On Friday I received a telephone call from a company that wanted to pick my brain a bit about my experience in treating patients for weight loss, as their client is a pharmaceutical company coming out soon with a new weight loss pill. I am thinking about how many times I have seen articles in the newspaper about some "miracle" weight loss pill that is about ready to hit the market.
Inevitably, these things always seem to wash out...either side effects that require the company to pull the pill off the market or the efficacy is questionable.
We, as a country, are always hopeful that the "magic" pill will come out, allowing us simply to take a pilll and lose weight and keep that weight off. It is very important to understand and accept that no pill exists now, nor do I feel such a pill will be invented that makes weight loss that simple.
Losing weight requires work...watching caloric intake, planning meals, exercising etc. Anthing, whether it be a surgery, a program or "pill" that makes long term weight loss sound easy has to be viewed with lots of skepticism.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
weight loss and the Healthcare reform bill
Good morning.....okay Redskin fans..i have a prediction...I think they are going to upset the Falcons today!!!
I saw this morning that the House passed the Healthcare reform bill....I have not read in depth much of what it contains...what I do know is that 1- It does not include anything about tort reform, so have a nice Sunday brunch Trial Lawyers of America...you can still go after Doctors, hospitals etc cart blanche without any worries about having to pay the defendants legal bills in the event you lose. Americans should feel safe knowing that their physicians and ERs will continue to order every test known to mankind to ensure their charts are "buffed" in the event one of these lawyers comes after them. Lets add billions of dollars of costs because of this issue that is not even an afterthought in the Healthcare "Reform" act. 2- Hey, if America's largest health concern is obesity and the co-morbidities asssociated with it, then how about the governmnet establish weight loss centers thruout the United States? How much money would be saved by people NOT developing diabetes, multiple cancers, heart disease etc? We continue as a nation to focus on the treatment of disease states and not the prevention. 3- Not sure anything was addressed about the hemmorhaging of primary care physicians because of the horrendous discrepancy of compensation between specialists and their revenue. What happens when there are far too few doctors available to treat the frontline problems?
Anyway, you, my patients, should know that Posner will still be around for a pretty long time to address your weight loss and/or medical needs. Regardless of what the politicians and their lobbying comrades come up with!
I saw this morning that the House passed the Healthcare reform bill....I have not read in depth much of what it contains...what I do know is that 1- It does not include anything about tort reform, so have a nice Sunday brunch Trial Lawyers of America...you can still go after Doctors, hospitals etc cart blanche without any worries about having to pay the defendants legal bills in the event you lose. Americans should feel safe knowing that their physicians and ERs will continue to order every test known to mankind to ensure their charts are "buffed" in the event one of these lawyers comes after them. Lets add billions of dollars of costs because of this issue that is not even an afterthought in the Healthcare "Reform" act. 2- Hey, if America's largest health concern is obesity and the co-morbidities asssociated with it, then how about the governmnet establish weight loss centers thruout the United States? How much money would be saved by people NOT developing diabetes, multiple cancers, heart disease etc? We continue as a nation to focus on the treatment of disease states and not the prevention. 3- Not sure anything was addressed about the hemmorhaging of primary care physicians because of the horrendous discrepancy of compensation between specialists and their revenue. What happens when there are far too few doctors available to treat the frontline problems?
Anyway, you, my patients, should know that Posner will still be around for a pretty long time to address your weight loss and/or medical needs. Regardless of what the politicians and their lobbying comrades come up with!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
weight loss and cancer
A report came out yesterday attributing 100,000 cancer diagnoses per year directly attributable to obesity. It is well known that colon, breast, pancreatic and esophogeal cancers have been linked to weight issues but also endometrial cancer is associated with obesity.
Every day we are reading reports about Swine flu...a disease which has killed about 100 people. The report about the 100,000 cancer diagnoses was on page 20 in a small article.
Obesity and weight contol issues are killing Americans at a rate far greater than any virus or terrorist attacks. The major threat to America is coming from within....and that is our inability to make significant headway into the obesity epidemic.
On an individual and family basis, we all need to do our part to make this catastrophic problem go away. Please think about this lots....and decide which is more important....being healthy to enjoy your family and the fruits of your hatd work or some food source that temporarily makes you feel good, but yet is leading to future medical catastrophy.
Sorry for the bummer of an entry this morning but seeing this report buried deep into a newspaper angers me...this is front page stuff.
Every day we are reading reports about Swine flu...a disease which has killed about 100 people. The report about the 100,000 cancer diagnoses was on page 20 in a small article.
