Author: Lisa Tillinger Johansen, MS, RD

Publisher: J. Murray Press

ISBN: 978-0-578-11043-1

Today, Norm Goldman Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as our guest Lisa Tillinger Johansen, MS, RD author of Fast Food Vindication.

Good day Lisa and thanks for participating in our interview

Norm:

Lisa, could you tell our readers something about your professional background and what motivated you to write Fast Food Vindication? As a follow up, why do you think this is an important book at this time and what are your hopes for this book?

Lisa:

I'm a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutritional science. I work as a health educator at a hospital teaching thousands of patients every year about a variety of disease states and conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, high cholesterol, kidney disease and weight management. I also do individual consults.

Prior to my present career, I was the real estate manager for McDonald's Corporation in Southern California. While some people might think I left McDonald's because I thought the food to be unhealthy, this isn't the case. I enjoyed working there. But after working in commercial real estate for 20 years I wanted to pursue a different path. I'm passionate about eating for health. So I went back to school to get my master’s, became credentialed and here I am today!

I was motivated to write Fast Food Vindication because there's a real need for a book of this type. It's an important book because two-thirds of people in the United States are overweight or obese and we're growing. Carrying too much weight on our frames opens us up to potential diseases like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, certain cancers and more. We need to learn how to make healthy choices wherever we eat (keeping in mind that the majority of our meals are eaten at home) and we need to take responsibility for the food choices we make. Also, more of us need to add physical activity into our lives on a regular basis.

My hope is that I can help people learn to eat well for life. By doing so, they have a better opportunity for good health and quality of life.

Norm:

What would you say is the best reason to recommend someone to read your book? Has there been any other books devoted to the same topic and if so, how does your book differ from these other books?

Lisa:

My book takes the viewpoint that fast food is not this bad force responsible for all the ills in society. It isn’t the cause of the obesity epidemic either. We can make less nutritious choices at fast food restaurants, but there are also healthier choices available to us at these establishments. The same is true everywhere we eat, whether we’re at home, at a sit-down restaurant, at a party, a sporting event, etc.

The majority of the books that have touched on fast food have taken a different approach. Many point the finger at fast food restaurants as the main cause of the obesity epidemic. This isn’t my viewpoint. The reality is that while quite a few of us do eat at fast food restaurants from time to time, most don’t eat anywhere close to all of our meals there. And, we often consume more calories, fat, sodium and more in comparable meals at other places, like sit-down restaurants, than we do at fast food restaurants. So, it’s dangerous to place a laser focus on just one thing. And again, we can’t overlook the importance of personal responsibility. As a general rule, no one forces us to order a particular meal and then consume too much of it. We also need to move our bodies more. Many of us don’t engage in enough physical activity.

Norm:

What was the most difficult part of writing your book?

Lisa:

Keeping it at a reasonable length. There’s so much that I wanted to say that I just couldn’t include all of it in the book.

Norm:

How much research did you devote to writing your book and where did you get your information or ideas for your book?

Lisa:

I did extensive research for the book from a variety of sources from interviews, to research studies, books and articles and, of course, a great deal from my personal experience and expertise.

Norm:

What was one of the most surprising things you learned from your book?

Lisa:

I can’t say that I was surprised by anything really. As an ex-insider of the fast food industry and in my current role as a health professional, I knew that all my research would be consistent with what I know to be true. One of the most difficult things for me to discuss was obesity in children and adolescents. I tell some individual stories of obese children around the world in my book and it saddens me that so many of these stories exist.

Norm:

It is said that writers should write what they know. You clearly know about nutrition. Were there any elements of the book that forced you to step out of your comfort zone, and if so, how did you approach this part of the writing?

Lisa:

I definitely wrote about what I know, so I never really stepped out of my comfort zone. Carving out the time with a demanding job was a bit a challenge, however.

Norm:

How has the feed back being up-to-now concerning your book? Has there been any negative feed-back?

Lisa:

So far all of the feedback has been fantastic. There haven’t been any negative reviews to date. I’ve had great radio, magazine and other interviews, that like this one have been so much fun to do. There have been many book reviews so far and I’m so happy to say that they’ve all been positive so far. Most of my interviews and all of my book reviews can be read on my web site at www.fastfoodvindication.com

Norm:

Are you working on any books/projects that you would like to share with us? (We would love to hear all about them!)

Lisa:

I am! My next book is called Stop the Diet, I Want to Get Off! It discusses all of the fad diets that so many of us try and which long-term can’t be maintained and aren’t good for us. The book ultimately lays out the best way to eat for life. I also have another book in the works called Diet and Disease: A Guide for What to Eat, No Matter What Ails You. It does just what the title implies.

Norm:

Where can our readers find out more about you and Fast Food Vindication?

Lisa:

As already mentioned, my WEB SITE  is a wealth of information. Besides having book reviews, media interviews and upcoming events, it also has my blog, the first chapter of the book for viewing, information about me and my background, a link to my Facebook page, my Twitter feed, the videos that I have on YouTube and, of course, a link to buy the book. It’s available in print and in e-book and can be purchased from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, iTunes, Kobo.com and more.

Norm:

As this interview draws to a close what one question would you have liked me to ask you? Please share your answer.

Lisa:

I’d like to give a tip to anyone who’s looking to eat a healthier diet and/or to lose unwanted pounds. Just start somewhere. You don’t have to make every change you want or need to overnight. Start somewhere and build from there. Small steps lead to big changes.

Norm:

Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors

Lisa:

Thank you!

Follow Here To Read Norm's Review of Fast Food Vindication

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