Comments (3)

By jamie, March 6, 2010 10:13 pm

Here is a quote from Chapter 6, attributed to G. K. Chesterton, a British writer: “The madman is not the man who has lost his reason. The madman is the man who has lost everything except his reason.” When I was an undergrad, I took a class on the sociology of murder. I sold back all of my books at the end of the semester, something I rarely do – I had to skim certain parts of the books anyway, and I certainly didn’t want to have them in my library. In fact, I am having a negative visceral reaction just writing about this now, and keep deleting what I think I want to say because I don’t want to remind myself about how calm and matter-of-fact some of the killers sounded in their interviews. Ugh.

Anyway, from a psychological perspective, it seems that psychopaths are actually very rational people – what makes them monsters is that they are incapable of feeling emotion or understanding the emotions of others, nor do they care to do so. All that matters to them is getting what they want, and they seek to please themselves even if it means doing unspeakable things to other people. I guess this means that they cannot ever be rehabilitated, because they are actually incapable of feeling emotion – this sparks a lot of questions about the current justice system, as far as who is capable of standing trial, and how people should be punished when they can’t mentally connect to the damage they have done. It sparks even more questions in the area of religion – If someone truly lacks a conscience, are they Eternally accountable for their crimes? How can we feel sympathy (a normal human reaction) for them when they do unspeakable things to others? Did they make a conscious choice to commit horrible acts, or does their damaged brain truly render them incapable of such?

The chapter discusses moral instincts, and how they are driven by our emotions – we have a visceral feeling when we think something is morally wrong, and then our minds act like lawyers, trying to attach rational explanations to those feelings. I can’t explain how sad I feel thinking that some people do not have this reaction, particularly knowing that some of these people have literally become MONSTERS. I am even sadder for their victims.

Jonah describes in (disturbing) detail animal studies (and even inadvertent human studies in foreign orphanages after a particular country outlawed birth control) that show how extreme parental abuse and neglect can contribute to someone lacking in this area. I can’t write about it too much, and I had to skim some parts just to get through it. Now I have to go read something else to clear my head a bit. So sad.

Scroll down for other posts about How We Decide:

Other posts:
Review
Post 1: Quarterbacks have to take IQ Tests
Post 2: Emotions Control our Brains
Post 3: One Marshmallow or Two?
Post 4: The Cheap Stuff Tastes Better
Post 5: Moral Instincts Are Emotional, Not Rational
Post 6: Political Pundits vs. Dart-Throwing Chimps
Post 7: Want to be a Psychic Poker Player?

Comments (15)

By jamie,

I like Jillian Michaels. When I watch her on television, I get the impression that she genuinely cares about the “contestants,” (even though the producers of the show are obviously only out to maximize ratings, and are willing to exploit these poor people in any way they see fit, not really caring what emotional – or even physical – damage they do in the process). But this is not a review of The Biggest Loser, so, back to the book.

From the beginning, Michaels establishes that she is “one of us,” with difficulty losing or maintaining her weight, and an lifelong dislike for exercise. Wait a minute. What? I don’t really buy it, but I appreciate her effort to make us “regular” people feel like there is hope for us (especially the short ones, who may feel that they have to engage in hours of daily vigorous exercise in order to avoid looking chunky – Michaels is only 5’2″!).

One point she drives home throughout is that, while she is on our side and hoping for our success, many food manufacturers couldn’t care less about us. Many of our foods contain endocrine disruptors, or chemicals that interfere with proper hormone function, which, among other awful things, makes our metabolism sluggish and causes us to gain weight. The food industry shares the blame with manufacturers of other products, from cleaning products to clothing. As for personal responsibility? – Our diets, sleep habits, and general way of life set us up for a host of scary health problems.

Michaels provides a detailed plan to remove bad chemicals and “cheap fillers” from our diets, a plan heavily centered around organic whole foods. She also has helpful advice about removing toxins from our homes and yards, allowing us to improve the environment while we save our own lives.

While some of this information can be found elsewhere (we know by now that not all carbs are bad, but that we shouldn’t start and end the day with donuts and chocolate cake), she also shuns a lot of current diet advice. For example, she insists that several mini-meals throughout the day, while popularly lauded as the way to achieve sveltness, is actually a bad idea for most of us, saying that “bodybuilders developed this style of eating to squeeze thousands upon thousands of calories into their day”. She shuns the idea that parking far away from the grocery store or taking the stairs whenever possible will help people reach their fitness goals (“No, you need to get to the gym, work your *** off when you’re there, and get the job done.”). Surprisingly, she also does not recommend a vegetarian diet for anybody (she doesn’t talk about it much, but says that it’s impossible to get a beneficial amount of certain nutrients only from plant sources).

