Robert Kesterson wrote:
> For what it's worth, I think the high failure rate of conventional 
> diets
> is mostly because of the people engaging in them.  

Since obesity is rare or nonexistent among HG's, I think the availability
and quantity of modern foods is obviously the biggest factor in the failure
of conventional diets. Unfortunately, these modern foods are available as a
temptation to Paleo-dieting modern people too, so I don't know if the
success rate of Americans trying a Paleo diet is any better than
conventional dieters, but it would obviously be better if the modern foods
were not available.

> ...  I  
> was fanatical about recording everything I ate into a 
> database so I know  
> for sure how much I was getting.  If the average person 
> dieting did that  
> for a month, they would probably discover that they're eating 
> a lot more  
> than they think they are.  I know I was.
> 

Counting and tracking calories is a long-used method that does not have a
good record of success. I'm glad it worked for you and I also lost some
weight after I got flabby by consciously reducing intake of high-calorie
foods, but it unfortunately does not appear to work long-term for many
people. I lost a lot more weight and much quicker on the Paleo diet (not
that I was trying to get as lean as I ended up) and experienced other health
improvements I did not get by more conventional methods. As an example, my
night vision and overall vision improved. I had been in need of a new,
stronger prescription for my eyeglasses, but my vision improved enough that
I no longer needed a stronger prescription and still don't years later. I
just got word today from a fellow Paleo dieter that her vision prescription
has improved twice in about a 3 year period since going Paleo (and her night
vision improved also). She now has to get lenses with a weaker prescription.
I know two other near-Paleo dieters who say their night vision improved. I
know someone else who's Grave's Disease went into total remission after
eliminating gluten. I could go on and on with the amazing stories from a
dozen or so different people, but I think this is enough to illustrate the
point that the Paleo diet offers more than just weight loss and more than
conventional diets do. I don't think you would be following the Paleo diet
if you didn't think that it does.

Cordain et al found that myopia is caused by chronic hyperinsulinaemia
(chronically high insulin levels in the bloodstream), so a reduction in
hyperinsulinaemia could account for the vision improvements that Paleo
dieters such as myself have experienced. 

	"...a previously unrecognized diet-related malady (chronic
hyperinsulinaemia) may play a key role in the pathogenesis of juvenile-onset
myopia because of its interaction with hormonal regulation of vitreal
chamber growth."

Cordain L, Eaton SB, Brand Miller J, Lindeberg S, Jensen C. An evolutionary
analysis of the etiology and pathogenesis of juvenile-onset myopia. Acta
Ophthalmologica Scandinavica, 2002; 80:125-135.
http://www.thepaleodiet.com/published_research/

Hyperinsulinaemia could also have contributed to the flabby weight gain I
experienced in my 30's, and could also explain why some studies supposedly
have found little or no weight loss for patients via exercise, as explained
here:

"Carbohydrate Meals:
# Raise blood glucose levels.
# This in turn elevates levels of insulin on the blood
# That insulin takes excess energy (glucose) out of bloodstream.
# And that energy stored as fat.
# THE RESULT is: weight gain!
# But insulin also inhibits use of energy from fat cells.
# THE RESULT IS: no weight loss [from exercise]!"

Second Opinions: Diabetes Type 2,
http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/diabetes-3.html

> Changing the content will probably work faster and easier
> *if* the person  
> can stomach the change in content.  

Yes, of course. That is the great difficulty--especially with the modern
foods and ads for them all around us. I don't know of a single case of
scientists finding an obese HG who was eating a Paleo-type diet. The trick
is being able to stick to that type of diet. That's in part what forums like
this one are for--so people can learn more about the Paleo diet, learn how
to stick to it, and get support from fellow Paleo dieters.

There are some people I 
> know (my wife
> is among them) for whom a meal just is not complete without bread, a  
> potato, rice, or something.  

I used to be one of them, we probably all were at some point. The starch
portion of the meal is like a reserved section of the plate. The only
question was, do I put bread, a potato, rice or pasta (or some combination
of these) in it tonight? If there is desert or a snack it often contains
starch or sugar as well. I used organic whole grain bread, pasta and rice,
thinking that was the healthy way to go...until I learned better.

> It's really hard to change that
> mindset.  Her  
> opinion of my diet is that there's nothing she can fix for me 
> other than a  
> piece of meat and a vegetable.  My opinion of my diet is that 
> the choices  
> are endless (though admittedly they do tend to boil down to a 
> piece of  
> meat and a vegetable).  :-)
> 

Being a "good cook" in the modern world often involves baking starchy and
sugary foods. Men tend to be more into grilling meats (and sometimes
veggies) on the barbeque, if they're into cooking at all, so the change
tends to be less wrenching for them than for women, but not always of
course. Has your wife perused the recipes at paleofood.com or in the Paleo
Diet or NeanderThin yet? I've found the Paleo meatloaf and a salmon recipe
my mother to be two of the best dishes I've ever had--and I never used to
like meatloaf very much. You can also explore other Paleo foods you haven't
tried yet and see if you can find new foods you like. For example, someone
recently served what he said was the white part of bok choy. I'd never tried
it before and I liked it--it tasted like mild radish (which I also like).

> The mind is the hardest thing to change -- get *that* done 
> and the diet is  
> easy.

I think the key is keeping the modern foods out of the household. If you can
do that you've got most of the battle won. If your wife can't give up
starches and sweets or baking goodies, she could do the compromise, which is
to use Paleo or near-Paleo replacement ingredients like fresh and dried
fruits, nut and seed meals, honey, maple syrup, etc. Cordain argues against
it but I think it probably isn't that bad and Paleofood.com has numerous of
these types of recipes, as you may know.