter! If only Oprah would take your message to heart and investigate the paleo lifestyle! I believe she is a good person who would not intentionally harm others. She certainly does not need the money from this endorsement. Think how much good she could do if she tried going grain-free herself, experienced the wonderful health benefits and then promoted it to others!
Paleo is a lie and myth. I was at Whole Foods the other night and saw a “Paleo approved” creamed spinach dish on the hot bar. I’m pretty sure that no caveman ate creamed spinach.
andrea wrote: «Paleo is a lie and myth.»
Nah, it’s just too vague to be a useful term in discussions about nutrition, which is part of why the Wheat Belly dietary recommendations are not presented as some form of paleo. Here’s a longer take on it by Dr. Davis:
https://drdavisinfinitehealth.com/2015/09/you-are-not-a-paleolithic-human/
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Thank you Dr.Davis … My first thought was of you when I saw her commercial … My second was ‘shame on her’ because so many people trust in everything she says … I have my story of how at sixty eight I am a wheat belly convert … Cold turkey at that :) seven months in,I will never go back … Someday I will share my journey! Again thank you for an amazing letter …
Bravo Dr Davis! I lost 50 lb on WW……. gained it all back. I was hungry all the time on WW. Once you experience a wheat free diet and how GREAT you feel, you’ll never go back. I am never hungry. I am so grateful for you. Thanks, thanks, thanks !
I heard her commercial and instantly remembered another famous dieter, Kirstie Alley saying she would never give up toast….that she had toast EVERY morning……..between she and Oprah, we can see how well that love of bread has worked out! They cut calories and lose, lose, lose and then rebound to heavier than ever! Sigh…………
Fantastic letter Dr. Davis! Thank you for all you do to help the world to become educated about how to have a healthy life style, free of food addiction and decripling desease .
Why do people fall for all the “Hollywood” ads? Oprah doesn’t care, she’s getting paid. It just astounds me that everyone thinks they need a “Star” to tell them what to eat, what to wear, and on and on. To lose weight you cannot eat all the bread she talks about, what a scam Weight Watchers!
You are a true American hero Dr.Davis!! I can’t thank you enough for your wisdom no matter the cost.
I have tried Weight Watchers, Atkins and Wheat Belly WOL. I am a hypothyroid patient. I lost weight on all of these plans and ultimately gained the weight back. I am currently eating a gluten-free plant based diet and taking Tirosint, 125 for my hypothyroid symptoms. The only grains I consume now are brown rice, wild rice and quinoa although these are not a major part of my diet. My doctor recommended the plant based diet because my cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL are at unhealthy levels. I hope this works because I don’t know what the next step will be if it doesn’t. Surgery?
Lisa Muzic wrote: «I am a hypothyroid patient. …and taking Tirosint…»
Tirosint is levothyroxine, which is T4 only, and a synthetic T4 at that. What many people with hypo need, and typically cannot get from consensus MDs, is T3. A useful screening question for this is:
“Although it might not be indicated in my case, do you ever prescribe T3, or compounds that include T3?”.
If the answer is no, you need to start looking for a real doctor. Taking any iodine, by the way?
«The only grains I consume now are brown rice, wild rice and quinoa although these are not a major part of my diet.»
All of these are high glycemic. The rice also delivers wheat germ agglutinin (WGA, an adverse lectin), and has appreciable risk of arsenic contamination. Do you know what your daily net carb intake is?
I suspect you need to be looking for another MD because of:
«My doctor recommended the plant based diet…»
That easily leads to a long list of deficiencies of crucial nutrients. Were you advised to supplement for them?
«…because my cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL are at unhealthy levels.»
If all you’ve had is the standard lipid panel, you don’t really know your lipid status. You could ask your doctor to order advanced lipoprotein (LDL-P), lp(a) and ApoE tests, but I’ll bet you get a very defensive and unhelpful response.
This blog is not an ideal forum for working out these matters. Dr. Davis’ Cureality site has a large population of people focused on managing adverse lipid profiles. For most people, however, just following the Wheat Belly Total Health program (including very low net carb, high specific fats, fish oil supplementation, gut flora remediation, Vitamin D supplementation, and magnesium) suffices to raise HDL, lower TG, and lower LDL-P. (TC and LDL-C are usually not useful metrics.)
