A study of two popular bariatric surgery procedures—Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and gastric banding—found that both had very good weight loss outcomes at 6 years after surgery. Weight loss was faster, greater and remained “significantly better” six years after gastric bypass compared with patients who received a gastric band, according to the researchers. However, patients with the band lost 65 percent of their excess weight at six years, which is quite a successful outcome. Gastric bypass patients lost on average, 79 percent of their excess weight after six years. The study, published in Archives of Surgery is one of the longest studies in the United States of these two common weight loss procedures, to-date. (more…)
Archive for the ‘Gastric Bypass’ Category
Gastric Bypass Surgery Study: Positive Outcomes
Monday, January 30th, 2012I am a Winner, and Winners…
Friday, November 12th, 2010An Article and Exercise by Katie Jay, MSW, Certified Life Coach
Director, National Association for Weight Loss Surgery
www.nawls.com
I have been going to dog-training classes. My dog is not the problem. I am. I can’t seem to be consistent in my approach to Ruby, so in her confusion she misbehaves.
It’s my responsibility to set boundaries with Ruby so that she knows what to do, but I feel inadequate. I’m too busy. I forget to practice. I’d rather do something else. I have to work. I have a million excuses.
My resistance creates unwanted consequences
For awhile Ruby’s indiscretions (a.k.a. my unwillingness to train my dog) were tolerable. She chewed a pair of my son’s tube socks. She ate the cat’s food. She pulled on the leashwhen I walked her.
But things have gotten worse. Ruby nips me to let me know it is time for her walk. She dines on litter-box fare (yuck!). She jumps onto the furniture when we turn our backs.
I have to get past my resistance
If I continue to let Ruby get away with these antics, and inevitably let things get worse, my life is going to get a lot more chaotic. And the consequences will become dire.
(Sadly, it’s at this point that many families give their pets back to the adoption agency. The problem goes from cute to annoying to intolerable.)
Resistance undermines weight loss surgery progress, too
When my hunger came back after weight loss surgery, it was almost cute at first. I ate half of a french fry and one bite of a dessert at a wedding reception. I felt petite and in control.
I was resisting my surgeon’s guidelines, but rationalized that I followed most of them
For awhile my indiscretions (a.k.a. my unwillingness to follow my plan) were tolerable. I wasn’t gaining weight and I felt great.
But things got worse. I started eating popcorn every night. I quit exercising at the gym. I ate toast with butter at bedtime.
And my food cravings got worse
So, I pushed my limits ever further. As this happened, I began to negotiate with myself about everything. Could I eat this at 3pm if I ate less of something at dinner?
How many calories is that snack food and maybe it’s okay to eat if I skip my protein drink (thus avoiding the extra calories).
It was annoying to always be negotiating with myself, pushing the boundaries. The consequences became more dire; I gained a few pounds.
Now my behavior felt intolerable to me
A few pounds is not a big concern in the vast scheme of things. But it is at this point that many weight loss surgery patients give up. But I didn’t give up.
Like Ruby, I needed clearer limits
I was in pure resistance mode. I was out of control and looking for trouble. Unlike my dog, though, I could identify my resistance and make a decision to set better limits for myself. So, that’s what I did.
I used my husband’s motto to challenge myself
As my biggest cheerleader, Mike has always supported me in my efforts at self improvement and with my dream to help others overcome obesity.
During times when I have felt uncertain or fearful or discouraged he has put his hands on my shoulders, looked me in the eyes, and made me repeat after him:
“I am a winner.”
He makes me say it until I really feel it. Sometimes I get really mad at him, but he persists until he breaks my resistance.
One morning, Mike noticed I did not write down a food plan or seem to have any intention of making one. So, he made me say that phrase. It’s hard to feel resistance and feel like a winner at the same time. So, for a few moments, as we looked into each other’s eyes, I felt like a winner.
Over the course of that day I decided to keep saying it to myself
I got past my resistance to healthier eating using my own version of Mike’s saying:
“I’m a winner, and winners _____________________.”
