The study is a meta-analysis, which is a careful and rigorous review of many clinical studies.   Seven studies out of 4,576 possible papers met the criteria to be included in this study.  Because the seven studies reported amounts of chocolate consumption in different manners, the authors decided to compare lowest to highest chocolate consumption when they looked at the health benefits. The authors of the study explain that the exact amount of chocolate needed to experience the health benefits is not clear, yet.

The study also cautions against large consumption of chocolate. Chocolate is high in sugar and calories and therefore can be destructive to weight loss and overall health.  Dark chocolate, which contains a higher cocoa content, will provide the most health benefits without as much fat and sugar as milk chocolate.

At the Surgical Specialists of Louisiana, we understand that our patients need nutrition plans tailored to their needs—even if that means including the occasional piece of dark chocolate! Balance is always very important. You can learn more about our program and weight loss options on our website, by registering for a free weight loss surgery seminar, or by calling us at 877-691-3001.

Tweet

*Image from here

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.

Tweet

Improve Your Nutrition
Vitamins and protein are key to the healing process following surgery. Protein will help you maintain muscle mass while losing weight and make you feel full longer after your meals. Your doctor will instruct you as to which vitamins and supplements you will need. Plan to incorporate a multi-vitamin, B12, calcium into your daily intake. Start doing this as soon as you can, not only because it will help your health, but it will also to help you get in the habit of taking important vitamin supplements on a continual basis.

Get a Sleep Study
Many over weight individuals suffer from Sleep Apnea Syndrome (SAS) and don’t even know it. SAS is a sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing. In a recent study of patients who had completed a preoperative evaluation for bariatric surgery, 73% of tested patients had SAS that required treatment. As a result of the study, researchers recommended that patients who undergo bariatric surgery should be screened, tested and treated for sleep apnea.

Start Exercising—everyday
Exercise is crucial to weight loss success; it shortens the recovery period and reduces the risk of postsurgical complications. Our doctors have found that patients who start an exercise program before weight loss surgery are twice as likely to have an easier time exercising after surgery. Because exercise tends to be difficult for people who are overweight, the key is to start slowly. Walk in place for 10 minutes, twice a day. Resume exercising two to three weeks after surgery. Cardio and strength training should be part of your exercise routine, three to five days a week.

Cut Down on Alcohol and Quit Smoking
Smoking can make lungs more sensitive during surgery and can slow the healing process by narrowing the blood vessels and restricting the flow of blood to the healing sites. Smoking contradicts the purpose for having surgery: Improving your health! Alcohol is full of empty calories that provide no nutritional value. Weight loss surgery makes you more sensitive to alcohol, so a little goes a long way.

You have committed to changing your lifestyle. You are ready to achieve and maintain a healthy weight with a regimen of healthy choices. The comprehensive weight loss program, including MyWeight Nutition & Wellness Counseling designed by the Surgical Specialists of LA addresses all of these issues, and we will help you achieve your weight loss goals. Visit www.whyweight.com or call 1-877-691-3001 and ask to speak to a patient advocate to answer questions you may have regarding weight loss and bariatric surgery, including questions about our new incisionless procedure—POSE, a one hour endoscopic procedure that is transforming the lives of our patients.

Tweet

Apples and Apricots… are good for you!

Apples can be traced back to the Romans and Egyptians who introduced them to Britain and America. Apricot in Latin means “precious” because this fruit ripens earlier than other summer fruits. The Chinese associate the apricot with education and medicine. Apricots are members of the peach family, only smaller.

Try this Veggie Delight Smoothie:

2 cups apple juice
1 cup sliced apple
1 cup applesauce
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup peeled & sliced cucumber
2.5 cups of ice

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

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.

A recent recommendation has been 3,000 steps per day, five days a week; however, these findings suggest that 10,000 steps per day (five days a week) achieve a threefold improvement in insulin sensitivity.

The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana recommends physical activity, such as walking, combined with healthy nutrition to obtain your ideal weight. Whether you have had, or are considering, weight loss surgery, these are necessary for a healthy life. Our non-surgical program, MyWeight, combines nutritional counseling with personalized meal plans and prescription medications, if necessary. Surgical weight loss, such as gastric banding or gastric bypass surgery, has been proven to help in reducing and, in some cases, eliminating co-morbidities associated with the disease of obesity, including diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

The group of nine surgeons at the Surgical Specialists of Louisiana are highly skilled in advanced laparoscopy and have performed more than 4,000 surgical weight loss procedures. If you are interested in learning more about our weight loss programs, join us for a free seminar, contact our office or take a weight loss quiz to get you started.

