Customer Reviews

Eat, Drink, & Be Merry: America's Doctor Tells You Why the Health Experts are Wrong

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

This is a terrible book for close-minded, prejudiced,"don't confuse me with the facts -- my mind's made up!" typeof people, but an eye-opener for everyone else. Dr. Edell brings a degree of level-headedness and logic to our everyday lives that is refreshing, entertaining, and enlightening. Always willing to adapt to new circumstances and adopt new ideas, his overriding message can probabaly be summmed up in one simple phtase: "Show me the proof!"

While the author is a doctor and the book is about health, it is actually more about enjoying life thasn just living it. The subjects are interesting: drugs, diseases and, yes, sex (none of us would be here without it no matter how dirty you may feel it is, Dr. Edell points out); but the treatment of those subjects is what makes this book a delight to read. Cell phones causing brain tumors? Electric transmission lines causing cancer? Here we find not hype and hypervole, not ratings-boosting sensationalism, but simply a true and unbiased discussion of the scientific facts as we have them today. All this -- and it's a fun read too!

Edell challenges his readers to think by providing mountains of medical research (in easily digestible form). His genuinely folksy charm pokes at our preconceptions. He offers alternatives and, without preaching, tells us why he belives that the media and the self-help gurus are driving us mad by inevitably trying to sell their own products whilst scaring and belittling us into cycles of depression, another fad, another depression.

Here's what the book recommends: Go out and mow the lawn (burns 486 calories); dance with partner (burns 288); garden (burns 587). Oh, and sex! Engage in it often, do what pleases you and your partner. Sex cures headache, raises cardio functioning, relaxes, induces feelings of well-being, and is a drug-free soporific. In short, do what you like, stay active and most of all, enjoy it.

One painfully kind chapter covers a group "unacceptable" fat women who must sneak off to swim when the pool's closed to regulars. (Apparently, they offend "regular" people.) This wonderful hour with the "chubs" sums up Edell's warmth and decency. It also lightens all our burdens by allowing us to enjoy this group's simple pleasure. They're sweet and fun; we see another option.

Here's Edell's essential truth on staying fit: "The relative risk occurs between the lowest level of fitness and the next lowest level of fitness." Thus, anything beyond moving from a sedentary, really bad diet to moderate exercise and a decent diet is somewhat frivolous--unles you take great pleaure in hours at the gym and drinking celery shakes. Being neither pushy nor dogmatic, Edell gives many examples-- backing up their veracity with medical data gleaned from credible, longitudinal studies.

The point here is that we've been struggling, emotionally and physically, to live up to various, ever-changing standards. We force ourselves into regimens that hurt, and ultimately, we fail. To Edell then, don't do it. You'll pay too heavy a psychological price.

Of course I recommend this book. Edell is still fighting for us. One hopes that we as a nation fight back against the neuroses-makers. That said, it's very tough giving it a five-star rating-- those are precious and to be rarely given. But, this a fine book for its genre, so five stars it is.

By utilizing straight talk and scientific studies, Dr. Dean has written an important and immensely readable health book without all of the BS that you find in others. He tells you what you probably already expect- you kookie "I'll just eat protein and fat until I drop 40 pounds or my kidneys fail" folks, and shows how you may be better off improving your mental health instead of yo-yoing your weight every summer. The book is a nice combination of fact and amusing anecdotes that keep the pages turning. So grab a carrot, turn off the T.V., and get MERRY.

Let's face it: radio airtime these days is just brimming with cranks, cretins, and political wackos. For those of us who have had our fill of Dr. Laura and Rush And The Dittoheads, a man like Dean Edell represents a veritable breath of fresh air. Ex-hippie Edell is an erudite, intelligent, and compassionate radio M.D. who cuts through the multilayered nonsense surrounding contemporary health issues and to provide information and wisdom over the airwaves daily. Consequently, to now have available a full-length book by Dr. Edell is a wonderful thing, indeed.

Edell makes his living answering on-the-air listener questions about health issues. He does not prescribe, he shies away from on-the-air diagnoses, and he never bullies his listeners the way certain other talk show hosts habitually do. Instead, he listens, he supports, and he offers sensible advice based upon the latest medical information available. Edell and his staff review health and medical journals by the score, trying to sort out the good studies from the bad, the useful conclusions from the quackery. As a result, he is always worth listening to, and in this case, definitely worth reading.