I filled in the blank depending on what I was doing. So, when I wanted to eat fast food for lunch, I told myself:
“I’m a winner, and winners eat *healthy*, great-tasting meals.”
When I wanted to skip going to the gym, I told myself:
“I’m a winner, and winners exercise daily.”
And when I wanted to eat that french fry, I told myself:
“I’m a winner, and winners eat healthy fats, not trans fats.”
Everyone wants to win
When I look at my choices from the vantage point of being a winner, it’s easy to see which choices will serve me well and which ones won’t.
When I feel like a winner, I am much happier to do the next right thing — to resist the temptation to overeat or to pick unhealthy foods.
Do you want to feel like a winner?
No, you can’t borrow Mike! Go stand in front of your mirror, and look into your own eyes. Smile broadly and say, “I’m a winner!”
The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana are committed to helping our patients achieve a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight. Whether you are interested in weight loss surgery or medically supervised weight loss counseling, we can help you take control of your eating and your weight. Watch an online seminar now or take a weight loss quiz to help you get started.
This article is from Small Bites, the email newsletter for the National Association for Weight Loss Surgery.
Subscribe today and get your F’REE report, The 10 Most Common Mistakes Weight Loss Surgery Patients Make at www.10WLSmistakes.com.
(c) 2007 National Association for Weight Loss Surgery, Inc. All rights reserved.
“Lose 30 pounds in 30 Days!” and Other Weight Loss Myths
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010You’ve heard it. ”Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!” “Eat as much as you want and still lose weight!” With so many products and weight-loss theories out there, it’s easy to get confused. This information may help clear up confusion about weight loss, nutrition and physical exercise. The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana has two licensed dietitians who are available to answer your questions on following a healthy eating plan and losing weight safely. Contact us today to learn more.
Myth: Nuts are fattening and you should not eat them if you want to lose weight.
Fact: In small amounts, nuts can be part of a healthy weight-loss program. Nuts are high in calories and fat. However, most nuts contain healthy fats that do not clog arteries. Nuts are also good sources of protein, dietary fiber, and minerals including magnesium and copper.
Tip: Enjoy small portions of nuts. One-half ounce of mixed nuts has about 84 calories.
Myth: Eating red meat is bad for your health and makes it harder to lose weight.
Fact: Eating lean meat in small amounts can be part of a healthy weight-loss plan. Red meat, pork, chicken, and fish contain some cholesterol and saturated fat (the least healthy kind of fat). They also contain healthy nutrients like protein, iron, and zinc.
Tip: Choose cuts of meat that are lower in fat and trim all visible fat. Lower fat meats include pork tenderloin and beef round steak, tenderloin, sirloin tip, flank steak, and extra lean ground beef. Also, pay attention to portion size. Three ounces of meat or poultry is the size of a deck of cards.
Myth: Dairy products are fattening and unhealthy.
Fact: Low-fat and fat-free milk, yogurt, and cheese are just as nutritious as whole-milk dairy products, but they are lower in fat and calories. Dairy products have many nutrients your body needs. They offer protein to build muscles and help organs work properly, and calcium to strengthen bones. Most milk and some yogurt are fortified with vitamin D to help your body use calcium.
Tip: The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming 3 cups per day of fat-free/low-fat milk or equivalent milk products. For more information on these guidelines, visit http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.
If you cannot digest lactose (the sugar found in dairy products), choose low-lactose or lactose-free dairy products, or other foods and beverages that offer calcium and vitamin D (listed below).
• Calcium: soy-based beverage or tofu made with calcium sulfate; canned salmon; dark leafy greens like collards or kale
• Vitamin D: soy-based beverage or cereal (getting some sunlight on your skin also gives you a small amount of vitamin D)
Myth: “Going vegetarian” means you are sure to lose weight and be healthier.
Fact: Research shows that people who follow a vegetarian eating plan, on average, eat fewer calories and less fat than nonvegetarians. They also tend to have lower body weights relative to their heights than nonvegetarians. Choosing a vegetarian eating plan with a low fat content may be helpful for weight loss. But vegetarians—like nonvegetarians—can make food choices that contribute to weight gain, like eating large amounts of high-fat, high-calorie foods or foods with little or no nutritional value.