«Surgery?»
What surgery has been proposed?
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Excellent letter! Grateful that you wrote it and expanded the issues into the global health effects caused by WW advice. But just now, ABC News with David Muir, covered her “$12 million tweet” as newsworthy, using the “l Love Bread” quote and happily noted she lost weight without giving up carbs. This was followed immediately by an oral diabetes medication advertisement and then one for injectable insulin! Send him a copy of your letter too.
That was a brilliant letter Dr Davis and thank you for sticking up for the world.
I cannot wait to read or hear of the reply, but I won’t hold my breath!
Hooray Dr. Davis!!!
Thank you for your superb letter to Oprah and may I say – let’s add Gail King to the mailing list!
I love them both and applaud their many successes but this time they are on the wrong path – a truly dangerous path!
I recently saw Oprah’s new “I get to eat bread everyday on WW” commercial and couldn’t believe her irrational effusiveness over something you have shown time and time again is so destructive! What horrible advice she was giving people ! She clearly did not do her due diligence before agreeing to promote this “brand”.
Oprah, you have so often given wonderful advice – but this this time STOP!!! Stop now! Meet with Dr. William Davis. Listen to what we have all learned!
Just yesterday, Gail King on live TV during the CBS Morning Show, made a tall order to McDonald’s including their “light and fluffy pancakes”, a sausage biscuit with cheese, and hash browns – proclaiming it was all only 15 points on WW!!!! 15 points of what???
They are both missing THE point – counting points while consuming grains as you have so beautifully and generously written is no way to health! It is destructive! It leads to painful symptoms, illness and worse!
Thank you Dr. Davis, you have helped so many of us find our health as never before by making just ONE main point – get grains out of your diet!
It is one thing to lose weight, it is another to have a healthy body and know how to keep it that way. No gimmicks, no products, no counting points.
With absolute best love, endless gratitude and deep respect — and because we care,
CA
No need for anyone to be nice to Oprah. She owns 10% of Weight Watchers, the stock skyrocketed on her announcement of weight loss, and she will make tens of millions. She is working in her own financial interest, not the interest of overweight people.
I would love to know what her daily calorie consumption is. If your daily diet consists of 1,200 calories of Twinkies everyday, you will lose weight. My assumption is that she is on an unsustainable ultra-low calorie diet.
When she is done with WW and sells her stock, I predict she will balloon back to her prior weight, just like she has done with every diet she has tried.
I love it!! My favorite line in that WHOLE thing….
“The solutions for weight loss and health are, in truth, simple, accessible to virtually everyone, and come at almost no cost. But those solutions won’t make anyone rich.” No truer statement has ever been said…
Great letter Dr. Davis couldn’t of said it better!!
I would love to challenge Oprah (or anyone else for that matter) to try this Wheat Belly Plan for at least 10 days on the 10 day grain detox! Or stick it out for a month and see the amazing changes that occur to their health!
Perhaps the reason Oprah is losing weight for the umpteenth time is that she has never found the right approach to weight loss and healthy eating! I will be surprise if she keeps the weight off this time anymore than she has in the past. Perhaps if she read Wheat Belly and learned about what real healthy eating is, she could conquer her weight issues forever!
I pray she reads your letter and does so with an open mind. Imagine what her participation in the 10 Day Detox could do for her and ultimately for the world. She doesn’t need the money she is earning from Weight Watchers, she needs what money can’t buy and that’s health and happiness. I truly believe that if she could be convinced to try this way of eating that it would be the best thing that ever happened to her. When Weight Watchers fails her…..and we all know it will….we should challenge her, with grain free bread recipes in hand, to the 10 Day Detox. You don’t know what you don’t know and she doesn’t know just how good her life could be…yet.