Do something for yourself this new year. Purchase a pedometer and start walking. Your heart and your body will thank you!

*Source: British Medical Journal, news release, Jan 13, 2011.

]]> http://blog.whyweight.com/walk-to-get-healthy-and-lower-your-risk-of-diabetes/feed/ 0 http://blog.whyweight.com/make-your-life-easier-and-find-more-satisfaction-drop-some-rocks/ http://blog.whyweight.com/make-your-life-easier-and-find-more-satisfaction-drop-some-rocks/#comments Fri, 29 Oct 2010 17:51:40 +0000 admin http://blog.whyweight.com/?p=921 An Article and Exercise by Katie Jay, MSW, Certified Life Coach
Director, National Association for Weight Loss Surgery
www.nawls.com

Imagine that your job in life is to swim across a fast-moving river carrying a bag of rocks. People often fill their bags with too many rocks, including rocks that don’t belong to
them.

A fast-moving river can be hard to get across even under the best of conditions. And it’s nearly impossible to cross when you are carrying a heavy burden.

We live in a busy world. Often success is measured by how much we do, how busy we are, and how heavy the load is that we carry.

Weight Loss Surgery patients are faced with a choice after surgery, because we have chosen to add some hefty rocks to our bags — the responsibility of making our rigorous WLS lifestyle a priority — our ability to carry lots of other rocks will be limited.
By the very nature of our WLS we carry a lot of rocks in our bags: taking vitamins and supplements, monitoring our labs, exercising, losing and maintaining weight, drinking water, eating enough protein, dealing with food obsession, being prepared for any eating situation, adjusting our self image, fighting urges to graze or overeat or eat sweets…I could go on and on!

This added burden for WLS patients makes it imperative that we be deliberate in the number and size of the rocks we carry.

Because we carry the extra burden of the WLS lifestyle, we must take a realistic look at our lives and adjust our obligations accordingly.

If you are carrying other people’s rocks unnecessarily; i.e., doing all the work for the team at your job, volunteering again because no other parent will step up, making cookies for a friend’s party; you might want to rethink what you’re doing.

Carrying too many rocks is risky business. And carrying your WLS rocks and everyone else’s just might make your sink.
Keep these three things in mind, and begin to work on not making yourself carry such a huge bag of rocks:

1. Everyone has to carry rocks, but the people whose loads are the lightest tend to set good boundaries, value themselves, and take an honest look at their capabilities.
2. When you carry someone else’s rocks, and they are capable of carrying their own rocks, you don’t do yourself or them a favor.
3. Making brave choices about which rocks you will carry — and which ones you will not carry — will bring you more rewards than you could ever imagine.

Just remember, you don’t have to do everything everyone expects of you. You can say no to eating at a restaurant that triggers you to overeat. You can ask your husband or wife not to bring chips into the house. You can even say no to running an errand for a friend, if running that errand would interfere with your healthy habit of eating before you get too hungry.

The river may rage in my life, but I am determined to carry as light a load as possible. How about you?

An Exercise:

Make a list of the rocks in your bag — your various responsibilities. This week, drop at least one of the rocks that doesn’t belong to you.

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.

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.

Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) Airline Policy Statement

The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) recognizes the current standards and practices used by the United States airline industry in regards to the travel process (booking travel, purchasing of additional seat, determination of ability to fly based on size, etc.) must change. Those affected by excess weight experience an overall diminished quality of travel due to the lack of understanding, education and sensitivity to their condition. These standards and practices must change to accommodate the millions of Americans affected by excess weight who utilize the airline industry for their traveling needs on a daily basis. In order to assist the airline industry in modifying and bettering their practices, the OAC has highlighted specific problem areas needing immediate attention. We have also highlighted long term areas of interest requiring action on the part of the airline industry.

Immediate Action Needed

Purchasing of Extra Seat

Those affected by excess weight often want to save themselves the embarrassment of being “required” to purchase an extra seat and therefore, seek to purchase the extra seat online when booking their travel. Unfortunately, it is not simple to purchase another seat online for the same person. The check‐in process can often lead to even further embarrassment as security and gate agents often question the use of the same ID for two tickets.

Solution

A new user‐interface must be developed allowing those who wish to purchase a second seat to easily do so online. Ticket counter employees, gate agents, flight attendants and others must also be educated on the option for a passenger to purchase an extra seat and treat that individual with respect and sensitivity. For those who are “required” to purchase an extra seat based on airline policy, the cost of the extra seat will be reimbursed if there is at least one open seat on the plane. The open seat must be a seat not used by a paying customer. If the airline should choose to use that seat for a non‐paying customer, such as a flight crewperson, the passenger still needs to be reimbursed their fare for the extra seat as the available seat is now occupied by a nonpaying customer.