Vegetarian diets should be as carefully planned as nonvegetarian diets to make sure they are balanced. Nutrients that nonvegetarians normally get from animal products, but that are not always found in a vegetarian eating plan, are iron, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, zinc, and protein.
Tip: Choose a vegetarian eating plan that is low in fat and that provides all of the nutrients your body needs. Food and beverage sources of nutrients that may be lacking in a vegetarian diet are listed below.
• Iron: cashews, spinach, lentils, garbanzo beans, fortified bread or cereal
• Calcium: dairy products, fortified soy-based beverages, tofu made with calcium sulfate, collard greens, kale, broccoli
• Vitamin D: fortified foods and beverages including milk, soy-based beverages, or cereal
• Vitamin B12: eggs, dairy products, fortified cereal or soy-based beverages, tempeh, miso (tempeh and miso are foods made from soybeans)
• Zinc: whole grains (especially the germ and bran of the grain), nuts, tofu, leafy vegetables (spinach, cabbage, lettuce)
• Protein: eggs, dairy products, beans, peas, nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh, soy-based burgers
The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana are committed to helping our patients achieve a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight. Whether you are interested in weight loss surgery or medically supervised weight loss counseling, we can help you take control of your eating and your weight. Join us for a free seminar or take a weight loss quiz to help you get started.
You’ve heard it. ”Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!” “Eat as much as you want and still lose weight!” With so many products and weight-loss theories out there, it’s easy to get confused. This information may help clear up confusion about weight loss, nutrition and physical exercise. The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana have two licensed dietitians who are available to answer your questions on following a healthy eating plan and losing weight safely. Contact us today to learn more.
Myth: Nuts are fattening and you should not eat them if you want to lose weight.
Fact: In small amounts, nuts can be part of a healthy weight-loss program. Nuts are high in calories and fat. However, most nuts contain healthy fats that do not clog arteries. Nuts are also good sources of protein, dietary fiber, and minerals including magnesium and copper.
Tip: Enjoy small portions of nuts. One-half ounce of mixed nuts has about 84 calories.
Myth: Eating red meat is bad for your health and makes it harder to lose weight.
Fact: Eating lean meat in small amounts can be part of a healthy weight-loss plan. Red meat, pork, chicken, and fish contain some cholesterol and saturated fat (the least healthy kind of fat). They also contain healthy nutrients like protein, iron, and zinc.
Tip: Choose cuts of meat that are lower in fat and trim all visible fat. Lower fat meats include pork tenderloin and beef round steak, tenderloin, sirloin tip, flank steak, and extra lean ground beef. Also, pay attention to portion size. Three ounces of meat or poultry is the size of a deck of cards.
Myth: Dairy products are fattening and unhealthy.
Fact: Low-fat and fat-free milk, yogurt, and cheese are just as nutritious as whole-milk dairy products, but they are lower in fat and calories. Dairy products have many nutrients your body needs. They offer protein to build muscles and help organs work properly, and calcium to strengthen bones. Most milk and some yogurt are fortified with vitamin D to help your body use calcium.
Tip: The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming 3 cups per day of fat-free/low-fat milk or equivalent milk products. For more information on these guidelines, visit http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.
If you cannot digest lactose (the sugar found in dairy products), choose low-lactose or lactose-free dairy products, or other foods and beverages that offer calcium and vitamin D (listed below).
- Calcium: soy-based beverage or tofu made with calcium sulfate; canned salmon; dark leafy greens like collards or kale
- Vitamin D: soy-based beverage or cereal (getting some sunlight on your skin also gives you a small amount of vitamin D)
Myth: “Going vegetarian” means you are sure to lose weight and be healthier.
Fact: Research shows that people who follow a vegetarian eating plan, on average, eat fewer calories and less fat than nonvegetarians. They also tend to have lower body weights relative to their heights than nonvegetarians. Choosing a vegetarian eating plan with a low fat content may be helpful for weight loss. But vegetarians—like nonvegetarians—can make food choices that contribute to weight gain, like eating large amounts of high-fat, high-calorie foods or foods with little or no nutritional value.
