The presentation outlined the methods used to treat obesity from the 17th century through today, starting with the earliest recorded treatments for obesity, which included bleedings and recommendations such as drinking vinegar to dissolve fat and engaging in ‘violent exercise’. Hundreds of years later, during the time of World War II and beyond, quite a few weight loss drugs were developed. These drugs, however, were found to cause too many negative side effects, so their usage was intermittent or stopped completely. The next significant milestone in obesity treatment was in the 1990’s, with the drug Fen-Phen.  It had record-breaking sales, but was recalled in the late 1990’s when it was linked with heart valve problems. Since the recall of Fen-Phen, there have been numerous efforts to create safe and effective obesity drugs; however, currently there are only two drugs that are approved for obesity treatment. The challenge in developing and getting obesity drugs to the market, explains Dr. Mark Fusco, a bariatric surgeon in Florida, is that “they need to demonstrate a significant safety profile to win approval from governmental agencies that are increasingly risk averse.”

Because of the challenges in finding pharmaceutical treatments, surgery and procedures, like POSE, continue to be the most effective in treating obesity. POSE is a new minimally invasive weight loss procedure designed for patients that want to lose 20-70 pounds. The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana are at the forefront of this new technology and are amongst the most experienced at the procedure in the world. Dr. Michael Thomas explained that no matter what procedure you choose, POSE or surgery, “the most important thing patients can do is go to an experienced bariatric surgeon to get the best results. After that, it’s very important that they follow-up with their doctor to make sure they stay on track and have life-long healthy weight loss.”

Surgical Specialists of Louisiana offers a comprehensive weight loss program that involves life-long care for the whole continuum of patients whether they want to lose 20 pounds or 400 pounds.

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“This is great news for the State of Louisiana and the Gulf South Region, where the obesity rates are among the highest in the country” said Dr. Tom Lavin, one of the nine board-certified surgeons with the Surgical Specialists of Louisiana. Louisiana was named the fifth most obese state in the country, while neighboring state, Mississippi, was named number one.* The need for more effective treatment options for those suffering from obesity is apparent, as almost 37 million Americans have a BMI of 30-40 and at least one comorbid condition.**

Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the Untied States, second only to smoking. It is a disease that requires treatment and successful long-term solutions. The LAP-BAND, combined with diet and exercise, provides an effective treatment option for those in a lower BMI range that previously did not have options beyond diet, exercise and pharmacotherapy.

The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana is committed to helping you lose weight and obtain a healthy lifestyle. Our nutritionists are available for one-on-one consultations. Whether you need to lose 15, 50 or 150 pounds, SSL can help you. Our medically supervised weight loss program, MyWeight, combines nutrition therapy, physical activity and physician prescribed medication, if necessary. Minimally invasive weight loss surgery (gastric banding, gastric bypass, gastric sleeve) and the new incisionless procedure, POSE, are options for those who need to lose 50 or more pounds. Schedule your free weight-loss surgery seminar today to learn more!

Contact the Surgical Specialists of LA for more information at 1-877-691-3001 or www.whyweight.com.

References

*Trust For America’s Health Report: F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future. June 2010.
**JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association 2010, “Prevalence and Trends in Obesity Among US Adults, 1999-2008” and 2009 CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System annual data, http://www.cdc.gov/brfss/.

Adolescents who got the least amount of sleep had a 4.2 times higher risk of becoming obese. Those who slept during the week but stayed up late on weekend nights tripled their risk.

Coupled with lack of sleep is the question, “What are kids doing when they’re not tucked between the sheets?” The answer, not surprisingly, is that they’re playing video games (a sedentary activity), watching TV (another sedentary activity), and eating high-calorie junk food, which are all associated with higher childhood obesity rates.

Researchers believe that sleep deprivation affects metabolism and the endocrine system, especially when the body is young and growing. It also negatively affects two hormones that regulate hunger and appetite, causing overeating. And if that isn’t enough, lack of sleep throws off the body’s biological clock… particularly the mechanism that controls glucose and insulin. When this regulatory mechanism is out of balance, it causes weight gain, heart disease and diabetes. And finally, lack of sleep increases the levels of the hormone cortisol, which regulates how the body uses energy. High levels of cortisol have been linked to insulin resistance and a higher BMI (body mass index).

