Director, Emergency Services, Bikur Cholim Hospital
Does eating fat cause more cancer? Well it has been proven in
colon cancer and breast cancer and I have yet to see a study
that says eating fat is healthy. True it is the staple of the
low carbohydrate diets, but we do not know how dangerous they
are. We do know that fat is hard to get rid of: The body will
burn protein stores before it even touches the fat stores.
I was sent an article about fat being genetic. It could be,
but learned behaviors are also part of it. Do you eat poorly
because you are in a rush? Do you eat when you are bored or
depressed? Is every day Shabbos by you (i.e. do you eat
Shabbos treats every day?) Kids need to learn the right
behaviors and you should realize that just saying no at an
early age is the right answer. Chocolate and salt, for that
matter, are addictive and learned behaviors.
By the way, what you eat in pregnancy affects the child as
well. Mothers who ate a lot of carrots in pregnancy found
that the baby liked carrots very much. Why they did this
experiment with carrots is unknown to me.
Are genes the cause of depression? Could be as well. We do
know that many psychiatric diseases are hereditary, as is
drinking. Still, one must also consider other causes.
One of my readers wanted me to discuss suicide. Suicide is
tragic and is usually the product of a very depressed
individual. Women are more likely to be depressed and more
likely to make a suicidal gesture, but their gestures are
usually less serious such as pill-taking or slitting wrists
which are usually not successful. More violent means of
suicide are done by men and are more often successful. We can
predict for sure who will try this: people with unsuccessful
attempts in the past, severely depressed or schizophrenic
individuals, and those under a lot of stress are at risk.
When you encounter a person like this, keep them talking and
at the same time call for help fast. Most police services
have a psychiatrist or psychologist available. Do not attempt
to cover up an attempt. Rather, get them help, as medication
may be very helpful in preventing this. Families in whom
someone has taken their own life need counselling. On the
other hand, a gesture could be an attempt to gain attention,
or punish a spouse. Do not make this decision yourself.
Again, get help.
Do fat people have a greater risk of dementia? I was given an
article, but I cannot determine where it was printed. Fat
people do have more high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes
which are all risks for more dementia, but this study
suggests it is a risk factor by itself.
Write me in care of the Yated.
A message from GlaxoSmithKline, sponsor of this
column. Seroxat is a very popular and safe treatment for
depression that works. The effectiveness of this drug is
unparalled and has led many to live normal lives. Ask your
doctor about Seroxat.
