Dr. John McDougall, a pioneer in lifestyle medicine, dedicated his life to promoting the benefits of a plant-based diet. His passing is a great loss to the community.Dr. John McDougall, a pioneer in lifestyle medicine, dedicated his life to promoting the benefits of a plant-based diet. His passing is a great loss to the community. Smoking has been scientifically proven to be detrimental to health, yet it remains a concern in Israel. In 1964, when the Surgeon General of the United States revealed the dangers of smoking, the smoking rate was approximately 50%. Through public health initiatives, this rate has since dropped to 11.5% of the adult population in the United States. However, in Israel, approximately 20% of adults still smoke, with certain demographics exhibiting rates as high as 50%. Smoking poses significant health risks, including an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, various types of cancer, lung diseases, fertility problems, and diabetes. The effects of smoking go beyond cigarettes to encompass the consumption of ultra-processed foods, which are often lacking in nutritional value and contribute to adverse health outcomes. To improve health, individuals should: * Quit smoking and vaping. * Adopt a plant-based diet rich in whole foods. * Increase physical activity levels. It is important to understand that our bodies require proper nourishment and care to function optimally. Personal responsibility for health involves making informed choices about what we consume and how we treat our bodies. By eliminating addictive behaviors and embracing healthy habits, individuals can significantly improve their overall well-being and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
(This article is dedicated to the memory of Dr. John McDougall, who passed away last month. He was a shining example and one of the great pioneers of lifestyle medicine. He taught us that potatoes are our friends, not our enemies, and most importantly, he saved thousands of lives through diet and lifestyle. Thank you for all you taught us – you will be missed.)
It’s hard to believe that we still have to have a discussion about smoking. It’s been 60 years. It was 1964, when the Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Luther Terry, made the announcement that changed everything: smoking is bad for your health. He announced that it was directly linked to lung cancer, bronchitis, and probably coronary heart disease.
At that time, about 50% of adult Americans smoked. Doctors even recommended certain brands over others to aid digestion, and they certainly smoked a lot themselves.
But that day began a process that would eventually become one of the greatest public health victories of all time. More and more research and studies were establishing how bad tobacco is for us and how addictive nicotine, one of the main ingredients in cigarettes, is.
This was the beginning of a series of public health measures that over the decades has reduced the smoking rate from 50% in 1964 to 11.5% of the adult population. Less would be better, but what a difference! But then two weeks ago, news broke that in Israel, about 20% of adults smoke, almost twice as many as Americans. And in certain demographics, that number is as high as 50%! We are going backwards.
After 1964, the government, both at the national and local levels, intervened. Advertising was removed from television and eventually from magazines, newspapers, and billboards. Smoking became socially unacceptable. Smoking was only allowed in the back of the plane and smoking was not allowed in the toilets. Then it was banned in restaurants and eventually, if you wanted to smoke in your workplace, you had to go to a designated area outside the building. Almost everyone, including those who still smoke, knows that this is a very reckless and dangerous habit that shortens your life and causes untold suffering and disability.
If you need surgery, it may be time to quit smoking (illustrative) (photo: INGIMAGE)
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU USE TOBACCO? Smoking increases your risk of heart disease and stroke by up to four times, you are 25 times more likely to get lung cancer and there is also a risk of 12 other types of cancer. That’s not all. You also increase your risk of lung diseases such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases such as bronchitis and emphysema) and asthma. Smoking causes fertility problems, premature births, several eye diseases and increases your risk of diabetes by up to 40%. Smoking causes general adverse effects on the body including inflammation and decreased immune function and is a cause of rheumatoid arthritis. I think you get the point.
The bottom line is that we need to change our mindset and take responsibility for our health. They knew back in 1950 that cigarettes were bad for our health. They had to wait, for some reason, until there were 7,000 papers, studies and reports that all concluded that tobacco was bad.
This goes beyond cigarettes. We know today, from thousands of studies, the absolute harm and damage done by eating ultra-processed foods. But unlike cigarettes, which carry warning labels and are heavily taxed to make them expensive, highly processed foods like hot dogs, pastrami, and salami, which are just as dangerous, do not have explicit warning labels like cigarettes.
Steps to become healthier
Here in Israel we have these red circles that warn us about excessive salt, excessive sugar, excessive fat. For the average person, that doesn’t always mean “this food is bad for you.” It all comes down to personal responsibility.
IF YOU put petrol (kerosene) in your car, you are giving it the right fuel. You wouldn’t think of putting diesel in it – even if it was cheaper – because it would ruin your engine. You wouldn’t put the cheapest motor oil in it either.
But when it comes to our bodies, we are willing to harm and pollute ourselves without thinking about the damage we are doing. So, do we continue to smoke, eat horrible foods, be sedentary and not sleep and think the doctor will fix it? We are constantly putting the wrong fuels and even toxins into our bodies.
By the time your doctor comes into the picture, the fire is already burning and needs to be put out. You are the one who has to prevent as many bad health outcomes as possible. You are the one who has to keep the fire out. There is no pill or supplement that will magically do the trick.
How can this be achieved? The first step is to quit smoking. That includes vaping, which, contrary to popular belief, is just as dangerous as cigarettes. Switch to a plant-based diet with lots of whole foods and become more active.
We now know from years and years of research that for most people the best way to go about this is to just do it. The baby step approach may work for some, but for most, as uncomfortable as it may be for a few days or weeks, abstaining from addictive behaviors completely is the best way to overcome addictive behavior. In the case of food addiction, you substitute non-addictive real foods in abundance for the food-like items we rightly call junk food and for animal products high in fat and cholesterol.
No one can do this for you. Coaches and people like me can help you get on track with various motivational tools. Your doctor can try to save you after the fact. But ultimately, it is you, the person who has the greatest chance of “adding hours to your day, days to your year, and years to your life.”
The author is a health and wellness coach and personal trainer with over 25 years of professional experience. He is the director of The Wellness Clinic and can be reached at [email protected]