Vegetarian diets should be as carefully planned as nonvegetarian diets to make sure they are balanced. Nutrients that nonvegetarians normally get from animal products, but that are not always found in a vegetarian eating plan, are iron, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, zinc, and protein.
Tip: Choose a vegetarian eating plan that is low in fat and that provides all of the nutrients your body needs. Food and beverage sources of nutrients that may be lacking in a vegetarian diet are listed below.
- Iron: cashews, spinach, lentils, garbanzo beans, fortified bread or cereal
- Calcium: dairy products, fortified soy-based beverages, tofu made with calcium sulfate, collard greens, kale, broccoli
- Vitamin D: fortified foods and beverages including milk, soy-based beverages, or cereal
- Vitamin B12: eggs, dairy products, fortified cereal or soy-based beverages, tempeh, miso (tempeh and miso are foods made from soybeans)
- Zinc: whole grains (especially the germ and bran of the grain), nuts, tofu, leafy vegetables (spinach, cabbage, lettuce)
- Protein: eggs, dairy products, beans, peas, nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh, soy-based burgers
The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana are committed to helping our patients achieve a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight. Whether you are interested in weight loss surgery or medically supervised weight loss counseling, we can help you take control of your eating and your weight. Join us for a free seminar or take a weight loss quiz to help you get started.
Cigna Now Covers Sleeve Gastrectomy
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010As of May 15, 2010 Cigna has changed its position of reimbursement for sleeve gastrectomy and will now cover the procedure. The coverage will This coverage will be the same as other bariatric surgery procedures covered by Cigna. Per the official Cigna coverage policy, “When the specific medical necessity critera for bariatric surgery have been met, Cigna covers ANY of the following open or laparoscopic bariatric surgery procedures: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), adjustable silicone gastric banding (e.g. LAP-BAND®, REALIZE™), biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD?DS) for individuals with a BMI (Body Mass Index) > 50, sleeve gastrectomy (GS) and vertical banded gastroplasty. This policy has the potential to impact over 10 million lives covered by Cigna.
If you have Cigna health insurance or are interested in learning more about insurance coverage for bariatric surgery The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana can help. Join us for a free seminar or take a weight loss quiz to help you get started.
As of May 15, 2010 Cigna has changed its position of reimbursement for sleeve gastrectomy and will now cover the procedure. The coverage will This coverage will be the same as other bariatric surgery procedures covered by Cigna. Per the official Cigna coverage policy, “When the specific medical necessity critera for bariatric surgery have been met, Cigna covers ANY of the following open or laparoscopic bariatric surgery procedures: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), adjustable silicone gastric banding (e.g. LAP-BAND®, REALIZE™), biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD?DS) for individuals with a BMI (Body Mass Index) > 50, sleeve gastrectomy (GS) and vertical banded gastroplasty. This policy has the potential to impact over 10 million lives covered by Cigna.
If you have Cigna health insurance or are interested in learning more about insurance coverage for bariatric surgery The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana can help. Join us for a free seminar or take a weight loss quiz to help you get started.
Aetna Now Covers Sleeve Gastrectomy
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
As of April 9, 2010, Aetna has changed its position on reimbursement for sleeve gastrectomy and will now cover the procedure. This coverage will be the same as other bariatric surgery procedures covered by Aetna. Per the official Aetna coverage policy, “Aetna considers open or laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), open or laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, open or laparoscopic biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) with or without duodenal witch (DS), or laparoscopic silicone gastric banding (LASGB) medically necessary when the selection criteria are met.” (Selection criteria are detailed in the policy-0157). This policy has the potential to impact over 18 million lives covered by Aetna.
If you have Aetna health insurance or are interested in learning more about insurance coverage for bariatric surgery The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana can help. Join us for a free seminar or take a weight loss quiz to help you get started.
