The Age of Consumer Diligence
“WLS, The Age of Consumer Diligence & How It Effects You” FREE Report Released at 9am US EST, Monday 17th December, 2007!
(Leave your comments in the ‘Leave a Reply’ box below)
I’m thrilled to let you know the FREE report I’ve been working on for the last couple of weeks is ready for you to download.
It’s a must read if you are morbidly obese or considering any type of Weight Loss Surgery.
This is what I’d like you to do next:
- If you haven’t got your copy yet, go here and download it now:
Download it here - Tell you your friends and peers about it using our easy to use form here:
Tell your friends here - And finally, let me know what you think in the ‘Leave a reply’ box below
Thanks and I’m really looking forward to hearing your comments,
Julianne (JK)
December 17th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Thanks Pat,
I agree.
I’m tired of watching movies and TV and seeing large people being made fun off.
But then everywhere I turn there is an ad of some kind mesmerizing me into eating more food.
I have a problem with food, I admit it - that doesn’t mean I’m a ‘glutton’, it means I have a genuine problem just like an alcoholic does but for anyone with a food addiction life is much tougher.
Glad you enjoyed it Pat!
JK
December 17th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
I enjoyed reading the report and all i have left to ask is where do i turn to get the best information to have or have not the surgery.?
December 17th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
I wish everyone could hear and or read this report!
December 17th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
Hi, its only a very short while until this report starts making it into the hands of thousands of people like you.
I’m just testing these comments work, if this comment is all you see then congratulations because you are the first to leave a comment!
Julianne (JK)
December 17th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
Sorry, this report plays into the
“Victim Stance”
“It’s not my fault”, “Corporate Greed did this to me”,
While there are all these true factors at play, each individual makes “choices” and each choice has a consequence. I choose what I put into my body, no-one puts a gun to my head and forces me.
December 17th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
Thanks - I think the report really speaks about what no one is talking about.. and that is people who are large are ttreated unfairly by society.
Well done JK, it had to be said.
Pat
December 17th, 2007 at 8:16 pm
Hi Ginette,
so glad you enjoyed the report.
It has taken a lot of time, thought and research to put together.
If you have friends you think may benefit from reading it, please use this form to let them know:
http://www.weight-loss-surgery-secrets.com/tell-friends/tell-your-friends.htm
..or see the link in point #2 at top of this page.
Where to get the right kind of information is something I we will be discussing over the coming weeks.
There is a ‘Way’ to do it correctly and sources that can be trusted which I will let you know about soon.
Thanks for your comments Ginette,
JK
December 17th, 2007 at 8:55 pm
Hi Victor,
I really enjoy your opposing stance, and respect your right to voice it.
I fully expected some people would say they felt the message too ‘I’m a victim’ in tone.
But the fact is billions of dollars are spent each year to get me to consume. And billions more are spent to devise a process for making the billions already spent even more effective.
No one holds a gun to the head of an alcoholic, heroin addict, meth addict nor gambling addict either, but we recognize these people self-destruct because they have a problem which has deeper roots than the substance of whisky or a deck of cards.
And we understand and forgive them for it, create programs to reach out and save them from themselves.
The morbidly obese, are similarly addicted to food. We look terrible, we’re incredibly unhealthy, humiliated, shunned, ridiculed, discriminated but we continue to eat — why?
It is obviously not a lifestyle choice. Why would we choose to be miserable, unattractive and unhealthy until we die an early death and not see our kids grow up?
Its a combination of the 7 items in my report, especially the final 2 — genetics and addiction.
I’m not outright saying we have laid motionless while the sinister world did this to us, what I’m saying is despite our good intentions and inspired efforts, the deck is stacked against us.
The machinery of the consumerist-society, namely manufacturers, retailers, advertisers and creed know what cards we are holding because they gave them to us. The information we use to make our daily consumptions decisions were given to us, not randomly but with scientific precision, by the enemy-in-disguise.
64% of Americans are overweight, so its not just the morbidly obese who are succumbing to these influences…. remember there was a time when we were simply ‘overweight’ also.
But there is a minority amongst us that does not have the same resilience-to-resist and unfortunately are ‘possessed’ by unforgiving genes.
The ultimate message of the report is “Stop being the unbeknownst-victim and take back your power”.
Great.
