Michael Anchors MD PhD, March 5, 2010
A year ago I began giving students a reminder-magnet to stick to their refrigerator. Using my computer I printed a gleaming rendition of the Six Lessons (and my name & phone number) onto 4" x 6" white magnets from www.MagnaCard.com. The magnets considerably improved the students' learning and retention of the Six Lessons, and increased the frequency of follow-up appointments.
I have added a second magnet with the following multicolor, beautiful text. "Dieting is about shopping & ordering. It is NOT about resisting temptation. It is about AVOIDING it. You cannot eat what you do not have. And you will eat what you do." I get so sick of patients buying junk, putting it in their house and wondering why they can't avoid eating it. Nothing in medical school prepares you for real people. Their behavior is astonishing.
The third (and I think, last) magnet has the Anchors' version of Don Miguel Ruiz' Four Agreements. 1. Keep your promises. 2. Don't take anything personally. 3. Don't make assumptions. 4. Try to do your best. With appropriate short explanations. So much of American eating is driven by stress, overwork and poor values. I teach the Four Agreements. I teach that people who only work, eat & sleep are no better than slaves. I teach true humanity.