Sugary Beverages and Their Link to Childhood Obesity
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010There has been a lot of controversy lately regarding soda, sugary drinks and their link to obesity. Some lawmakers have even proposed extra taxes on these beverages to help curb the problem. In this article, printed with permission of the Obesity Action Coalition, Dr. Rodrick D. McKinlay discusses the role liquid calories play in obesity among children.
Childhood Obesity: The Link to Drinks
Childhood obesity rates have doubled throughout the past 30 years in the United States for children ages 2-5 and 12-19, and tripled in the age group of 6-11. Obesity for children is defined as a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile for similar age and gender youths1.
Social and Environmental Pressures
Many social and environmental pressures lead to greater obesity in children. Chief among these influences is the wide variety and availability of sugar-sweetened drinks that contain little to no nutritional value. These beverages include:
• Soft drinks
• Sports drinks
• Fruit drinks
• Flavored teas and coffees
• Energy drinks
Throughout the past 10-15 years, these drinks have exploded on to the consumer scene, flooding grocery stores, gas stations, convenience stores and vending machines.
Americans have doubled their consumption of soda pop in the last 25 years, a trend that closely follows the obesity epidemic. The average American drinks 1.6 cans of soda pop a day, more than 500 cans a year. Soda drinking is particularly rampant among teenagers. Data indicates that soft drinks account for 13 percent of a teenager’s caloric intake – by far the largest source of calories in his or her diet. For decades, milk was the most common beverage consumed by children, but by the mid-1990’s, boys and girls were drinking twice as much soda pop as milk.
One recent, independent peer-reviewed study from Harvard demonstrated a strong link between consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and childhood obesity2. Although some studies conflict regarding the causality between sugar-sweetened beverages and obesity, a number of research studies confirm the Harvard group’s findings that increased soft drink and sugar-laden beverage consumption is a risk factor for obesity3.
Not only do sugar-sweetened drinks likely lead to obesity, they are also associated with tooth decay and weakening bones.
Energy Drink Emergence
In the past decade, energy drinks have exploded into the marketplace. In 2006 alone, 500 new energy drinks were launched. Energy drinks, which typically contain large amounts of sugar and caffeine, are equally if not more dangerous to children. Although the target market for energy drinks is young adults aged 18-35, teenagers are consuming significant quantities of these beverages.
Caffeine by the Can
The amounts of caffeine found in such drinks as Red Bull or Rock Star are about 10 grams per ounce. With that in mind, take a look at the amount of caffeine found in other beverages:
• Red Bull (8.3 oz can) = 83 grams
• Rock Star (16 oz. can) = 160 grams
• Coca-Cola Classic (12 oz. can) = 34.5 grams
• Pepsi-Cola (12 oz. can) = 38 grams
• Coffee (8 oz. cup) = 57 grams
Most experts recommend that children consume well under 100 grams of caffeine per day.
Effects of Caffeine on Children
Pharmacologic effects of caffeine are notable in children, most commonly seen as hyperactivity, sleep disturbances and restlessness. Drinking large amounts of caffeine can also be associated with high blood pressure and frequent headaches.
Researchers have reported that a new practice among college-age students is the simultaneous consumption of energy drinks and alcohol, which allows greater consumption of alcohol since alertness is perpetuated by the energy drink4. In addition, the sugar content of energy drinks is comparable or higher than most soft drinks. For example, an 8 oz Red Bull contains 27 grams of sugar and a 16 oz Rock Star has 60 grams of sugar, while the typical non-diet soft drink contains 40-45 grams of sugar.
How to Combat the High-calorie Beverage Craze
So what can be done to limit the amount of nutritionally-poor liquid calories that children and adolescents are consuming? On an individual-basis, the best approach is simply to replace soda and sports drinks with water or low-fat milk in children’s diets. Water is the best hydrator available. Low-fat milk not only hydrates, but delivers calcium, protein and vitamin D.
Children should be monitored at home with their choice of liquids. A glass of 100 percent fruit juice per day is beneficial, but excessive soda, sport drinks or energy drinks is unhealthy. What happens at school may be out of the immediate control of a parent, but parents can petition the school to eliminate vending machines that sell soft drinks and energy drinks in favor of bottled water.
