“Skinny people have problems too”

Five simple words that seemed to summarize so many conversations I’ve been having with people lately about the true value of being skinny.

Does being skinny really equate to having a better life?

Being a part of the Skinny Gene Project, my answer might surprise you. I’d say, “Not necessarily!” 

When I think about the desire to be skinny, I’m reminded of a scene from Jerry Maguire. In the scene Dorothy (Renée Zellweger) and her son Ray are sitting in coach on a plane. Dorothy leans into the aisle and looks longingly towards the people sitting in first-class. Then Ray says, “What’s wrong, mom?” To which Dorothy responds, “It used to be a better meal. Now it’s a better life.”

I feel that somewhere along the way, being skinny has become equated to riding in first class. Something that is afforded by or given to a few, while the rest of us have to sit near the stinky bathroom in coach.

Well, if this is the case, there are a couple of things I’d like you to consider about the people seated in first–class (or for this metaphor, being skinny). Having a first-class ticket doesn’t make it easier to pay their mortgage, and it won’t make them more likable (unless they bought you a ticket too).   Sitting in first-class won’t give you a better marriage, more friends, or get you that much deserved promotion.

Okay, it’s true. Sitting in first-class does have its perks; just like there are some benefits of being “skinny”.  It has been proven that losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, some forms of cancer, etc. Having a healthy weight may also give you more energy to get out and live life.

But… before you buy into the idea of being “skinny”, and upgrade your ticket from coach to first-class, you may want to read the fine print so you know what you are getting.

Here’s what it might say…

Disclaimer (the First-class ticket’s fine print) – Being skinny is not necessarily the same thing as being healthy.  In fact there are ways of getting  “skinny”, like fad diets and quick weight loss schemes, that can damage the body and cause more harm than good. The key is to make healthier choices and to live a healthier lifestyle.

AND

Being skinny may not change the opinions, personality, or negative behavior of others (especially of those unworthy of having you in their life in the first place). It can only change YOU.  If your desire to be skinny is based on pleasing or seeking the approval of anyone else, please know you will most likely be dissatisfied with the final result.

The problem with putting so much emphasis on being “skinny”, is that it makes it seem somewhat unobtainable.  To get over this mental block, don’t focus on being skinny. Focus on you!

Don’t wait to be skinny to love yourself. Otherwise, you’ll have the same problems, just in a skinny body.

So why do we have the word “skinny” in our name (the Skinny Gene Project)? Our name comes from a rebuttal to an excuse we once heard about not being able to lose weight, claiming she couldn’t do it since she didn’t have a “Skinny Gene”.

 That was it! We decided to call the non-profit the Skinny Gene Project, as a way to display our mission to provide everyone with an equal opportunity to create the change they want to see in themselves.

We hope to rid our community of the “skinny”, first-class mentality and evolve more into Southwest Airlines’ open seating format. You see, we all have a Skinny Gene! With it comes the opportunity to choose a different seat or perspective.

So, my advise is to stop admiring others for what they have, and start by empowering yourself to take action from within.  You have a Skinny Gene, now you just have to decide to turn it on !

-MB, Skinny Gene Project Team

Methodist Healthcare Ministries (MHM) is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving low income and uninsured families that would not qualify for federal or state programs that would provide such care. MHM invests well over $30 million annually to provide quality healthcare to the communities surrounding their 3 primary clinics. The Skinny Gene Diabetes Prevention Program will be implemented in two of these facilities, Wesley Health and Wellness and Dixon Clinic.

The Wesley Health and Wellness Center provides care for one of the most under-served populations in San Antonio. The area has nearly 100,000 individuals (90% Hispanic), of which more than half are 185% below the federal poverty guidelines. The Dixon Clinic provides medical and counseling services to a community on San Antonio’s east side, which has a large African-American population.

In 2009, Kevin Moriarty, President and CEO, expressed to the Skinny Gene Project his great concern for the growing obesity and diabetes epidemic that was affecting their communities. MHM has excellent programs in place to help their patients control their diabetes, but they realized a more aggressive approach would be needed  to fend off this disease. To better serve their communities, Kevin decided to take it take it one step further and implement a program that focuses on diabetes prevention.

As of April 2010, we are proud to announce that the Skinny Gene Diabetes Prevention Program is successfully being implemented at MHM. Over the next 12-months, our bilingual nutritionist (Nancy Juarez), under the supervision of our Senior Registered Dietitian (Emily Barr,MS,RD,CNSC), will be working one-on-one with a total of 15 patients to help them adopt healthy lifestyle changes and prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Here are some of the new members of our Skinny Gene Family, San Antonio!

We’ve asked Nancy to share her experiences with us. Here’s what she had to say….

Methodist Healthcare Ministries (MHM) is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving low income and uninsured families. Their first and utmost interest is to provide the best quality healthcare they are able to offer to their patients. They provide medical, dental, and social services, along with a variety of activities, for the families they serve. They provide after-school care for children, whose parents work late, as well as computer and fitness classes for various ages ranging from children up to seniors. In the short period of time that I have worked in the MHM facility, it has opened my eyes to many possibilities and shown me the kind of help this organization can provide to its patients. Not only is there a sense of community, but there is also a real sense of family. A considerable number of families that benefit from MHM’s services are extremely grateful. If it wasn’t for MHM, these families wouldn’t have access to essential medical care, as well as the expensive medicines required to treat significant conditions and diseases. MHM has top-of-the-line equipment, which makes it possible for them to provide the best quality of care to each of their patients.

As a Skinny Gene nutritionist, I have been very lucky to have been given the opportunity to work with MHM. Since diabetes is a huge issue affecting millions of Americans in South Texas, this program will help these families by teaching them to make better food choices in order to achieve a longer and healthier life. We are currently making a difference in the lives of 15 individuals who are a part of our inaugural program at MHM. I am personally working with each of these wonderful people who are all grateful to Methodist for putting our Skinny Gene Diabetes Prevention Program in their lives. Each patient has an immediate family member or relative that has been diagnosed with diabetes, and after seeing the impact the condition has on their lives, want to prevent it from affecting them or their children.

Prior to this program, these patients (all at-risk of developing diabetes) had never been instructed by a personal nutritionist or dietitian on what they should or shouldn’t eat to lead a healthy life. Having the opportunity to have a nutritionist to guide them along the way to attain their goals is a dream to them.

All of these wonderful people are extremely motivated and excited to make very good use of what is being taught to them.

I have something in common with most of these patients—we come from Mexican descent.  As a bilingual nutritionist familiar with their culture and customs, I am able to communicate to them in a way that is meaningful and relevant to their lives. I am very pleased with the progress we have made in the short time we’ve had, but in time the difference will be noticeable and we will have paved the road for a healthier life.

Soon, change will be popping up all around you.  The dewdrops will dry, and the snow will melt away, providing the perfect landscape for you to get out and enjoy life.

March means the end of a frigid winter (for some of you),a  St. Patrick’s Day celebration, March Madness, the start of Baseball season, and the last 90 days before swimsuit season.

Soon you’ll swap your winter jackets, fleeces, and oversized sweaters for sundresses and shorts; maybe that’s why March is also National Nutrition Month.

It’s time to say farewell to those holiday pounds and added winter weight.

It’s time to SPRING FORWARD.

The shamrock symbolizes the rebirth of Spring. This year, let it also be a reminder of the importance of eating green.

Changing our eating behavior can be difficult, but the changing of the seasons presents the perfect opportunity to let go of hesitation and fears.

We’ll help you plant new seeds for a healthier future.

 “May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been,
The insight to know where you are, and the foresight to known when you’ve gone too far”- Irish Slainte