Well said, Dr. Davis. Those of us who have succeeded using Wheat Belly plan know that fad diets and caloric restriction are not a permanent answer to weight control and better health. I have been doing Wheat Belly for a year now and will never go back to the old ways of eating that caused me to lose and gain hundreds of pounds since teenage. I am 81 and can honestly say after loss of 35 pounds that Wheat Belly is a miracle, at least for me and many others who are posting their pictures and results on Facebook. Wheat Belly works, plain and simple. Thank you, Dr. Davis
I really like Oprah and was SO disappointed when I saw her embrace WW. The comment about being able to have bread EVERY day appealed to all the grain addicts out there. Can you imagine selling addicts on a detox program and luring them in with “You can have DRUGS EVERY day!” Of course you’d get a lot of sign ups. And a lot of said failures. Oh Oprah! How could you let so many people down!?
the minute i saw oprah’s ad, i thought of you!!! i was hoping you would comment. now we can just hope she reads it with an open mind, and does some research. she can start by reading your book!
Awesome letter, certainly says it all.
Perfect! The only sad thing is that Oprah IS getting rich! She made $12M in an hour yesterday after her video posted. Capitalism at it’s best. Keep up the good work Dr. Davis. I try to share your message with as many people as will listen.
Oprah may be making vast amounts of money at the expense of all those who admire her, but let’s hope that she’s following her own advice and suffering the consequences of her profiteering including depression, inflammation and all the other side effects of choosing to keep promoting bread!
Thank you Dr. Davis for sharing your knowledge and standing up for the truth no matter how unpopular. Not sure if anyone has set the record straight with an influential person like Oprah Winfrey on this matter but it needed to be done. I am very proud of you.
Thank you Dr. Davis. Her stock will yoyo as her weight yoyos eating that bread.
Love it! She gives her yo yo dieting a big business spin now, too!
Congratulations, Dr. Davis, for making this bold statement. I have watched Oprah’s new ad campaign with shock and outrage and it needs a strong rebuttal just as you have done. It is a crime that someone of her celebrity would slide backwards in this way. She is an example of a serial failure of such dieting ideas and yet they still ‘succeed’ by using her face and her voice to promote a flawed approach to health. To offer the best of science is not always enough to overcome emotional attachments, cultural habits and ignorant biases. Oprah can no longer speak for the average person – she is part of the 1% and lacking the humility to learn something new. I guess you are not being invited oncer show anytime soon?
Hopefully Oprah is open minded enough to take the challenge to read and see for herself that Wheat Belly works! Maybe she could work with Dr. Davis and turn W.W. Into W. B.
Thank you for writing this! I saw the commercial for the first time today and my 1st thought was, she just set people who believe in her back 50 years!
Thank you Dr. for telling the truth about this. Yes, this continues to be the problem with WW. EAT EVERYTHING YOU WANT AND LOSE WEIGHT!!!!! No. Just NO! They cannot do education on what is reality yet as fear no one would stay with it. But how many fail at it for the exact same reasons. I have my own story about the link between WW and thyroid weight/health that I tell in my workshops too. Same type issue.
Thanks!!
Great letter, Dr. Davis. I was hoping you would write it. Now it is up to her.
True that! How about asking Oprah to be an agent of change at WW? She can get WW to embrace the no grain no sugar movement. Thank you Dr.Davis for continuing to be an advocate for good health!
Alison wrote: «How about asking Oprah to be an agent of change at WW?»
I suspect that won’t happen. Much of daytime talk TV thrives on The Struggle. They don’t want actual solutions that work promptly and require no on-going hand-holding of the audience. What would they talk about in the next show? Oprah would jeopardize her own show as well as WW (not to mention her wholly-owned subsidiary, Dr. Oz).
Many of the big-name nutrition programs rely on long-term membership, which frankly translates to a weight management approach that is perpetually on the edge of failure. Switching to a message of grain-free, very-low-net-carb, high-specific-fat, low-inflammatory, remediated-microbiome, micronutrient-aware would derail the business model.
The Wheat Belly approach is more simply: Here’s what you need to know. Do it. Expect near-term material results. Yes, it’s easily sustainable. Check back in from time to time in case there are new developments.
«She can get WW to embrace the no grain no sugar movement.»
There are inherent risks to movements (and products) in having celebrity spokespeople.
Several of the big nutrition plans have have endorsers who were, and continue to be, yo-yo dieters. What message do people take from this?