Obesity and weight contol issues are killing Americans at a rate far greater than any virus or terrorist attacks. The major threat to America is coming from within....and that is our inability to make significant headway into the obesity epidemic.
On an individual and family basis, we all need to do our part to make this catastrophic problem go away. Please think about this lots....and decide which is more important....being healthy to enjoy your family and the fruits of your hatd work or some food source that temporarily makes you feel good, but yet is leading to future medical catastrophy.
Sorry for the bummer of an entry this morning but seeing this report buried deep into a newspaper angers me...this is front page stuff.
Friday, November 6, 2009
weight loss and surgery
Yesterday we entered into our program a very nice woman who actually lives in Texas but works and travels to d.c. often enough that she is able to do our program. Her weight loss goal was to lose about 60 pounds. The patient was a bit frustrated that her primary care physician in Texas recommended to her that she consider a gastric bypass procedure as her remedy for the obesity.
Surgery? I absolutely agree that for some patients, surgery is the only option. However, if a person has not tried a medical program (no less the very BEST medical wight loss program in the country...modest, aren't I??? laughing) why would a physician recommend surgery right off the bat?
We have placed many patients in our weight loss program who already had bariatric surgery and they gained tremendous amounts of weight back. People who have the procedure still eat the same damagng food sources after surgery in many cases, but they learn how to separate out the portions so as not to do lots of eating at one time.
Learning how to eat the correct admixture of the different food groups, incorporating new behavioral strategies and "mentating" through difficult stress issues as opposed to eating are the steps necessary for lon term success in weight control. Surgery is the last option.
Surgery? I absolutely agree that for some patients, surgery is the only option. However, if a person has not tried a medical program (no less the very BEST medical wight loss program in the country...modest, aren't I??? laughing) why would a physician recommend surgery right off the bat?
We have placed many patients in our weight loss program who already had bariatric surgery and they gained tremendous amounts of weight back. People who have the procedure still eat the same damagng food sources after surgery in many cases, but they learn how to separate out the portions so as not to do lots of eating at one time.
Learning how to eat the correct admixture of the different food groups, incorporating new behavioral strategies and "mentating" through difficult stress issues as opposed to eating are the steps necessary for lon term success in weight control. Surgery is the last option.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
weight loss and the younger generation
Good morning....First..I BLEW the date of our 21st Annual Patient Appreciation Night.....It is Friday DECEMBER 4!!!!!!!! PLEASE mark this on your calenders...The staff and I would LOVE to see you that night.....
Okay, some political observations.....In New Jersey the incumbent Governor lost, and as per one of my previous blogs, during the race, the incumbent apparently made disparaging comments about his opponent's weight. Well, now the thin guy is out of office and the overweight gentleman who was disparaged won. Regardless of whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, you gotta love the fact that perhaps one of the reasons the incumbent lost was because of insenstive remarks about someones weight. With America being 67% overweight, I guess the majority of voters had a BMI greater than 25 and made their voices heard. KUDOS to the New Jersians. Weight has NOTHING to do wth the ability to lead a state, teach a child, work on a government contract, etc.
Second: Lead article in some papers about the US Army having problems clearing recruits to join as 75%, let me repeat, 75% of the eligible young men could not fit the physical criteria, most of which were weight control issues. Obesity is killing Americans and the childhood/adolescent rate is dangerously high. These overweight yiung people will turn into even more overweight adults and trhe subsequent co-morbidity dieseases such as diabetes], heart disease, etc. will skyrocket even more resulting in disaster. The threat to America comes from many external forces, but internally, we are doing more harm to ourselves. Your oile in this? As a parent, grandparent, uncle/aunt etc., do NOT feed into this problem by not intervening with this issue oif you have young family members experiencing weight issues. Get proactive!
Okay, some political observations.....In New Jersey the incumbent Governor lost, and as per one of my previous blogs, during the race, the incumbent apparently made disparaging comments about his opponent's weight. Well, now the thin guy is out of office and the overweight gentleman who was disparaged won. Regardless of whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, you gotta love the fact that perhaps one of the reasons the incumbent lost was because of insenstive remarks about someones weight. With America being 67% overweight, I guess the majority of voters had a BMI greater than 25 and made their voices heard. KUDOS to the New Jersians. Weight has NOTHING to do wth the ability to lead a state, teach a child, work on a government contract, etc.