Assessment of Ability to Fly due to Size

The current standard and practice by which a passenger is deemed able to fly or required to purchase an additional seat, due to their physical size, must change. Current practices often have the assessment of the passenger’s ability to fly taking place inside the aircraft. This approach greatly increases the negative stigma associated with excess weight and embarrasses the passenger in front of his/her peers.

Solution

The process of assessing whether an individual requires an additional seat must be held in a private room out of view of passengers, other airline agents (other than the trained official evaluating the process) or the general public. Passengers in question would be required to sit in a sample airline seat (specific to each airline) and perform the required safety measures, such as lowering the arm rest and buckling the seatbelt (with the assistance of a seatbelt extender if needed). Once completed, the passenger would then be cleared to fly or provided with a detailed explanation regarding their denial of travel or second seat purchase requirement. Once aboard the aircraft, under no circumstances should the passenger be required to once again demonstrate their ability to fit into a seat or perform any other qualification requirements other than those specified by the FAA, such as viewing the safety demonstration or verbally agreeing to assist other passengers if seated in an “exit row.”

Sensitivity Training for All Airline Employees

Travelers affected by excess weight often express horrific stories of being made to prove their ability to fit into a seat, while flight crews watched, explain tirelessly why they have two seats registered to one person and much more. Travelers affected by weight are not second‐class citizens and the treatment of them as such must immediately stop.

Solution

Sensitivity training is a must for the airline industry. Along with the above mentioned issues, sensitivity training is crucial in building a more accepting environment for passengers of size. Unfortunately, weight stigma is one of the last acceptable forms of discrimination in the United States. As the diversity of customers for the airline industry is immeasurable, the airline industry must ensure that it is serving each customer, regardless of size, with respect, dignity and sensitivity. The OAC stands by ready and waiting to assist any airliner with the implementation of sensitivity training for their employees.

Long term Issues

Widening of All Airline Seats

A long term initiative that is achievable by the airline industry is the widening of all airline seats. The average airliner today uses seats that are 17” – 17.2” wide. Unfortunately, this is not aligned with the current size of the average American as millions are affected by excess weight. The much‐needed widening of airline seats is long overdue. Such widening should allow for the vast majority of Americans to travel on a single fare without the requirement of purchasing a second seat.

Solution

The widening of the all airline seats will better accommodate the general public and reduce the number of individuals, affected by excess weight, being denied travel. The airline industry has failed to appropriately assess the size of an average passenger throughout the past 25 years; leading to many passengers, even those who would be deemed “normal weight” according to a body mass index scale, feeling uncomfortable during their travels. The airline industry must adapt to a more forward‐thinking and proactive methodology in constructing their aircrafts with the needs of Americans as a first priority. Major industries, such as sporting venues, automobiles and others have made changes in their seating standards to accommodate people of all shapes and sizes – the airline industry must follow suit. In the interim, immediate inclusion of a limited number of wider seats is a shorter term solution; however, the complete overhaul of airline seating must be addressed in a timely manner as millions of Americans utilize the airline industry on a daily basis.

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.

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.

Weight regain after weight loss surgery is more common than you think. The Seminar to be held this Saturday, March 6, 2010, will equip you with the necessary skills to make a “comeback”. At this seminar we will explore why the weight returned after surgery and offer realistic solutions to help you make your comeback.

Even the most successful surgical weight loss patients occasionally regain weight. There are many complex factors contributing to this as the body will do everything in its power to avoid starvation and weight loss.

The tool we provided you with during surgery may not be as effective as it was early in your post operative period. Changes in the anatomy take place in the form of a pouch that has stretched or an opening to the small intestine that has enlarged.

The team of speakers who will meet with you include, Dr. Scott Eckholdt, Dr. Stan Owens, Dr. Carson Cunningham and Jill Hurley, OTR/L. Dr. Eckholdt will discuss relapse prevention while occupational therapist, Jill Hurley will help you develop healthy habits for living. Dr. Owens created the PresciptFit Medical Nutritional Therapy program designed to focus on both behavior and physiological elements of maintaining a health weight. Dr. Cunningham will introduce the exciting new incisionless revisional procedure called ROSE.

The symposium will be held at the Fitzsimons Auditorium at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center in Lafayette, Louisiana on Saturday, March 6, 2010 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. For more information please call 225-289-4677 or toll free at 866-935-8040.