Thanks Victor,
JK
December 18th, 2007 at 9:23 am
genes are so important I think.
for yearsI’ve been saying my genes make it so difficult for me to stayslim and more than one person has said that’s just an ‘excuse’.
but I roomed with my best friend in college and we ate the same meals 3 times a day for almost 2 years and I put on 50lbs but she put on only 15
she is naturally skinny and has always been able to eat pretty much anything she wants but for me everything makes me gain weight
mandy
December 18th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
I don’t feel like I am a victim of advertisers, though there is a kind of schizophrenic thing going on in magazine and TV ads– thinness idolized obsessively– cheek and jowl with pictures of seductive foods and the good life.
I am considering WLS, though the article about
the higher risks for people my age frightenened me. (I am 64). I won’t have money for skin issues afterwards, so I may trade fat for looking like one of those skin-crinkled dogs. I may die, but then I may die without the surgery. Heck, I know I am going to die at some point.
if I don’t do anything.
December 18th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
Mandy, I hear you - I’ve alway been an extremely easy gainer while I’ve seen work colleagues eat terribly but remain slim — no fair!
December 18th, 2007 at 11:38 pm
Mary,
I don’t inherently feel like a victim of advertising either but I think that is more a credit to the sophistication of modern advertising.
A UK based NLP expert, hypnotist and magician called Derren Brown was able to predict down to a fine detail the ad campaign created by a team of 2 advertising executives.
He did this by using the same tactics advertisers use everyday to stimulate our “consume” gland without us even knowing.
And he did it in just 20 minutes, whereas advertisers have years to work on us.
Rather than I explain exactly what he did, take a look at this youtube video..
December 20th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
I agree, people are treated bad if that are overweight and it is sad to say that they know that they are treating overweight people bad. I did not gain all my weight until I was in college and just keep gaining.
Something needs to be done about all these advertisements.
Rob
December 21st, 2007 at 12:43 am
Yes Rob, overweight people are treated as if they are a different race of people or as if we have no feelings.
Sitting in a room with ‘normal’ weight friends while a TV show makes fun of obesity is humiliating but that kind of thing happens all the time.
…..
It will take an almighty force to stop the penetration of advertisements deeper into our personal space, its the way things are going.
Its up to us to be diligent in our consumption decisions!
December 23rd, 2007 at 11:37 am
I realize that i have an addiction to food and that i need help. Moreover, i must find the help and support wherever i can to gain my power to succeed in this war .
December 23rd, 2007 at 9:36 pm
I so agree with you Ginette.
Ihad never thought of it as an addiction but thats exactly what it is.
No matter how hard i try not to eat I always do… actually the harder I try usually the more I’ll binge when I finally break.
I feel good for a while, I used to think I feel full but I dont think its that. Its something else, like everything is ok but the ‘high’ is followed by a drop and I feel really bad about eating again.
December 23rd, 2007 at 11:54 pm
Ginette and Helen,
there are health professionals that acknowledge food addiction is a very real illness that results in extreme weight and health problems.
JK
December 24th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
The note I left previously was unfinished because I was interrupted by a visitor.
There is a great deal about myself that I rarely share with friends and family– I try to keep my relationships friendly and pleasant, and my public face positive. I feel anything but those things in my relationship with myself. I hate that I get depressed and can’t turn off the gloomy thoughts that cast a shadow on what should be good times– like Christmas.
I can think back to the same lonely withdrawal since early teens when I was thin. So I can’t blame my mental attitude entirely on being 120 pounds overweight. But it certainly doesn’t help me. Sometimes, happiness catches me unawares, and the world is transformed again– all things are possible, there is hope and beauty, and I find myself reaching out to others and they respond to me and not my weight. I am creative, energetic, charming– when I am happy being me.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t take drugs, never have, except prescriptions. Nor am I a drinker, and never have been. I don’t smoke anything. It just seems that. for whatever reason, I go through cycles of sadness and happiness, and I can’t seem to change the pattern. Why this strong swing in my mood happens, I don’t understand. I suspect it has to do with seretonin and other chemical balances inherent in the brain.
In reading Helen Jakob’s message. I recognize the same thing. Now add to this sad/happy cycle a food “addiction.” I can’t separate food from memories and associations. I grew up in a large family, and though my father worked very hard, we all suffered very real deprivation on many levels. There was not much under the tree at Christmas, but we had all the food we wanted for Christmas dinner. All celebrations were food-centered. To this day, family gatherings are food-centered. Food=happy times. Hard-wired association.