Edell does not simply proffer "information"; to be sure, his own viewpoint and values are integrally a part of the presentation. But in doing so, he combines knowledge and critical thinking with compassion and a humanistic concern for others. The resulting formulations are in my opinion wise, mature, good-humored, and learned.

Overall, his philosophy is represented by the title of the book, "Eat, Drink & Be Merry." This does not mean we should live our lives with desperate and reckless abandon (since "tomorrow we may die"), but instead that we should accept basically who we are, live in the moment and enjoy life, rather than fretting uselessly over how *long* our lives will be and whether or not our physical appearance is as perfect as that of various movie stars or models. In supporting this philosophical conclusion, Edell demonstrates that drastic dieting and strenuous exercise are of limited benefit to most people, that most people who live to be one hundred years old spend those last decades in ill health, and that to a great extent, "happiness" itself is an elusive product of inborn disposition, rather than the result of following any particular formula, strategy, or philosophy.

Edell shows courage (and to my way of thinking, common sense) when he questions the ferocity of our various wars on drugs, arguing that neither long-term heroin use nor casual recreational marijuana use are nearly as destructive to society overall as are the legal use of alcohol and tobacco. No, he does not come out and advocate any particular policies, but his message that we should rethink our current drug laws and policies is quite clear.

Overall, Edell eschews health fanaticism of all types and urges us to "lighten up" in our approach to health issues. A diet high in fruits and vegetables and reasonably low in fat, a regular but not punitive exercise regimen, an avoidance of smoking and heavy drinking, and a general avoidance of excessive stress and worry seem to be what he's calling for in this book. Edell certainly doesn't address all of the possible questions readers might have about health, diet, and lifestyle, but people who read this book will definitely finish it wiser and better-informed than they were when they first picked it up.

Dean Edell's book is a simple, easy to read, no nonsense book that covers everything from fitness, dieting, food and sex. Tired of the media influence that contributes to misperceptions about how to achieve healthy bodies, fed up with doctors who encourage fad dieting and other harmful "medical" treatments. Dr. Edell intelligently debunks these misconceptions based on evidence presented in prestigious medical journals and his experiences as a physician. This book will help change your health and fitness lifestyle, safely and enjoyably.

I read Dr. Edell's book for a project about America's discourse on weight issues and the powers affecting that discourse. I found his book refreshing and complete with a bibliography of some of the best research being done today. Having read some of the so-called "obesity" research in the journals myself for my project, I can attest to the garbage that is usually published and that the Media prefers to quote over more thorough, controlled, and well-done research that was not affected by the diet industry.

The tons of research he describes will alone give readers a great deal of information that you don't normally hear in traditional media (probably because it's not sensational enough or is too controversial), and would never have had the opportunity to learn about, as most of us do not have the time or the staff to trudge throught the thousands of studies published in medical journals every year.

I found some of the negative reviews here interesting, and contradictory. There was one person complaining that Dr. Edell talks down to the reader and assumes that the public is stupid and can't make up its own mind, then another reader complaining that Dr. Edell wasn't telling him what he should do with his life! Then there were others complaining that he is closed-minded. The only reasons I can see why there would be such contradictory negative comments is that Dr. Edell simply wasn't telling them what they wanted to hear.

As a fat positivist & researcher, I can attest to Dr. Edell's open-mindedness. You will find painfully few doctors as compassionate to large people's experiences with prejudice as Dr. Edell, and as willing to re-consider the popular myths and stereotypes our culture & medical community hold so dear.

As far as alternative medicine, it is true that recognition in the medical community has been difficult to attain. Chiropracticts, acupressure, and acupuncture are becoming more commonly used and have proven their benefits. That having been said, at the same time there's also a lot of crap out there. There are tons of "herbal" stores out there out to make a buck as much at the consumer's health expense as with the diet industry, and I have known people who have been damaged by so-called "herbal remedies." Most of the time the only thing these herbs give people--much like vitamin & mineral supplements--is expensive urine and diarrhea. I would say that the approach to alternative medicine should be the same as any other: always be skeptical, and insist that positive results can be reproduced under controlled conditions. While Dr. Edell may not have been terribly positive about current alternative medicines (and I suspect, their misuse), throughout the book he also emphasizes skepticism regarding modern medical practices that can also be harmful, emphasizing that a study should be thorough with tight controls to avoid tainted results. Again the message: be skeptical! Even M.D.'s are capable of prejudice and bias, and in a couple of spots in the book Dr. Edell does insert his personal opinions, but usually he does emphasize that they are his opinions.