Moderation in guiding children, of course, is appropriate. Children who are constantly deprived of treats are more likely to binge eat or drink. Also, parental modeling is important. Studies suggest that children who are raised by parents who exert excessive dietary restraint may be more likely to become obese5.
Children possess the ability to internally regulate their caloric intake. If they see their parents struggle with alternating dis-inhibited eating (abandoning the effort to control food or drink intake) and restrained eating (conscious decision to restrict intake to control weight), they may pattern their own eating and drinking behavior after their parents instead of allowing their internal energy regulation to guide them. This in turn seems to lead to greater obesity in children.
Conclusion
Parents should adopt healthy eating and drinking patterns, limiting consumption of soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened drinks, and to do so without obsession. Helping children develop a love for the refreshing taste of water or a cold glass of milk will pay immediate health rewards for children as well as dividends for their future health and weight control.
This article first appeared in the OAC News Vol.5/ Issue 1 October 2009. Reproduced with permission from Obesity Action Coalition. Please visit www.oac.org
The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana are committed to helping our patients achieve a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight. Whether you are interested in weight loss surgery or medically supervised weight loss counseling, we can help you take control of your eating and your weight. Join us for a free seminar or take a weight loss quiz to help you get started.
References:
• Childhood Obesity in the United States: Facts and Figures, Fact Sheet 2004, Institute of Medicine.
• Ludwig et al, Relation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: a prospective, observational analysis. Lancet 2001; Feb 17; 357 (9255):505-8.
• Wolff et al, Medscape J Med 2008; 10(8):189.
• Malinauskas et al, Nutrition Journal 2007; 6:35.
• Hood et al, International Journal of Obesity 2000; 10:1319-1325.
Food Labels – A Primer: Part Two
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
Are you taking the time to learn what exactly is in the food you eat? Last week the Surgical Specialists of Louisiana shared the first part of a feature article by Jacqueline Jacques, ND that explained the types of items consumers should look for in a food label. This week are are pleased to share the conclusion of this article and reprinted with the permission of the Obesity Action Coalition.
The Nutrition Facts Box
If you know what to look at, the Nutrition Facts Box actually provides a lot of information.
Nutrition Information that Should be Present in the Nutrition Facts Box
Mandatory Items:
• Total calories
• Calories from fat
• Total fat
• Saturated fat
• Trans fat
• Cholesterol
• Sodium
• Total carbohydrate
• Sugars
• Protein
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Calcium
• Iron
Non- mandatory items that should be included:
• Calories from saturated fat
• Polyunsaturated fat
• Monounsaturated fat
• Potassium
• Dietary fiber
• Soluble fiber
• Insoluble fiber
• Sugar alcohol (i.e. xylitol, mannitol and sorbitol)
• Other carbohydrate (difference between total carbohydrate and sum of dietary fiber, sugars, and sugar alcohol if declared)
• Percent of vitamin A present as beta-carotene
• Other essential vitamins and minerals
From the top of the box, you can start by looking at the serving size and the number of servings in a container. For products like bread, where the serving is usually one slice, this is typically easy to understand. For foods that don’t come in neat portions, consumers often do not use the serving size that the manufacturer recommends.
A great example is cereal. For many cereals, the serving size is 1/3 to 1/2 cup. That’s about a medium handful for most adults – and it doesn’t even come close to filling your cereal bowl. When pouring cereal, many of use three to four times the “serving” size. Same goes for foods like juice, pasta, chips, crackers, nuts, ice cream and other things where the serving size may differ a lot from what most people eat.
Two examples that I find bothersome are bottled drinks and nutrition bars. Many bottled drinks (from juice to soda) and packaged bars that look like single servings are actually 1 ½ to 2 servings per container. So, if you eat the entire contents of the package, you need to multiply the calories, fat content, etc by 1.5 or 2 to know what you are actually eating.
Everything else in the Nutrition Facts box is based on a single serving of the product – not on the amount that you typically eat. As you move through the box, keep this in mind. If you are trying to limit calories, fat, salt (sodium) or cholesterol, you can now much more easily know how much you are getting. If you want to make sure you get enough protein or fiber every day, you can see that as well.