When I feel depressed and hopeless about things,
I turn to food to make me feel happy again. The thing is that it works– for a very short time.
Special occasions now are haunted by those I loved who are now dead: A brother committed suicide on Christmas eve many years ago; my father died on New Year’s eve, shortly after a sister died of cancer; my son died near Thanksgiving. I find myself crying during holidays more than at other times. I am aware of the many health problems that other family members have, and feel increased anxiety during the holidays.
Getting ready for holidays, I clean my house , as if that will give me holiday spirit, I decorate the house top to bottom, and cook great quantities of food, most of which will just go into the freezer or be thrown away because circumstances are such
that we have very few people who are available to share holidays with us anymore. And I eat too much, trying to get that happy feeling.
And this is at the very same time when I have resolved not to overeat. It is like I have two minds in conflict, one of them rational, the other impulse-driven and emotional.
I know that there are likely deep-seated emotional problems behind my relationship with food, but the thing is, if I have not resolved these issues at the age of 64, is it likely I will resolve them ever? Probably not.
I resent a medical system that heaps blame on obese people who already carry loads of self-recrimination and sadness of being. I am easily wounded by the derogatory remarks of people. But no one can be more critical of me than I am myself.
So where is my hope? Another diet among dozens of failed attempts? Those who think weight loss surgery is a cop-out are wrong. It is risky, difficult, and painful, but certainly no more so than the everyday torment suffered by obese people who statistically have less than a 5% chance of achieving normal weight no matter how hard they try.
While we need to know the truth about the surgery, and understand it independently of the spin of financial stake holders, it is
a hope. Personally, I think the future of this health problem is in managing brain chemistry better– but we are decades away from enough scientific knowledge, and I don’t have that long to wait.
With love to all who have thus suffered.
Mary D
December 29th, 2007 at 11:37 am
Hi Mary,
Merry Christmas.
Sadness seems such a common element in the lives of morbidly obese people.
I can say this for a fact because I did a couple of surveys of the 5000 or so people that receive my emails and was amazed at the heart ache felt by them.
The average person on the street knows so much about anorexia because it has been publicly discussed so many times, featured in countless documentaries and reality shows.
But the plight of the morbidly obese is still very much a mystery, and until it is publicly discussed and treated as a real social problem, we will continue to be misunderstood and made fun of.
I myself am a sufferer, but even so, I never realized how universal the feelings of hurt, humiliation and sadness are.
And I think for all of us, food is the first solve we reach for. We try to mend our damaged hearts by over-filling our stomachs, a method we’ve proven to ourselves has no long-term benefit.
But I’m sure what it does do is stimulate our brains to create a chemical environment which is condusive to experiencing happiness.
As brief as it is, for a short while we feel better about the world, about ourselves and the life we are living.
So I agree with you Mary that the real solution will come from managing brain chemistry, whether by chemical ingestion or by behavioral therapy, because first and foremost, morbid obesity is the result of a behavioral disorder which is impervious to the sentiments of dieting alone.
I believe the ultimate solution for many, but not all, is weight loss surgery. It is a difficult path to take and those that take it deserve our admiration because it is a path only the brave dare to tread. In combination with the right therapies, WLS is a great hope like you say Mary.
But it is not for everyone, and the different types of surgery and surgeons to perform them are many. So its not just a matter of choosing your friendly-neighborhood-surgeon because the consequences of the wrong decision can be devastating.
Which brings me full-circle to what I said in my report - “Be diligent or perish”.
It really is the Age of Consumer Diligence, marketing spin clogs all channels of information delivery so you must be very diligent in your research - Find a source that “REALLY tells it like it is”.
Thanks for a great blog comment Mary,
JK
December 30th, 2007 at 8:11 am
[…] Kennedy has created will appeal to readers struggling with obesity (read their comments here http://blog.weight-loss-surgery-secrets.com/?p=5) the report does cover 7 well thought-out reasons why morbid-obesity is inevitable for sufferers, […]
December 31st, 2007 at 4:11 am
Thank you for an interesting article. I live in Canada where no doctor gains ANYTHING by my decision to seek WLS, which I recently did. On the contrary, there are very specific requirements that a person needs to meet to be accepted into a surgery program. In the USA, the health care system is, pardon the pun, very sick. Doctors make MORE money if you are unwell and what is the biggest part of the population to make money on? The overweight, obese and morbidly obese. Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, to name a few, all require constant monitoring by a physician, not to mention the benefits to the drug companies!
