INTERVIEW WITH DR. DORIE FROM TheCelebrity Cafe.com ARCHIVES
DM) What did you do before you started studying health?
DD) I have always had an interest in health, perhaps because I went on my first diet at the age of 10. After that point, I began to investigate nutrition and fitness. I studied bioengineering in college and earned my doctorate in that field, giving me foundations in the area of physical health. I decided to apply my degree in the area of weight issues because I had struggled so long with my own weight problem and wanted to help others find their way to freedom. I subsequently returned to school to earn a master's degree in education with a specialization in counseling, giving me foundations in the areas of mental and emotional health.
DM) Isn't ten years old kind of young to be on a diet?
DD) Yes. In fact, it is estimated that about two-thirds of girls have already been on their first diet by their tenth birthday. As a young girl, I felt enormous pressure to lose weight in order to 'fit in.' Many of my classmates were fasting or taking diet pills as a means of losing weight, even though none of us really needed to be concerned about weight at all. It is tragic, because I probably would not have struggled with my weight as an adult if I had not thought I needed to lose weight as a young girl. Our young people are creating their own weight problems, often leading to severe eating disorders. We need to change the way we think about weight issues and thus prevent future generations from enduring these struggles.
DM) You talk about positive attitudes and messages. How much of an influence does that have on weight loss?
DD) I believe that the messages we say to ourselves determine the outcome of most things in our lives, including weight loss. I say, 'What we think about we bring about.' I used to look in the mirror and see a fat, ugly, undisciplined person. With thoughts like these, it was impossible for me to be truly healthy and happy. By changing my view of myself, and learning to look in the mirror when I was at my highest weight and say, 'I love you,' my whole life began to change. I found that the better I felt about myself, the better care I took of myself. Once I developed a positive attitude, my weight problem began to take care of itself.
DM) How does a positive attitude affect your weight so much?
DD) Self-critical messages used to dominate my life. However, being so hard on myself was only setting me up to cycle between the deprivation of diets and the overindulgence of binge eating. To contrast, when I released my negative self-image, I opened myself up to hearing the guidance of my 'Inner Wisdom.' Our bodies send us valuable information about the amount and type of food we need to eat, as well as the amount and type of activity we need to enjoy: this guidance comes through tuning into 'Inner Wisdom.' My self-critical thoughts drowned out this 'Inner Wisdom,' but self-acceptance allowed me to hear it. 'Inner Wisdom' is what helps us to regulate weight, without having to worry about weight at all.
DM) I see so many of those "Lose 30 lbs. in 30 days" books and infomercials. What do you think of them?
DD) We are bombarded with crazy messages like these every day. 'Lose weight on your lunch hour,' and 'Burn fat instantly' are a few other examples. Physiologically, it is not possible for this to occur. These statements are misleading and send people on yet another elusive quest for weight loss. People need to start asking themselves, 'What do I really want? To lose weight and then gain it right back again?' Or 'Do I want lasting health, happiness, confidence and freedom?' Forget the quick fix and start focusing on what you really want!
DM) But why are there so many 'legitimate' diets out there like Deal a Meal and Weight Watchers?
DD) There is a multi-billion dollar diet industry in our country. Just because these various programs exist does not mean that they are 'legitimate.' It is possible to lose weight by following many of these 'legitimate' programs; however, the weight is gained back in most cases. Even if weight is not regained, there is an ongoing struggle to maintain the weight loss. This is not true freedom! Unfortunately, because there are so many weight loss methods available and people know of no other way to approach weight issues, they keep playing the same old 'weight loss games.' The good news is, there IS another way!!! That's why I wrote "Dr. Dorie's 'DON'T DIET' Book," to guide people to true freedom from their issues with eating and weight.