We are all consuming more and doing less. The food we eat is higher in energy than ever, and we are eating more of it, more often. On average we are each taking in over 500 more calories a day than we did 30 years ago. Combine this with our increasingly sedentary lifestyles, and we have a recipe for weight gain and ill health.
In my practice I am already seeing the impact of this on my patients – and don’t be lulled into thinking that this is just about the few unfortunate individuals at the extreme end of the scale who are the focus of various provocative TV documentaries on obesity. This is about the majority of the population. People with a normal body weight are now in the minority in the UK, with nearly two-thirds of us overweight or obese. And the implications for our health are enormous. Being overweight is not just about what dress size you take or being a bit “out of shape” – excess weight is a major risk factor for serious and even life-threatening conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
But even these significant physical consequences underestimate the full impact that the rising tide of obesity is having. In my experience the damage done beneath the surface – shrinking self-esteem, ruined relationships and thwarted ambition – is equally destructive. The resulting mental health problems then perpetuate unhealthy habits in a vicious spiral that often feels impossible to break. The cost of obesity to the NHS is a staggering £5bn each year but the true financial impact of this epidemic in terms of the country’s economic development is likely to be significantly higher. And, unlike most other outbreaks of disease, this tidal wave shows little sign of subsiding.
So, what is the solution? Well, contrary to popular belief the answer does not lie with the health service, government ministers or even the food industry – although of course they all play their part. It sits with each and every one of us. This is a collective problem with an individual solution. But where do we start? Almost every day we hear of some new diet plan or exercise regime – all making dramatic claims about how they will change our lives. Whilst each one may have some validity, the sheer volume of options feels bewildering, and with many of them giving conflicting advice who are we to believe? The resulting confusion fuels our apathy – we spend our time window shopping, absorbed in the theory of weight loss, perhaps trying a couple of dieting methods on for size and then, when nothing seems to happen immediately, we lose confidence in our own ability to change.
In Eat, Fast, Slim Amanda offers an antidote to our ambivalence. Through intermittent and juice fasting she has identified a method by which we can all reconnect with our bodies, moderate our food intake, increase our energy levels and become more active, healthy and happy as a result. By using this tried- and increasingly well-tested approach Amanda has seen significant changes in her own life and that of her clients. But, like all good scientists, Amanda also understands that her experience alone is not enough. Unlike so many other new health trends, Amanda makes no over-inflated claims regarding fasting, her approach is pragmatic and balanced – just like the diets she recommends. Throughout the book she draws upon the latest scientific evidence on fasting – giving her conclusions real credibility and allowing us all to be confident in the approach she recommends and the results it offers.
Amanda brings to the pages of this book an absolute wealth of knowledge and experience. She is not evangelical, there is no attempt to convince us or convert us – rather she is simply sharing with us what she has learned, empowering us with the information we need to make up our own minds, and offering us the tools we need to apply this approach to our lives should we wish to do so.
This book is an authentic account of many years of personal experience written by an inquisitive, rigorous healthcare practitioner with a clear understanding of the real world and the challenges we all face in our daily lives. It is incredibly timely, we all need to do something to rebalance the excesses of modern life and I, for one, am looking forward to giving it a go.
Dr Jonty Heaversedge
GP, author and broadcaster