Your Opinion: Meat is not the cause of obesity

Dear Editor:

I have some good news for all those poor souls who are being led to believe that meat is the root of all evil.

You do not have to give up meat or dairy products to lose weight.

Mr. Timonn makes it sound like the sole source of obesity is meat.

It is not.

Since the invention of TV, video games, computers and cell phones we Americans have had a problem with our girth. Add to that our addictions to junk food - sweets, soda, processed chips, cracker, and cookies - and our inability to leave the table until we are stuffed, it's no wonder we are fat.

Sugar-laden foods have done much more harm to our health and waistline than meat ever has.

Meat can be a great addition to any weight-loss program when fixed properly and eaten in moderation. It gives us vitamins, minerals and amino acids not available in any other form but a supplement. So why give it up?

Lean cuts of meat are approved by the American Heart Association and every major commercial weight-loss program.

Mr. Timonn's 2006 study on obesity found that vegetarians gained the least weight and that could be true - I would just about quit eating on a vegetarian diet - that would effectively cause weight loss, but starvation has other health problems.

If you are really serious about losing weight a sensible diet is a good start - one that includes meat and dairy as well as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Exercise is a must - even if it is only walking.

Eat less. We are a gluttonous society. We expect to get our money's worth at restaurants; we super-size our fast food orders; we eat until we are miserable. Learn to cook at home and avoid the full-plate trap.

Turn off the couch-potato devices. While you are insisting on healthy school lunches make sure that lean meat and dairy are a part of it. Your kids deserve all the nutrients they can get.

If you enjoy meat there is no reason to be guilt tripped into giving it up, just eat it sensibly.