| |
 |
|
| Medical Edge |
|
|
|
Medical Edge Newspaper Column from Mayo Clinic
'REAL' MAYO DIET INCLUDES LIFESTYLE CHANGES
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My mother has severe weight issues. She needs knee replacement for both knees and is unable to have the surgery due to her weight. I was told that the Mayo Clinic Diet was a good choice. Where I can get a copy of the diet plan? — Shreveport, La.
ANSWER: Looking for a diet plan to help your mother lose weight in a healthy manner is definitely the way to go. But, when considering the so-called “Mayo Clinic Diet,” be careful that you’re using the eating plan actually supported by Mayo.
Versions of a Mayo Clinic Diet have been circulating for decades. Most push grapefruit, eggs, cabbage soup or meat and promise dramatic weight loss. None of these diets is associated with or has been endorsed by Mayo Clinic.
Recently, though, researchers at Mayo have developed a healthy eating plan that’s more of a lifestyle than a specific diet. The program stresses healthy food choices from a variety of food groups, with emphasis on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean sources of protein and heart-healthy unsaturated fats. The plan is combined with enjoyable physical activity. If anything comes close to a “real” Mayo Clinic Diet, this is it.
Instead of a quick-fix diet, encourage your mother to consider a long-term, lifestyle approach to weight loss that will allow her to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Even with your mother’s knee problems, there are exercises she can do to help her lose weight.
Mayo’s approach is outlined in Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody. The book includes shopping lists, recipes, menus, dietitians’ tips, strategies for success, a 12-week healthy weight program, and an action guide for overcoming common barriers to weight loss.
Before beginning any weight-loss or exercise program, your mother should talk with her physician to find out what’s best for her situation. Incorporating lower-calorie yet nutritious and tasty foods into her lifestyle, along with appropriate physical activity, will likely be the key components to attaining a healthy weight.
— Donald Hensrud, M.D., Endocrinology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
Additional Resources:
Mayo Clinic Diet--Myth vs. Reality
Healthy Eating Habits
Healthy Exercise Tips
- - -
Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic is an educational resource and doesn’t
replace regular medical care. To e-mail a question, go to www.mayoclinic.org,
or write: Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic, c/o TMS, 2225 Kenmore Ave.,
Suite 114, Buffalo, N.Y., 14207. For health information, visit www.mayoclinic.com.
© 2005 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
|
|