I would have liked a more impartial opinion on WLS. It took me 5 years to decide to have the surgery that in 3 short months, has changed my life. There are MANY places to find support, opinions, facts and risks about WLS. It is definitely not the “easy” way out. I fight for every pound I shed and I must fight everyday for the rest of my life. This was the agreement I HAD to make in order to live. I went through a fair amount of pain and I will have the scar to remind me of my decision for the rest of my life. I have had to look within myself and figure out WHY I eat when I am emotional and STOP that behavior. Right now, I am doing okay but when I have that overwhelming feeling, I head for the water jug since I am physically incapable of eating the ice-cream I used to. I still have to “feed” the feeling but am trying a better way to do it until I can do better.
I did like the information about the genes with regard to weight. It is difficult to come to terms with a long family history of obesity but I am going to find my body’s healthiest weight, not my “head’s” idea of weight. Additionally, the part of the article dealing with food as a substance that can NEVER be avoided to “cure” my addiction, such as alcohol can be with alcoholics, was wonderful to read. I would like to add that our culture is OBSESSED with food. We use it to celebrate, congratulate, spend time with loved ones, work with (business lunches), comfort as well as so much more. Don’t we all have those “special” foods for the holidays? Or the favorite restaurant to go to for a birthday meal? How many people out there decide to do physical activity for occasions? Not many. And this is sad.
I work with children and refuse to have any video games or television available during the kids’ time with me. I don’t want them bombarded with subliminal messages about food or anything else. I have lost a client or two because I don’t have “electronic” entertainment. Where are the days when people went to the park together? I am often the ONLY person at a park with children, except for the “picture perfect” weather days.
We, as a society, need to battle the prejudice we see on tv and hear in our daily lives, about obese people. The word “fat” is considered a bad word in my home and NO ONE uses it or you get the same consequences you would if you said “f*ck”. We need to correct people and bring attention to the ones who snicker behind our backs. As a lesbian woman, I have to do this on a whole other level as well. Ever hear people say “that is SO gay”. I automatically turn to a person and ask “what is SO awesome that you are speaking of?” This needs to happen with language that is derogatory to the larger population as well. We wouldn’t DREAM of putting someone down by their race and so we shouldn’t DREAM of putting someone down because of their size. It ALL starts at home, so start with your own positive language first and others will follow.
“A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Meade
I apologize for the long post.
Nicole from Canada
January 2nd, 2008 at 6:20 pm
I do not know what the answer is however i am thinking of having WLS because i do not know what else i can do to stop being obese.
January 3rd, 2008 at 12:30 am
I agree that we need to do our OWN due diligence. I do NOT agree that every M.O. person is a food addict, nor that the advertisements are to blame. I do not agree with the FACTS about WLS that you present. Your statistics and documentation are severely lacking. I believe that YOUR article is slanted and comes off as ‘angry’. I have seen it posted on message boards for WLS support as SPAM.
WlS is drastic and for most of us a ‘last resort’. I had WLS 3 years ago….for my health and I have absolutely NO regrets.
YES, do your research and make YOUR own decision. IF you can lose weight without surgery………wonderful. Being HONEST with ourselves is the toughest part of all this.
January 3rd, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Hi Nicole,
thanks for your thoughtful comment.
I love that quote from Margaret Meade… this is another great one from her:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughful committed citizens can change the world”
I’m glad you enjoyed my report. I was written to ’shake-some-trees’ and introduce a few neglected ideas into the mix; thanks for appreciating them.
I feel the inner-searching you spoke about is so important because it is like toiling the soil in preparation of a new and different crop. Its not progress per se but there cannot be sustainable progress without digging-deep within and discovering your true motivations.
Congratulations on your surgery and I wish you the greatest success in your goals.
Please update us from time to time.
JK
January 3rd, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Hi Beckey,
thanks so much for your comment.
Every statistic in the report is from a referenced source. If you have other statistics please share them with us.
But I hope you don’t feel I’m against WLS, because that is definitely not what I’m about.
I think WLS is a great and wonderful decision which can change lives absolutely for the better.
If anyone decides to go ahead with WLS, they have my best wishes, respect and admiration… as do you Beckey.
