I mentioned a few days ago that I was listening to MP3 radio interviews with Dr. D'Adamo. In one of the shows, they had been discussing the role of diet in inflammation. Dr. D talks with the host about what a shame it is that because of marketing, when most people think of diet, all they think of is weight loss. Because of this most diets, he said, " are not about using diet in a preemptive healing manner…Food can be a dynamic healing agent."

I relate to this, because I started the Blood Type Diet as a last resort to GERD that was not responding to either prescription or over-the-counter medications. It turns out that food was causing all of my symptoms, and changing my diet has eliminated all symptoms for more than 4 years.

However, as I read posts on the Forum, I am well aware, that many people try the Blood Type Diet to lose weight. Some are very successful, and shed unwanted pounds without starving themselves as they learn to eat foods that are beneficial for them.

Yet, there are other people who seem to be strictly following the BTD, but are not losing weight. I thought of those people when I read an article in Reader's Digest. (The article called Misdiagnosed was published in October, 2006. It got set aside while we were preparing to move)

The article is about Joyce Dixon. She weighed more than 200 pounds, and had tried for years to lose weight. Her health problems associated with obesity were increasing. Her doctors put her on low fat and low carb diets. When she did not lose weight, they accused her of cheating. This increased her frustration, because she truly was strictly following the diets. She tells of one time when she went on a low calorie liquid diet and lost 40 pounds at first, then began to gain again.

After 15 years of misdiagnosis, an endocrinologist correctly identified Joyce's problem as Cushing's syndrome, a hormonal disorder. They traced the Cushing's to a tumor on her pituitary gland. The tumor was surgically removed. "Joyce's recovery saw swift. The pounds dropped off and stayed off."

If you have come to the Blood Type Diet to lose weight, I believe you are in the right place. Not only should you gradually lose weight, but your overall health should improve, because as Dr. D. says, there is a dynamic relationship between your food and how your entire body works. However if you are faithful to the BTD, avoiding avoids and watching your portion sizes, and you continue to gain weight, go to the library and ask for the October, 2006 Reader's Digest. Don't be afraid to press your doctor for a few more tests to be sure you have not been misdiagnosed.