Finally, you can also use the box to know how much iron, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin C you are getting each day. Other nutrients such as B-vitamins, vitamin E, D, K, and most minerals are not required, but can be listed voluntarily by the manufacturer.
You also see some percentages (%) in the Nutrition Facts box. These percentages tell you that for the listed nutrients how much of the Recommended Daily Value you get with a serving of that food. The Daily Value (DV) is the suggested amount of a nutrient (a vitamin, mineral, protein, fat, fiber or carbohydrate) that you should get each day. The Percent Daily Value (% DV) is the amount of that nutrient you should get based on an assumed calorie intake. For all nutrients, if they provide 5 percent or less of the DV, the food is low in that nutrient; if they provide 20 percent or more, they are high in that nutrient.
The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) generally assumes an intake of 2,000 calories for an average adult. Optionally, the manufacturer can show you percentages based on an intake of 2,500 calories as well. Also voluntary, but commonly shown, are the number of calories per gram of fat, carbohydrate and protein.
The Ingredients
The Nutrition Facts box is helpful, but the information in it is still limited. Foods are also required to have a complete listing of all the ingredients that they contain. This is required for all foods that have more than one ingredient. Usually this information is listed directly below or adjacent to the Nutrition Facts box. Ingredients are listed by weight.
While fewer ingredients don’t always make a healthier food, it is not uncommon to find that foods with long, complicated ingredient lists contain more additive, more fillers and more non-nutritional ingredients.
By reading this list carefully, it can help you to compare not just the simple nutrition facts in the box, but also the quality of your food. You might be amazed when you start to compare foods like catsups, breads, soups and more just how much variation there is for individual types of foods.
Allergens
The newest label regulations require specific information for ingredients that have been identified as potentially harmful allergens. The allergens that must be declared on food labels are:
• Milk
• Eggs
• Fish (e.g., bass, flounder, cod)
• Crustacean shellfish (e.g., crab, lobster, shrimp)
• Tree nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans)
• Peanuts
• Wheat
• Soybeans
Manufacturers can declare the source of the ingredient directly in the ingredient list, or they can place this information in a separate statement following the ingredient list. (This will usually be preceded by the phrase “This product contains…”) While wheat is on this list, many medical authorities have commented that gluten is not, and perhaps should be. The FDA is currently reviewing the criteria for adding gluten to this list as well as looking to clearly define “gluten-free.”
Nutrient Content Claims and Health Claims
It is becoming increasingly common for manufacturers to market health claims about their food. Whether it is margarine that helps your heart, cereal that lowers cholesterol or simply something that is “healthy” compared to the other choices on the shelf. You might be surprised at how regulated this language is by the FDA.
A nutrient content claim is one that tells you that compared to a similar food, the food from brand X is lower in something (like fat or sugar), free of something (like sodium or cholesterol) or provides a better than average source of a nutrient (like calcium or protein). Virtually every term from “light” to “high” has a strict definition that manufacturers must meet to use the term, or they risk serious penalties and fines.
Actual health claims for foods are extremely limited. To date, there are only 12 that the FDA has allowed, though they are considering others. In addition, there are two approved claims based on authoritative statements from scientific bodies that are allowed. One is for whole grains, heart disease and cancer and states: “Diets rich in whole grain foods and other plant foods and low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers.”
This article first appeared in the OAC News Vol.2/ Issue 3 April 2007 Reproduced with permission from Obesity Action Coalition. Please visit www.oac.org
The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana are committed to helping our patients achieve a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight. Whether you are interested in weight loss surgery or medically supervised weight loss counseling, we can help you take control of your eating and your weight. Join us for a free seminar or take a weight loss quiz to help you get started.