Here is some good news: not all companies are evil. Some of her favorites include the following: For cosmetics, she recommends Dr. Hauschka, Ren, Aesops, Nude, and Jason. For processed foods, she likes (but still recommends moderation) Amys, Arrowhead Mills, Cliff, Eden, Erewhon, Ezekiel, Greens, Healthy Valley, Horizon, Kashi, Luna, Nature’s Path, and Newman’s Own.

One caveat about this book – while she does include a “selected references” section, and even cites many academic sources, I cannot in good faith believe that every word in this book is accurate at an academic level. While her overall assertions may be sound, specific statistics may have been misconstrued to sell her point. I don’t know whether we should fault Michaels for this or her editor, but it is important to double check her “facts” before you quote them as such.

I checked three non-random assertions just in case. My findings:

1. Quote: “Triclosan [the active ingredient in many antibacterial products] is believed to interfere with thyroid hormone metabolism, cause antibiotic resistance, and create carcinogenic compounds when combined with chlorinated water.”

   Findings: This one looks true. It seems that the biggest trouble is when it is rinsed down the drain, because then it remains in our drinking water in concentrations high enough to be a potential hazard. And it’s in EVERYTHING – even toothpaste and toys! It has been found in breast milk, and may be a contributor to miscarriages. So scary.

   This link connects to information about the article mentioned in the bibliography, along with the complete citation.

2. Quote: “NASA scientists found that one potted plant every one hundred feet can remove many harmful contaminants from the air in your home. Best varieties include bamboo palm, English ivy, gerbera daisy, and green spider.”

   My Findings: True, except that the list of plants is longer than the one she provided. The plants pull the contaminants in and use them for food.

   This link provides summary information, a longer list of good plants that help remove toxins, and includes a list of links to more information about the NASA study.

3. “One recent study found that parents who’d bathed their pets with pyrethrin pest-control shampoos were twice as likely to have an autistic child.”

   My Findings: Uh oh. I did not read the actual academic study, but I DID read her link, and that’s not what it says at all. Here is the quote from her source: “Mothers of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were twice as likely to have reported using pet shampoos containing a class of insecticide called pyrethrins as those of healthy children.” Maybe she didn’t understand what the findings meant, but what she said is NOT what the study found. There seems to be a link between the pyrethrins and autism, but there is no evidence that using it doubles the chances of having an autistic child. Oh dear – an editor should have caught this.

   This link is the one she provides, in case you want to see for yourself.

So, the bottom line is – check the specifics before you repeat them as facts, though there is probably at least a kernel of truth in what she says in this book.

One more important point to make – Jillian Michaels is under a doctor’s care for a thyroid condition, and regularly takes thyroid medication. For readers who truly believe they have hormone imbalances, she recommends working with a good endocrinologist and possibly going on medication. Her diet, exercise, and general living plan, even if followed only partially, will probably help readers improve their health, but, as with any advice book, one size does not fit all. Some people may need to see a doctor to actually achieve the results they are looking for.

Despite the book’s subtitle, which promises a Hot and Healthy Body, Michaels definitely emphasizes health over physical aesthetics. Because of this, it is a valuable read for people who are not trying to lose weight, as well as those who would like to lose a few pounds (or more). As long as you don’t quote her specific statistics without checking them first, I think this book is a useful addition to your healthy eating, healthy living library.

Scroll down for other posts about Master Your Metabolism:

Other posts about Master Your Metabolism:
Review
Part 1: So Long, Chocolate, Old Friend
Part 2: I KNEW It – My Hormones are Out of Whack!
Part 3: Nothing Funny About Chapter 3
Part 4: “There’s No Food in Your Food”
Part 5: Artificial Sweetener Can Mess Up Your Brain?
Part 6: “Okay, I’ll Admit it. Organics Can Be Pricey.”
Part 7: Ice Cream and Chocolate are Allowed!!!
Part 8: Really, Jillian, I Just Wanted a Cute Butt
Part 9: Protein! I Need You Protein
Part 10: Now, Off to the Market