So how many hours a night should the average child sleep? The NIH (National Institutes of Health) recommends 9 to 10 hours a night. Dr. David Gozal, one of the University of Chicago’s lead researchers and chair of the pediatrics department at the University of Chicago in Illinois said, “Adequate sleep can help reduce obesity as well as other health problems like cardiovascular disease and diabetes now and in the future.”

The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana is committed to helping you lose weight and obtain a healthy lifestyle. Our nutritionists are available for one-on-one consultations. Whether you need to lose 15, 50 or 150 pounds, SSL can help you. Our medically supervised weight loss program, MyWeight, combines nutrition therapy, physical activity and physician prescribed medication, if necessary. Minimally invasive weight loss surgery (gastric banding, gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy) and the new incisionless procedure, POSE, are options for those who need to lose 50 or more pounds. Schedule your free weight-loss surgery seminar today to learn more!

Contact the Surgical Specialists of LA for more information at 1-877-691-3001 or www.whyweight.com.

On March 26, 2010, a resolution was unanimously passed in the Senate to designate September 2010 as “National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month”, bringing national attention to a growing epidemic among youth in the United States. The resolution requests that the president issue a proclamation calling on the federal government, states, tribes and localities to observe September with programs that promote healthy eating and physical activity. Activities planned in September are important steps to improving kids’ wellness and educating families on how to live healthier.

The obesity crisis and unhealthy lifestyles are contributing to the growth of health care costs in America. First Lady Michelle Obama is making childhood obesity one of her top priorities.  Since the mid-1970s, obesity rates in the U.S. have increased dramatically for both children and adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate the annual expenditures related to overweight individuals and obesity to be more than $264 billion.  This is greater than the cost of tobacco-related illnesses!  In 2007, spending on health care in the U.S. reached $2.2 trillion or $7,421/person, or 16.2% spending share of gross domestic product.

Facts of appalling proportion:

•    31.8% or 23,000,000 children and teenagers 2-19 are obese or overweight.  This is a statistic that health and medical experts consider an epidemic.

•    The financial implications of childhood obesity pose a tremendous threat to our economy and health care system, carrying up to $14,000,000,000 per year in direct health care cost.

•    People in the U.S. spend about 9% of their total medical costs on obesity-related illnesses.

•    Obese young children have an 80% chance of being obese adults and are more at risk for associated adult health problems including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, stroke, several types of cancer and osteoarthritis.

•    In part due to the childhood obesity epidemic, 1 in 3 children born in the year 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes at some point in their lifetime if the current trend continues.

Source: Read The Bill: S. Res. 412 – GovTrack.us.  Text of S. Res. 412: A resolution designating September 2010 as “National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month”.
Source: Senate Passes Resolution to Designate September “National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month”.  http://gillibrand.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=C6CC2288-3D15-4856-8E70-982

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.

A National Public Awareness Campaign Brought to You by the OAC

Your Weight Matters is a National web-based awareness campaign proudly produced and presented by the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC). The goal of the campaign is to get the public talking about weight as it relates to their health and to challenge each and every American to talk to their doctor about their weight.

Why Does My Weight Matter?

Weight and health go hand-in-hand. Many Americans are not aware of the health risks associated with excess weight and how weight plays a key role in their health. That’s why it’s important for YOU to get involved in the Your Weight Matters Campaign, assess your weight and talk to your doctor!

What the Campaign Offers

The web-based campaign has all the information you need:

• Tools to measure your weight
• Health risks associated with weight
• Health and wellness tips
• A section dedicated just to kids
• And much more!

Get Started and Take the Challenge

The easy-to-navigate web site guides you step-by-step through measuring your weight and gives you tips for talking to your doctor. Once you take the challenge, you will receive a link to the e-toolkit which includes:

• Sample questions to ask your doctor
• Questions your doctor may ask you
• Food log journal
• Health and wellness quick tips
• Helpful resources
• BMI chart for adults
• And much more!

About the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC)

The OAC is a National nonprofit charity dedicated to helping those affected by obesity. The OAC brings together individual struggling with weight and provides educational and advocacy resources.

TAKE THE CHALLENGE! Visit www.yourweightmatters.org today and take the Campaign challenge!

The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana is a proud supporter of the Walk From Obesity, whose funds support the OAC. In addition, Laura Boyer, RN, CBN, and Director of Clinical Systems for the Surgical Specialists, is a previous Advisory Board Member for the OAC. Laura and James Redmann, MD, FACS, are contributing authors to the OAC.