Second: Lead article in some papers about the US Army having problems clearing recruits to join as 75%, let me repeat, 75% of the eligible young men could not fit the physical criteria, most of which were weight control issues. Obesity is killing Americans and the childhood/adolescent rate is dangerously high. These overweight yiung people will turn into even more overweight adults and trhe subsequent co-morbidity dieseases such as diabetes], heart disease, etc. will skyrocket even more resulting in disaster. The threat to America comes from many external forces, but internally, we are doing more harm to ourselves. Your oile in this? As a parent, grandparent, uncle/aunt etc., do NOT feed into this problem by not intervening with this issue oif you have young family members experiencing weight issues. Get proactive!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
weight loss and holiday functions
First, I want to cordially invite all of you to our annual Patient Appreciation Nite scheduled for Friday, December 5, 2009 from 5-730PM. We do this every year and this is now our 21st year in practice. Please stop by and say "hi" and allow us to thank you personally for being our patient. There is not a day that goes by when I do not realize that I am the luckiest Doctor in the world to have such a great patient population of intelligent, fun, stimulating and wonderful people who allow me the honor of taking care of their medical and/or weight loss needs. YOU have allowed me to focus on medicine and not get bogged down with a depressing insurance based practice. YOU have allowed us to grow into the largest medically supervised weight loss program in the D.C. area. We never forget your importance to us and want to thank you for being our patient. Karioke again this year!!!! A great hit!!!
As we are preparing for this event, we always ensure that we have "healtheir" food and drink choices for those of us who are trying to control our weight. Obviously, with us running a weight loss center, it would be kind of ridiculous for us to only have cake, sandwiches, beers, etc. There will be lots of healthy choices. However, as you plan your holiday events, always remember that there will be many people at your function who will similarly be in a weight losing mode. Please ensure that you too have "healthy" choices available. Sometimes when we go into a weight losing mode, we take a bit of pleasure in "feeding " others. Have choices available!
As we are preparing for this event, we always ensure that we have "healtheir" food and drink choices for those of us who are trying to control our weight. Obviously, with us running a weight loss center, it would be kind of ridiculous for us to only have cake, sandwiches, beers, etc. There will be lots of healthy choices. However, as you plan your holiday events, always remember that there will be many people at your function who will similarly be in a weight losing mode. Please ensure that you too have "healthy" choices available. Sometimes when we go into a weight losing mode, we take a bit of pleasure in "feeding " others. Have choices available!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
weight loss and work satisfaction
After speaking and treating thousands of patients for weight control problems. it becomes apparent to me that work satisfaction issues correlate with the degree of "stress eating" that occurs when a patient comes home.
Personally, I have great job satisfaction...every day I get the chance to help people...whether it be a sick medical patient or a person with weight control issues, I am rewarded every day by seeing a patient get on that scale and see a huge smile....I watch patients whose self-esteem rises exponentially week after week, have a worried medical patient become calmer after I provide them with an explanation as to why their condition is benign, etc. When I come home from work, I do not feel hard pressed to grab a few drinks, eat snack foods etc.
However, people whose professions are less satisfactory...whether a person in the government who does the same beaurocratic job day after day with no tangible effect of "changing the world", a lawyer who sucks legal fees from their clients for doing nothing more than generating their own billable hours as opposed to really helping a person, and other professions where it is difficult to see the direct effect of "helping others", these people come home not happy and will often seek refuge in the wine and food sources that provide immediate gratification.
If you find yourself coming home not happy, try to find things that wil change this...obviously not easy to change jobs immediateyl, but perhaps outsode activites that allow you to feel "purpose"...volunterring? becoming active in philanthropic causes? Do something that makes you feel you are heloping others. When you come home feeling that you make a difference, you will find yourself happier.
Personally, I have great job satisfaction...every day I get the chance to help people...whether it be a sick medical patient or a person with weight control issues, I am rewarded every day by seeing a patient get on that scale and see a huge smile....I watch patients whose self-esteem rises exponentially week after week, have a worried medical patient become calmer after I provide them with an explanation as to why their condition is benign, etc. When I come home from work, I do not feel hard pressed to grab a few drinks, eat snack foods etc.
However, people whose professions are less satisfactory...whether a person in the government who does the same beaurocratic job day after day with no tangible effect of "changing the world", a lawyer who sucks legal fees from their clients for doing nothing more than generating their own billable hours as opposed to really helping a person, and other professions where it is difficult to see the direct effect of "helping others", these people come home not happy and will often seek refuge in the wine and food sources that provide immediate gratification.
If you find yourself coming home not happy, try to find things that wil change this...obviously not easy to change jobs immediateyl, but perhaps outsode activites that allow you to feel "purpose"...volunterring? becoming active in philanthropic causes? Do something that makes you feel you are heloping others. When you come home feeling that you make a difference, you will find yourself happier.
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