Using celebrities at all is an inherent risk. They used to be smart enough to be discreet about their politics, but haven’t been in the last quarter century or so. Any polarizing figure can expect at least half the audience to dismiss the message before it is even spoken. We have seen this reaction arise on this blog due to several celebrity mentions of Wheat Belly, for example:
https://drdavisinfinitehealth.com/2012/07/bill-oreilly-loses-his-wheat-belly/
The psychological factors that draw people into acting in particular tend to make them prone to surprises that embarrass whatever was endorsed by them.
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Capitalism and healthcare ( disease management ) are terrible bedfellows. Few other occupations offer more financial rewards for doing a bad job and giving bad advice as healthcare. Anyone who becomes fabulously rich has had to sell their soul very early in their career. The greedy only understand profits, not over and above other achievements, ONLY PROFITS
Steve Schrammel wrote: «Capitalism and healthcare ( disease management ) are terrible bedfellows.»
Make that “government and healthcare”, and you’d have a stronger point.
☤ We have what amounts to government-enforced monopoly healthcare due to licensing, and not much choice of gatekeepers on getting that license, not to mention all the other bureaucratic meddling in dietary advice, medications and what not.
☣ We have a runaway health crisis due to government subsidies for grains, leading to grains dominating the government advice on what to eat – coincidence, I’m sure.
Is there a revolving door between the government and the industries exploiting the strong arm of government? Yes, but strictly speaking that makes it mercantilism or fascism (state capitalism).
If the markets were truly free, there would still be challenges (mostly due to the state of human knowledge) and charlatans (because there always are), but individuals (and the markets they create) would be freer to react to emergent knowledge, and we wouldn’t be forced to deal with the charlatans:
▼ the bent bureaucrats wouldn’t be able to extract taxes to fund their follies
▼ food formulation wouldn’t be distorted by subsidies (which we pay for)
▼ dissident doctors would be a lot easier to find
▼ insurers would be free to focus on proven risk factors and actual outcomes
▼ self-directed health might become commonplace
What an ideal healthcare ecosystem could look like is well beyond the scope of this blog, and wouldn’t be like anything so far seen on this planet.
For the near term, universal healthcare rationing (a very non-capitalist notion) is apt to prevail, and the optimal way to deal with it is to minimize any need for it. Those still free to choose are advised to eat accordingly.
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I would agree, except for the fact,the government is controlled by private wealth. If it where public wealth in control it would be a huge improvement. unfortunately the powerful profit during good time and bad. There are profits to be made on war and peace,sickness and health. guess which is more profitable.
Bob, email me at electrographics@att.net i’d like to go slightly off topic if its o.k.
Re: “dissident doctors would be much easier to find”. It would be great if we could compile a list of doctors who have read and applied to their practice the Wheatbelly principles. I have seen a few naturopaths and still haven’t found one who is knowledgable about Wheatbelly or is willing to read the book when I mention it. Could Dr Davis devote a tab on this website where people could post the Wheatbelly compliant MD/NDs they have found in their states? It would be such a relief to find a doc in my area ready to buck the conventional wisdom. I believe Dr Davis’ work has vastly improved my health and my husbands now I just need a local doc to follow up with annual blood work to keep tabs on our progress. Thanks for all you do Dr Davis!
Chrisvt wrote: «It would be great if we could compile a list of doctors who have read and applied to their practice the Wheatbelly principles.»
The Institute for Functional Medicine has a finder feature on their website:
https://www.functionalmedicine.org/practitioner_search.aspx?id=117
There appear to be multiple finders for naturopaths. Search on “naturopath” and “finder”.
If you have a local compounding pharmacy, they may have tips on which local doctors take advantage of compounding.
If you know anyone seeing a chiropractor, or other healthcare provide who cannot write prescriptions, they’ll usually have a relationship with one or more of the licensed local gatekeepers (the MDs).
None of this is any assurance that the dissident doctor you locate will have any awareness of Wheat Belly, or if they do, that their approach will be fully consistent with it. So it’s worthwhile to have some screening questions, one of which might be:
“I’m looking for a provider who is supportive of clients doing self-directed healthcare. Would that describe your practice?”
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Thanks Bob, helpful as always! Keep up your great work.
chrisvt wrote: «Thanks Bob, helpful as always! Keep up your great work.»