The whole ‘thrust’ of my report is PLEASE, PLEASE do enough research before you make your decision. I’m not saying do enough until you convince yourself its not a good idea.
On the contrary, if you decide its a good idea I’m trying to be the little voice that drives to put in the time and effort it takes to discover things like:
- is now the right timing for you?
- which is the best procedure for you?
- who is the best surgeon for the procedure you chose?
- do you know enough about what to expect after the surgery
- etc
Why? Because I’ve witnessed too many of my own friends and acquaintances dive-in unprepared and finish with results much less than they were hoping, only to come to their own realization that they didn’t know enough before they made the important decisions.
Yes it does sound a bit angry, but that was more to make it an interesting read rather than anything else… a bit of controversy to stir-the-pot.
But let me close by saying Beckey, I’m not against WLS and don’t discourage it at all.
I think you’re very brave and I celebrate your success.
JK
January 5th, 2008 at 2:57 am
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article “WLS, The Age of Consumer Diligence & How It Effects You” FREE Report Released at 9am US EST, Monday 17th December, 2007!, but I guess I just need to check some more resources regarding this, because it sounds interesting.
January 5th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Hi Daniel,
which parts didn’t you undertand?
Let me know and I’ll go over them with you.
JK
January 10th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Thank-you Julianne for your response.
I am pleased that you did post my comment and respond to it. To be honest, I did not expect you to at all because the intial information that I was able to get from the article seemed ANTI WLS.
I understand exactly what you are saying. I agree that each person needs to do their own research, and I also believe that it should not be a quick and easy/fast decision. I believe that WLS is NOT for everyone, nor is it a quick fix. While I did have WLS and my health has benefitted immensely from it, I will tell people that it is not easy, it is life changing, it is MAJOR surgery, and most of all it is VERY PERSONAL.
Being Honest with ourselves is not the easiest thing to do….but we must.
January 12th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Julienne, I have an informed consent website for WLS at:
http://obesitysurgery-info.com
So there ARE places that you can hear the full story.
January 17th, 2008 at 12:39 am
[…] downloading my free report from here , […]
January 21st, 2008 at 5:37 am
I wanted to comment on those who say that there is a choice on what we eat. Well yes I guess we do but that depends on your financial position. The poor can not afford the food that is good for you, limited budget means cheap food.
Another thing to consider is food labelling. There are laws for listing what goes inside the food we eat but they are not forceful enough to make the manufactures and suppliers list EVERYTHING.
Advertising is everywhere and in my own opinion, more money and effort is spent on advertising to the young than ever before.
It is sad to say that it seems that only the ‘over weight’ is shouting loud about our diets, what constitutes as food and what ingredients are being used. Surely the production of food is a concern for everyone what ever your size.
This eBook makes it’s point well, indeed it’s many points. Including weather we are victims. We are all victims - overweight or now. We have such little control over the advertising that we see everyday and what goes in to the food chain.
Keep up the good work Julianne
January 29th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
I have listened to “The Age of Consumer Diligence” audio and downloaded your new book, Weight Loss Surgery Secrets. Finally, an independent voice amidst all the marketing and advertising hype! It is excellent.
I was just wondering whether you could recommend a link for ADHD in children. My daughter has a lot of problems with processed food and I think many of the issues are similar to your concerns. Bob Toovey (above) hits the nail on the head when he says food production and advertising is a problem for everyone.
Thanks again for your book. I have recommended it to my weight loss group.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Thanks Therese
I agree that Bob is right on the money about advertising and food production being a problem for everyone.
As for ADHD, that is way outside of my field of experience. However, I have a friend who had great success with changing the diet of her daughter, so that she avoided all artificial preservatives, colors and flavors. She started the journey by reading a book by Sue Dengate, called ‘Fed Up’ - her website is www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info.
That might give you some information.
JK
February 26th, 2008 at 10:59 am
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article The Age of Consumer Diligence, but I guess I just need to check some more resources regarding this, because it sounds interesting.
March 10th, 2008 at 9:07 am
You title has a grammatical error. It should be “Affects You”, not “Effects You”.
August 20th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Weight Loss Surgery SECRETS
Being morbidly obese can cause your life to change for the worse. From a recent survey, it was determined that there are over eight million Americans who are facing morbid obesity. Along with morbid obesity comes a variety of symptoms that can lead to …