Health/Wellness: There is no such thing as a big-boned person

There Is No Such Thing As a Big-Boned Person

Dr. Ian Smith blocks that and other myths that keep us from living our best healthy lives.

By D. Shenell Reed

African Americans are dying from COVID-19 at higher rates than others. That is the one morbid, resounding fact that has echoed during the coronavirus pandemic. Charge it to a poor diet and health habits that lead to diseases, giving the virus a foothold into our bodies. Best-selling author, physician and television personality Dr. Ian Smith spoke exclusively with ONYX Magazine while he and his family vacationed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in February. He squashed some myths we have come to believe as the gospel, and shared some simple ways we can take control of our health and lower our chances of deadly health conditions. Dr. Ian Smith

What are some common pitfalls in losing weight and how can we avoid them?

The desire to lose weight is abundant. One of the biggest mistakes people make is they don’t acknowledge how difficult it can be to lose weight. So, they set unrealistic expectations. People want to lose too much weight too fast. Therefore, when they are actually succeeding at losing weight, they’re dropping the pounds, they don’t realize it, because their goals are

so out of whack. They don’t realize they’re doing well on the program and they wind up flipping off. So the first thing I would say is understand how to set your goals properly; that way, you set realistic expectations and allow you to feel successful.

How can we tell the good diets from the bad diets?

There are thousands of diets out there— and they are a lot of good ones. But there is no “one diet fits all.” You have to find the diet that works well for you. First, find a diet that challenges you—you must be challenged. Second, find a diet that you can actually do. If it is something that is unrealistic and asks you to do things to the extreme, then you can’t sustain it. Lastly, find a program that’s affordable and accessible. There’s no need for trying to follow a program where you can’t afford the food, or you don’t like the food or you can’t find the food. Affordability and accessibility, as well as some challenge, are important ingredients to a good program.

What is a good healthy regimen for children and young adults?

When I look at the overweight and obesity rates for African Americans in particular, not just adults but also for younger kids and teens, what I realize is that there’s an unfortunate trend where at younger ages were finding kids who have type II diabetes and other types of obesity-related complications and high blood pressure. And I really think it’s important for African-Americans in particular just think about eating more plant-based foods, having more fiber in the program, less saturated fats, reducing some of the frying—I know frying taste great—

and really try to make sure that at least half of your plate has color, because color is full of fiber and antioxidants.

How important is exercise in our quest to lose weight?

Exercise is absolutely critical. Anyone who says you can just lose weight by eating differently and not exercising is being somewhat disingenuous. You need to exercise to get the full complement, to maximize your weight loss potential. Now, do you need to be in a gym an hour per day, sweating profusely? Absolutely not. If you have between three to four days and 30 minutes of moderate-level activity, that could be really helpful. Whether it’s walking, whether it’s playing a sport—even, believe it or not, briskly doing house cleaning, getting your heart rate up— is important. So it’s all about getting your heart rate for a sustained period of time and that can make a big difference.

Should we take the weight guidelines seriously?

The first thing I’d like to dispel is the idea that there such a thing as a big-boned person. African Americans have heard for a long time that we tend to be a little bit heavier or thicker because our bones are larger. Our bones are the same size as everyone else’s. When you look at the body mass index scale or the BMI scale, the reason why I love it is because it is not a race-specific, it is not gender-specific, it takes none of that into account. What it says is, this is something for everyone. So, check out the BMI scale. They work for all of us, whether you’re Black or Asian or Hispanic, we all use the same scale.

The other thing that’s important to realize is, it’s not about aesthetics. My interest is not in how you look, it’s about your body type—how your body is forming— and what the implications could be to your health. So it’s not about how you look, it’s about what’s going on inside that’s important. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I don’t judge someone for how they look. What I’m worried about is are they at risk for diabetes, are they at risk for high blood pressure? When you look at those considerations, then you look at the BMI chart and get yourself in a healthy range and make sure you have a lesser chance of developing some of those chronic conditions.

Can healthy foods be tasty?

African Americans have to understand that you can still eat in a healthful way and it can still be tasty…that you can also still have some of what I call the fun foods. Listen, I love ribs, I love fried pork chops just like everybody else, but I eat them in moderation. Follow the 70/30 rule. Seventy percent, go for the health food, 30 percent, have some fun. If you can mix that in and get some regular exercise, once again, not killing yourself. There are tons of exercises you can do right home.

Which of your books do you recommend?

If you’re looking for a program that reduces the amount of processed ingredients, get “Clean and Lean.” It is a program that mixes clean eating with intermittent fasting. So, it combines two very effective ways of losing weight to get maximum results. If you’re looking for program that has a little more food, and that changes the types of food—I call it food diversity—then check out “Shred, the Revolutionary Diet.” Follow me on Instagram @DoctorIanSmith. I have tons of free weight loss programs that you can follow through my Instagram, get your heart rate up and lose some weight at the same time.