You’re welcome. I might add that picking a naturopath probably requires as much care as picking a consensus practitioner. This just in this morning’s news:
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2016/01/shocking-confessions-naturopathic-doctor.html
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Bravo! That was excellent.
A brilliant letter, Dr. Davis. It can only be hoped that Ms Winfrey (and others) will be moved to examine the science, the sense and healing in a grain-free way of eating, especially when it is fortified by the other measures Wheat Belly advises. Pointing up the ethical factors involved in the propagation of unhealthy – indeed, in many cases deadly – diets pushed by the likes Weight Watchers is brave of you, considering the wealth and influence of Ms Winfrey. Soldier on though, shall we Dr. Davis? You are a wonderful medico, and a very good man. Thank you for all you do.
Thank you, Dr. Davis! The truth shall set us free!
Thank you Dr Davis I agree wth you 100% about WW program !
It’svery misleading to all American public!
It’s very sad that so many consumers falling for this TRUP!
Thank you for helping me seeing and feeling my best !
Wishing you to continue your fantastic work and spread your gaspell to world !
Sincerely Polina Spirt!
And, thank you for telling me about the letter!!
Sarah Pearls of Wisdom and Food on YouTube and Facebook
Thanks for telling me about this , Polina!
Dr. Davis….. although I agree wtih your letter to Oprah 99%, there is one pervcent that I do not agree with… it is this portion of your letter:
“And understand that solutions for weight and health will not come through conventional providers of dietary advice, whether government or private, as the profit motive is too strong and exerts too much influence. The solutions for weight loss and health are, in truth, simple, accessible to virtually everyone, and come at almost no cost. But those solutions won’t make anyone rich.”
Are you not becoming rich by virtue of the same? You wrote a book, but it is still full price. You charge people to become a member of your website. While I do not begrudge you your money for whatever it is that you do, for you to state that Oprah has monetary motives while implying that you do not…. well….. it does not appear that way to me, and many others, I assume. If you TRULY wish for all people to hear the truth, you must consider doing it for as little monetary gain as possible…. otherwise you are no different than Oprah, and your message is suspect as well.
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I dont agree with you saying Dr Davis is only doing it fo r the money. I have bought his books on kindle for very little price. I have also never paid for being part of t he wheat belly family. I have on numerous occasions private messaged him asking his advice and he ALWAYS replies at no cost either. Wheat Belly has been my health salvation and I dont have to pay a weekly fee for that privilege
Me, too, Kerry ! Thanks for your words..
Sarah Pearls of Wisdom and Food on Facebook.
Stephanie wrote: «Are you not becoming rich by virtue of the same?»
Is that the case? I have no information on Dr.D’s finances, but what is a fact is that he gave up what was probably a quite lucrative practice doing conventional invasive cardiology to do research, write books and crusade for sane diets. Does giving up stents and bypasses to write cookbooks strike you as a profitable career move?
«You wrote a book,…»
He’s written six or seven that I know of, and there are likely more in the works. What keeps the lights on during those years?
«…but it is still full price.»
That may be less his call than the publisher’s. In any event, for what you propose, how does it get funded?
Much of the information in those books, by the way, is freely available on this blog. We actually see people doing the WB lifestyle just based on what they can freely read here. That’s extremely rare for named nutrition programs.
«You charge people to become a member of your website.»
Web sites are not cheap to design, run and maintain. Those that have members, but don’t have subscription fees are usually selling out the freebie users to random advertisers. This blog is actually pretty unusual in that regard, as it only has ads for Dr.D’s own books and sites, and Wheat Free Market Foods.
When someone has a radically disruptive message, how to package it, deliver it, and still thrive is a weighty matter.
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Making money by writing books (which you can borrow from the public library by the way), is a lot different than buying 10% of the stock of Weight Watchers, knowing that if you make an announcement regarding major weight loss, the stock price will skyrocket and you will make over $10 million in a day (which she did).
Look for more announcements regarding additional weight loss by Oprah in the coming months to support or increase the stock price. And with respect to bread, you can lose weight eating anything if you have an ultra-low calorie diet. And I assume that what the stock-price obsessed Oprah is doing.
Dude – Library! Still free.