Learn more about the Surgical Specialists of Louisiana. You can get more information on weight loss surgery such as gastric banding, gastric bypass or medically supervised weight loss programs by contacting one of our patient advocates today. The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana are committed to helping you reach your weight loss goals. Register for a free seminar and see which one of our weight loss programs has proven to be the most effective for resolving weight related health conditions.

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.

Body image is loosely defined as a person’s perception of their own physical appearance, or the internal sense of how one’s body appears to others. Although it is a complex subject, research suggests:

1. Body image dissatisfaction is greater in women than in men.
2. A person’s body image is often dramatically different from the way their body actually appears to others.

There is no doubt that there is still a great deal of stigmatization and moralizing about obesity and excess weight in this society. Many scientific studies demonstrate this point. They show that people with excess weight, in comparison with their normal-weight counterparts, are often perceived as being:

• “Less intelligent”
• “Lonelier”
• “Having less self-control”
• “More lazy”

While these perceptions are often not true, they still persist and can have a marked effect. We have all heard remarks like, “she ought to just push herself away from the table,” or “he should get to the gym.”

To the outside world, the reasons people with morbid obesity seek bariatric surgery may be a mystery. The obvious reason might be to “look better” or to “feel better about their bodies.” The bottom line is that society still too often views this procedure as the “easy way out,” or a “quick fix” for lifelong problems.

Perceptions and Social Stigma

Although body image seems to develop naturally as we mature, there is probably a large part of our body image that is socially derived, from these real or imagined perceptions, judgments and comments of other people. When you add this social stigma to a person’s previous failure at dieting, already low self-esteem and poor body image, it is not difficult to imagine that the idea of significant weight loss through surgery is appealing for a number of reasons.

Despite the fact that a primary goal of bariatric surgery is to prevent, improve or cure medical health problems or co-morbidities, the psychosocial effects of the surgery are just as powerful and important. Several recent studies have reported dramatic positive changes in the body image of patients following weight loss surgery. So what really motivates people to seek this surgery in the first place?

Weight Loss Surgery Motivation

First, a few facts about motivation itself. There are four types, or sources, of motivation.

• External motivation is often initiated by outside sources, like friends, family or doctors. “They made me do it.”
• Guilt-driven motivation is, as one might expect, a result of trying to escape from negative feelings. “I would feel badly if I didn’t do it.”
• Identified motivation is a result of wanting to be like, or identifying with, someone else who is doing the behavior in question.
• Internal motivation is when the desire to change arises within the person. “I like doing it…it’s fun.” Studies that examined motivation to exercise or to lose weight have shown that the most enduring source of behavior change is internal motivation. That is, the more a person’s motivation comes from within, as opposed to some outside agent (e.g., doctor, spouse), the more likely it is that behavior change will continue.

It is clear that there are many sources for motivation, and they should be examined carefully, especially when the subject is weight-loss surgery. At our practice, we have examined the motivating factors for a group of 65 of patients who were seeking bariatric surgery. They were each asked about their primary motivating factors, including:

• Health concerns, including medical co-morbidities
• Improvements in self-esteem, including feelings of self-worth and enhanced body image
• Increasing physical functioning, including better mobility and ability to accomplish physical tasks
• Business or job advancement
• Increased social attractiveness

They were asked to rank-order their reasons for seeking surgery, from 1 (most important) through 5 (least important). The results of this assessment are shown below.

What is your most important reason for seeking bariatric surgery?

Health Concerns                               62%
Increase Physical Functioning            11%
Improve Self-Esteem                         19%
Business or Job Advancement             5%
Social Attractiveness                          3%

One clear finding here is that health concerns far outweigh all other categories of motivation for bariatric surgery. These may represent either current or future concerns about physical health and well-being. When motivation to improve physical functioning is added to health concerns, the total for both represents nearly three quarters of all primary reasons.

Body Image and Self-Esteem

Although “body image” was not a separate category, it is assumed that this issue is incorporated into the categories of “improve self-esteem” and “social attractiveness.” Together, these two areas were primarily endorsed by 22 percent of the respondents.

People obviously choose to have bariatric surgery for many reasons, and these cannot easily be broken down into distinct categories. While our data suggests that health concerns are well in front of other reasons, there were secondary reasons, including body image, which play a part in their decision-making as well. Of equal importance is the person’s source of motivation. Be sure to examine yours, and make certain the decision is an internal one!

This article first appeared in the OAC News Vol.3/ Issue 4 July 2008.  Reproduced with permission from Obesity Action Coalition. Please visit www.oac.org