How would you rather spend your money?
When people hear that I follow a low carb diet, they often remark, "It's too expensive. I can't afford to buy the kinds of foods you need to eat."

It's all about choices. Choosing to be obese carries with it its own special costs that often take the form of more frequent doctor visits and more prescription medicine. For some, it may mean a breathing machine to combat the effects of sleep apnea. Even clothes cost more in the bigger sizes, partly because there's more fabric, but perhaps also because sellers know the larger customer doesn't have much choice.

My family medical history isn't all that rosy. My dad had a quintuple bypass 8 years ago and suffers from high triglycerides. He has to work hard to keep his cholesterol in check. My mom has high blood pressure. My older sister is on cholesterol medication. Several of us are plagued with hypoglycemia. As I get ready to turn 50, however, I'm on no medication for such ills. My blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose levels and triglycerides all look good after five years of low carbing, and there are plenty of others who have been able to say goodbye to various prescription meds after they've shed weight by reducing carb consumption.

I believe the low carb lifestyle can be lived economically, but even if it couldn't, I would much rather invest in my health with wise food choices, than pay the price of conditions and diseases caused by obseity.