Community Highlights: Meet Pamela Popper of Wellness Forum Health

Today we’d like to introduce you to Pamela Popper.

Hi Pamela, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My interest in health developed decades ago after reading a magazine article about diet and health, A friend subsequently loaned me a copy of the original McDougall Plan. I read the entire book in one day. I had lost the same 20 pounds 10 times and was ready for change, so I adopted the McDougall plant-based diet, and started exercising. I morphed into a marathon-running much smaller version of myself.

Of course, many people asked what I was doing – and as I shared my strategy with others, I wondered why doctors and other healthcare professionals were not talking to their patients about diet and lifestyle change. Prior to my conversion, I had been overweight, I had chronic UTIs, and had been treated for a precancerous condition. My doctor, who was one of the “best” in my area, never mentioned anything about changing my habits, which I thought was curious.

I started reading books, attending seminars and conferences, conducting my own research and learned everything I could about how to achieve and maintain health. Eventually I left my career in sales and marketing and opened Wellness Forum Health in 1996, teaching classes about diet, health, and medicine in my home. From these humble beginnings, the company grew and grew and today we occupy almost 10,000 square feet of space, with a commercial kitchen, a teaching kitchen, a hot yoga studio, a gym, and classrooms and offices. In 2009, we opened a school to teach others how to start practices like ours.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Overall, I’d say I’ve led a charmed professional life. In addition to building Wellness Forum, I’ve been featured in some very popular documentaries such as Forks Over Knives, authored best-selling books, and had the opportunity to speak all over the world. I’ve also been involved in public policy, testifying in front of legislative and federal committees., drafting legislation, and lobbying.

I think the struggle we all face who are advocating for plant-based eating and healthier lifestyle habits is the constant promotion of harmful diets and quick-fix supplements and drugs which are often promoted by so-called credible people. People are overwhelmed with conflicting information.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We specialize in INFORMED™ Medical Decision-Making, a process we developed to help our members make health-related decisions the way they make decisions about other important things in their lives – like the houses they buy, the cars they drive, and their retirement accounts. For example, people do not follow directions when they purchase a house. I’ve never heard about someone who stood in the driveway with a realtor and claimed to be so stupid about real estate that the realtor should just tell them where to live. And I’ve also never heard about anyone walking into a car dealership and choosing whatever the “car experts” (aka “salespeople”) advise them to drive. Somehow most people learn enough about issues like these to make informed decisions. At Wellness Forum, we suggest they use the same processes when it comes to making decisions about their health, and the health of their minor children.

INFORMED™ Medical Decision-Making applies to making choices about drugs, surgery, diagnostic testing, minor procedures, supplements – basically anything recommended by any healthcare provider.

We have created over 3,600 hours of educational programming and almost 2,000 referenced articles on health topics ranging from kidney stones to cancer, all designed to help both consumers and practitioners make better decisions about health.

Our resources are incredibly important to consumers, most of whom today are forced to interact with a healthcare system and healthcare practitioners who are not INFORMED™. Patient visits are short, and protocols and decisions are often dictated by accountants and business managers and insurance companies instead of clinicians. Our INFORMED™ clients take food care of themselves, which means they need less medical attention. And when they do have to visit doctors, they know that unless it’s an emergency, it’s best to investigate before agreeing to any screening test, drug, or procedure.

We make a line of vegan foods which are shelf-stable and which can be shipped anyplace in the U.S.

Additionally, the Wellness Forum Institute offers programs that prepare health professionals to leave institutions and set up private practices. We also train people who have no background in healthcare how to set up consulting practices.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that it’s important to consistently stand for something, even when doing so is uncomfortable. I’ve been a public figure for a very long time. I appreciate our members and fans and the people who read my books, but I’ve also been subject to a lot of criticism, particularly when my comments threaten the financial interests of food companies, drug makers, and medical institutions. Criticism used to bother me a lot more than it does now. I know I’m right when special interests fight back.

Pricing:

• People can join Wellness Forum Health to access our resources for as little as $99 per year.
• We offer several free programs every year so that people can get to know us better before committing. I also post free newsletters and videos every week.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wellnessforumhealth.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drpampopper
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@drpamsnewschannel