Dear DOCTOR Owen:

I have gained 80 pounds since my marriage, and my wife says that my belly “has got to go.” I am a meat eater, have always been a meat eater, and will always be a meat eater. My doctor sent me to a dietitian who gave me a pyramid plan that includes all kinds of vegetables and grains. I hate that stuff! If I can’t have mainly meat, I really think I’ll just put up with my belly. Any suggestions?

Meathead

Dear “Meathead”:

You just may be in luck. Opportunities are improving for us meat eaters daily. I agree with you: There is nothing better on this planet than a thick steak. However, I know how many calories it contains, primarily from fat, and how detrimental it is to our health. Therefore, I try to limit my steak consumption to one or two per month.

Several diet plans have high protein as their major recommendation but have not been embraced by the medical or dietitian communities. The Dr. Atkins and the Sugar Busters!TM diets promote high-protein, even high-fat, consumption, with the suggestion that the decreased sugar intake “trades off” the damage. Both plans consider the fact that low-carbohydrate diets decrease insulin levels. Insulin causes excessive cholesterol and triglyceride production—especially in diabetics and pre-diabetics (about 30% of the population). Several studies show decreased cholesterol levels when the Atkins’ Diet and Sugar Busters!TM plan are followed. I suggest that you read both books and take the best of both.

Here are some facts about adding a little variety to your meat menu:

Instead of eating an 8-ounce rib eye (1000 calories), you could have 8 ounces of fish, shrimp, crab, or lobster (200 calories). Add some butter, and you’ll be “way ahead." Or, for 1000 calories, you could have 40 ounces of shrimp! If you were to have lobster, this would be the equivalent of three 1-pound lobster tails! What a deal!

If you fry the leaner meats, such as seafood or poultry, you add oil at 125 calories/tablespoon and negate any caloric benefit compared to red meat. Fried food also usually is accompanied by French fries—a double whammy. Add mashed potatoes and gravy, and there are many additional calories. But if you stick to “natural” ways of preparing meats—like grilling, baking, boiling, or broiling— the calories aren’t increased in the meat product.

If meat is really the issue, don’t fight it. Here are some tips:

• Make changes in the starches and condiments, or in the type of meat you eat.
• Consider using meat as part of your snack food at home.
• Make sure the people who cook in your household are on your team.
• Help select and prepare “lean” whenever possible.

Take the new fat-blocking drug, Xenical®. If your main argument against meat is the fat, Xenical® will block its absorption. This drug blocks 30%–50% of the fat in a meal. For a 12- ounce steak, this would be one-third to half of 1500 calories, or 500–750 calories. If you ate steak three days week and took Xenical®, it would amount to an intake of 2250 calories/week, or 9000 calories/month. Since 3500 calories equal 1 pound, this would be 2.5 pounds/month, or a decrease of 30 pounds/year—not to mention the benefit to your arteries.

Be sure to read the Xenical® package for possible side effects; overall, I think the product is, at least, harmless to one’s health. Recent studies suggest major health benefits, such as lower cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure.

Not unlike all advice, the more you yourself become educated, the more options you will have. Fish and poultry have become my favorite choices on any menu—but man, that rib-eye sure sounds great!