The only possible "negative" I would say about the book is that Dr. Edell does cover a wide variety of health subjects in one medium-length book. That makes some of his statements and cited research lacking in real deep analysis and explanations. If he decides to write another book, I would suggest he try to narrow his focus to a particular area so he can cover it in more depth.

Otherwise, I would consider EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY an excellent read, especially for laypersons wishing the opportunity to learn of good research studies that seldom get published in mainstream media and don't have the time to sift through thousands of articles in medical journals on their own.

Dean Edell is one of the few media health authorities I consider worth listening to. He actually reads studies, instead of press releases, and he is neither mindlessly pro-doctor nor mindlessly eager to trip down the path of the latest alternative fad. This book summarizes current information about alternative medicine, diet, exercise, obesity, and sex -- and comes out with the message that if you do what you enjoy and use common sense, you'll be taking the best possible care of your health. How refreshing!

My one caveat is that, although Dr. Dean is a charming and funny writer, he is not a particularly succinct or clear one. Sometimes he will make contradictory statements within the same paragraph, or introduce a factoid without explaining what conclusion he intends to support with it. I found the book frustratingly woolly-headed at times. The science, however, is clear and elegant, and the message is one that needs to be heard by a society increasingly neurotic and obsessed with everything it puts in its mouth.

As anyone who has listened to his radio show can attest, Dr. Edell is an absurdly bright, learned, and even-handed authority on all things health related. His common sense assessments of popular health fads and scams is a welcome voice of reason, and his insistence that all medical claims be backed up by some hard scientific evidence irritates the alternative and traditional health industries to no end. While clearly this puts him at odds with fashionable and gullible consumers and the fantastically profitable health industry, his old hippie credintials and his liberal attitudes on social issues distinguish him as an open-minded, informed and clear thinking skeptic -- a model that we'd all do well to emulate.

All right, it's a good book! However, Dr Edell's book was a surprise to me. I expected a book of medical problems that affect people...you know the story of life and changes we go thru on the way toward death. He's a doctor and that's the sort of book doctor's write. Instead it was the everyday conditions of life and how they effect our well being. One of the big messages through out the book is that nothing is so simple or clearcut as the media medicos would like you to believe. We are all truely unique. An interesting example was Winston Churchill who lived more than 90 years eating wrong,smoking,and not exercising. How come? I really enjoyed the last chapter on happiness. Out of this I thought about what was the point of exercise, or eating healthy,or regular doctor visits. Even the value of having an unhappy, high paying, stress packed job. How about living to ancient old age? I recommend reading this chapter 1st and then reading the rest of the book. This isn't really a medical book, it's more of a book of truthful knowledge. For me it was knowing we're all going to die but using our time to build the life we really want and not be led around by life's fear mongers.

Eat, drink and be merry, that sums up the book. Well written, with entertaining stories. Dr. Dean can dwell on subject matter, maybe too long for what he needed to tell. He gave up his medical practice to start his radio show. Much of what he writes can be heard on this program. This now gives him the time to spend on research. I agree with his no nonsense approach, but at times he does seem to condemn those who have differing ideas. The hope is the book will help us to make better decisions.

Edell believes our society is more anxiety prone about our health than in the past. He says we have been conned into believing what the perfect woman should look like. He also believes we meddle with our bodies too much. For the most part our body can take care of itself and your body will tend to let you know. He discusses injury lawyers, the media, weight loss scams, myths, and his early years. Genetics seem to play a major role in our health. Where do doctors come from, and what to look for in a professional.

He gives us the facts on drugs and alcohol. Alcohol and nicotine can be one of the worst, although two drinks a day seams to be beneficial. Cigarettes are considered to be the gateway to illegal drugs. By the way, "there is no such thing as the stomach flu", and we over prescribe antibiotics.

We may change our thinking when it comes to exercise. "Is it an exceptable tradeoff to gain two years of ones life on a treadmill [going nowhere] to gain two years of life?"

So what does it take to have a long healthy life? Rid yourself of stress, anger, hostility, exhaustion, depression, and loss of control. The Dr. says to eat a varied diet with smaller meals. Remember, there is no exact science.