I listened to David Attenborough on BBC Radio 4, talking about Birds of Paradise

I listened to David Attenborough on BBC Radio 4 this morning, talking for ten fascinating minutes about Birds of Paradise. See BBC webpage

He explained how, in the 16th century, having never seen living Birds of Paradise, Western European naturalists came to hold irrational beliefs about these birds. These beliefs included that these birds had no wings or feet, and that the female bird laid her eggs on the back of the male up in the clouds. Some of these foolish and erroneous beliefs even entered the reference books and largely held sway until early in the 19th century when for the first time a European actually saw a Bird of Paradise alive and flying in the forest in New Guinea.

This may remind you of the erroneous belief of the Flat-Earthers of long ago. Or you may be reminded of the long-ago belief that the Sun revolves around the Earth, rather than that the Earth revolves around the Sun. - In the latter case, it was the all-powerful Catholic Church, in the form of the Inquisition, that harshly punished (for 'heresy') any scientist who thought logically and examined the empirical evidence and came to the correct conclusion that the Earth revolves around the Sun.

I myself am reminded of a present-day erroneous belief held by the too-powerful medical profession, namely that obesity is caused by eating too much and/or taking too little exercise, i.e. a combination of greed and indolence, often expressed as the Calories In/Calories Out explanation of obesity.

The wrong beliefs of the past about Birds of Paradise, the shape of the Earth and the relationship of the Earth to the Sun may have caused some intellectual/scholarly problems and, in shameful instances, some physical cruelty, but these adverse consequences pale into insignificance when we consider the huge and terrible harm done by the Calorie Myth as the explanation of how obesity is caused and how best it can be prevented or reduced.

Millions of innocent people of all ages all over the world are being caused great physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and economic suffering because the arrogant, ill-informed medical profession and its retinues continue to give the wrong information and harmful, incorrect advice on the subject of obesity.

Eating less and exercising more does NOT reduce obesity and millions of overweight people know from experience that it doesn't.

People who are overweight/fat/obese are sensitive to salt, which for them can result in sodium and water retention and therefore, obviously, weight gain. This in turn can result in calcium deficiency, which causes fat retention. Reducing salt intake reduces both the fluid retention and the fat retention. - Reducing calories does not address the fluid retention problem at all and that is the explanation for the fact that diets don't work.

Prescription drugs including many steroids, many antidepressants, anti-psychotics and epilepsy drugs as well as other pharmaceuticals, are a major cause of fluid retention/obesity/salt sensitivity and especially of morbid obesity. - Avoid taking prescription drugs unless they are absolutely necessary.

Try to forget you ever heard of calories! - The safe, effective way to lose excess weight is to cut down on salt/sodium and salty food. - Why not try it?

Lose weight, reduce your risk of most cancers, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, heart attack, vascular dementia, stroke, osteopenia, osteoporosis, hypercholesterolaemia, depression, liver damage and kidney problems, and improve your health in many other ways without drugs, hunger or expense by eating less salt! - Try it! - You will feel so much better! See my website www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk
The site does not sell anything and has no banners or sponsors or adverts - just helpful information.

Read my Mensa article on Obesity and the Salt Connection

And see Sodium in foods and

http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/story.html - my 'political' page

amitriptyline

prescribed steroids and HRT

See advice for pregnant mothers

Children and Obesity

Associated health conditions

and FAT RETENTION

http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/socio.html - social and economic considerations.

Global Warming issues.

Abuse and incompetence in fight against global warming - The Guardian

Extract:

"A Guardian investigation has found evidence of serious irregularities at the heart of the process the world is relying on to control global warming.

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which is supposed to offset greenhouse gases emitted in the developed world by selling carbon credits from elsewhere, has been contaminated by gross incompetence, rule-breaking and possible fraud by companies in the developing world, according to UN paperwork, an unpublished expert report and alarming feedback from projects on the ground."

A change in the moral climate? - Sir David Attenborough speaks about Global Warming in The Guardian.

Extract:

"The environmentalist and veteran broadcaster said: "I am perfectly persuaded that the issue about global warming is a real one and we are headed for a great worsening of the conditions on this planet for life of all kinds. I have no doubt whatsoever of the cause, which is the byproducts of humanity's activities, and therefore we should be curbing them."

But it would be very difficult to impose limits on people's actions, such as their freedom to fly. "It is pie in the sky to say that everybody has got to stop doing everything. That's why the emphasis is on waste," he said, "Me of all people. I have spent my life swanning around the world on aeroplanes. How could I suddenly turn around and say it is wrong? What I'm saying is that we shouldn't be doing it for no good reason."

Sir David was speaking in advance of his Joseph Rotblat memorial lecture at the Guardian Hay festival today. Prof Rotblat was a nuclear physicist who received the Nobel peace prize for his campaign against nuclear weapons. The lecture is staged by the Weapons of Mass Destruction Awareness Programme and speakers are chosen annually for their significant contribution to communicating scientific issues to the public. Sir David will use his lecture to talk about the consequences of climate change for the natural world."


Lose weight by eating less salt! Go on! - Try it! - You will feel so much better!
See my website www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk and
Mensa article about Obesity and the Salt Connection and
http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/socio.html
(The site does not sell anything and has no banners or sponsors or adverts - just helpful information.)