Hi {!firstname_fix}

I have just finished attending a four-day seminar in New York City on working with the media. I met with people from Oprah, Montel, The View, Conan O'Brien, Fox News, 48 hours and many, many radio stations. The seminar was designed to teach us to do an effective *pitch* in 3 minutes. This means distilling your life in a sound bite (smile). Sort of like relaying the American Revolutionary War as - the British invaded the country, we won the war. Since I am a story teller rather than a sound biter, this was pretty difficult. Of course, if I was skilled at it, I would not have been at the seminar. I know you all know how it feels when we get stretched way beyond the comfort zone.

This week I am going to write some about the new government ruling that obesity is to be thought of as a medical condition and therefore treatment is open for reimbursement by medicare. As you might guess, I have some strong feelings about the idea of surgical solutions to obesity for seniors.

Please feel free to pass this week's newsletter on to your friends and family. Don't forget to let me know what you like and would like to see.

A copy of this newsletter may also be found posted on the web at http://www. radiantrecovery.com/weeklynewsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, use the link at the bottom of the page. Do not email me, do not get mad at me, just click on the link and you will be forever removed.

And be sure to visit our Radiant RecoveryŽ website and Community Forum regularly.

Warmly,
Kathleen

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July 19, 2004
** Quote From Kathleen **

Being fat is not the issue. It is a symptom of something much bigger. Healing what creates being fat is key.


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** Testimonial for the Week**

I am going for a check up with my doctor. I have my hardcover copy of SARP to deliver (I may bring PNP, too) and I am really looking forward to it.

I think this could help a lot of people. This doctor runs a very busy practice, and has said he would like to find something that works better for people than bariatric surgery. He told us when he did my mother's that he hoped by 5 years down the road he would never have to perform a gastric bypass again.

Probably what will speak to him most is my non-surgical weight-loss, but I hope he sees beyond that to the healing. I hope he gets the message that losing weight may temporarily get rid of a symptom, but real healing goes so much deeper.

According to the doc's receptionist (who wrote down the url for the RR website and the title of the book) lots of patients are gaining the weight back anyway, and some are coming back for repeat surgeries.

I really hope to reach out to folks with an alternative. I think, in a way, having weighed over 400 pounds was a blessing, because I can say to people with 200+ pounds of extra weight, "hey, I have been where you are, and I know you can heal."

Also, I was flipping channels the other night and came upon Discovery Health channel airing yet another woman's story about gastric bypass. I swear I am going to write to them, and beg them to do a story about *healing* for food addiction instead of all the surgery. I'd swear the bariatric surgeons of America were funding their station with all of the surgery stories.

I love to share the healing...

Cece

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**Radiant Ambassadors**

We have set up a new online group for those who want to help spread the news about what our program does. We called it radiantambassadors and are they rocking! Gail, who you know, is excited about the new book, wrote a magazine called Daughters to tell them about it. They wrote back and asked her if she would write an article for them. She was stoked!

Come find us among the Online Groups


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**David's Corner **
Seems as though everyone shared the word about how great the Water Mug was, we are quickly selling out. So make sure to get your order in if you are interested.


I also wanted to remind you of the excitement that is building for Dr. Kathleen's brand new book "Little Sugar Addicts" that is being released in 10 days. It continues to climb up the Amazon.comlist of best sellers. I have just started to read a sneak copy myself.

Please send questions and suggestions for items you might like to see in our store. YOU are building our store. Tell me what you want and we will sort it out.

Thanks
David

And of course, we have something for everybody in our store


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**Featured Topic**
On Gastric By-Pass Surgery for Seniors
by Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.

These week's news headlines stated that the government has proclaimed obesity as a medical problem, not a personality flaw. That part is good news. But the scary part of the article talked about the change in medicare regulations to allow for payment of gastric bypass surgery for overweight seniors. Now THAT is a scary thing for me. Surgery, in the best of circumstances is a risk for anyone. Surgery for older people is an even greater risk. And surgery for people with high blood pressure, diabetes, allergies and asthma is even scarier. And very often those who are fat have many other health complications. Many doctors and many people believe that the health risks come from being fat. I do not. The risk comes from an underlying imbalance made worse by diet. Being fat is ONE symptom of the imbalance. It is NOT the cause.

It is NOT the *fat* that creates the problems, it is the food and the biochemistry that create both the fat and the problems. Most people do GBS because they believe the fat is the issue - most docs perpetuate that belief. It is NOT. If you have the surgery and simply starve yourself into dealing with the fat without touching the biochemistry or the addiction, you may drop pounds but you do not heal.

Those who are making a decsion about the surgery are doing it from desperation and fear. They know that diets have not worked. They feel hopeless and unable to *do* what it takes to lose weight. They believe they have no will power and simply cannot do it. But ironically, much of the desperation and fear come from the very same biocehmistry. A sugar sensitive person out of balance will feel inadequate and overwhelmed regardless of his or her weight.

We have people on the program who have lost more than 100 pounds and are still losing. Their blood pressure is normal, their cholesterol is normal and they are very happy people. We also have people who weigh a lot, who have not yet lost weight but have done the program. The blood pressure is normal, their cholesterol has gone down significantly, they are no longer on depression meds. Most of all they have no fear. They know that life is full and rich and that things are working. Read Cece's testimonial. That is what I am hearing a lot.

Take the focus off the *surgery* and put it on healing and just see what happens.

ŠKathleen DesMaisons 2004.