Weight Loss Surgery May Cut Risk of Cancer
Friday, January 8th, 2010
Research has long linked obesity to such negative health conditions as high blood pressure, sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes. One commonly overlooked, yet very serious, risk of obesity is cancer. A pivotal study released in 2003 followed more than 900,000 adults for sixteen years1. When these men and women were enrolled in the study they were cancer free, but over the duration of the study, more than 50,000 cancer deaths occurred. The study concluded that those with a body mass index of 40 or more, those considered morbidly obese, had death rates from all cancers that were 52% higher for men and 62% higher for women compared to people of normal weight. Based on this data, the researchers estimated that 14 percent of all deaths from cancer in men and 20 percent of those in women could be directly linked to obesity. Obesity related cancers include esophagus, colon, rectum, liver, pancreas and kidney cancers. For women, there is also an increased rate of breast, uterus and other gynecologic cancers.
Seven years have passed since the publication of that study and much headway has been made in the treatment and prevention of obesity in the United States. Although the obese population continues to climb, options such as weight loss surgery and medically supervised diets are widely available. This June, the Journal of the American College of Surgeons published a report that bariatric surgery appears to decrease the risk of cancer in obese women.
The study followed 1,482 severely obese (BMI over 30) women who had undergone bariatric surgery and compared them to a group of severely obese women who had not undergone surgery. Although the results of the study were not conclusive, the obese women who did not have surgery had a significantly higher cancer diagnosis2. These findings may be the first step toward bariatric surgery being a preventative treatment for obesity related cancers.
Certainly more research needs to be done to evaluate the numerous factors contributing to weight loss. Still, for the morbidly obese, weight loss surgery, such gastric bypass or laparoscopic gastric banding, has proven to be a more effective means of weight loss than diet and exercise alone.
1. EE Callee, C Rodriguez, K Walker-Thurmond, M Thun Overweight, Obesity and Mortality from Canter in a Prospectively Studied Cohort of U.S. Adults, NEJM 348: 1625-1638, April 24, 2003, No. 17
2. Cancer in Obese Women: Potential Protective Impact of Bariatric Surgery, 17 April 2009
The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana are committed to helping our patients achieve a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight. Whether you are interested in weight loss surgery or medically supervised weight loss counseling, we can help you take control of your eating and your weight. Join us for a free seminar or take a weight loss quiz to help you get started.
Walk From Obesity
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
The 4th Annual Walk From Obesity, sponsored by Southern Surgical Hospital, in conjunction with The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana, took place Saturday, November 14th in Slidell’s Olde Towne Historic District. The Walk From Obesity is the only annual nation-wide event to increase the awareness of the life threatening disease of obesity.
Walkers participated in raising money to help fight the obesity epidemic. An estimated 90 million people in the US are obese and 15 million are morbidly obese, putting them at an increased risk for other life threatening diseases including type II diabetes and heart disease.
With the help of business sponsorships, such as the Surgical Specialists of Louisiana who were “Benefactor Level” sponsors, the Slidell area walk raised $16,500, making it one of the Top National Fundraising Sites in the Country. Thanks to these fundraising efforts, the ASMBS (American Society For Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery) Foundation awarded a $5,000 grant to Slidell Memorial Hospital’s “Fit as a Firefighter” Camp. This is the second year in a row the award has been given to SMH which has brought the money raised back into our local community.
About The Surgical Specialists of LA
The Surgical Specialists of LA is a group of nine board certified laparoscopic bariatric surgeons who have performed over 4,000 minimally invasive weight loss surgeries. With locations in New Orleans, Covington, Lafayette and Slidell, they are able to offer the Gulf South Region the most comprehensive weight loss program in the area. Whether you need to lose 15, 50 or 150 pounds, SSL has a program to meet your needs. MyWeightTM is the most recent addition to SSl’s offerings. MyWeightTM is a medically supervised, individualized, multi-level weight loss program that offers a variety of options focusing on the Medical, Nutritional, and Physical components for a healthy lifestyle.
About Southern Surgical Hospital
Southern Surgical Hospital (SSH) is a multi-specialty, 63,538 square-foot short-stay hospital located in Slidell, Louisiana. The hospital houses six operating suites, one pain treatment room, a procedure room; two sleep lab beds, 32 inpatient beds, and five ICU beds. SSH is owned and operated by physicians in partnership with Cirrus Health.
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