weight loss and a mission

Good groggy morning...got in from the west coast late last night and I am shaling the cobwebs out to get to that office and start seeing patients.

Thanks to you, our wonderful patients, we have an incredible practice. Daily, we get the chance to help so many great people who are striving to become healthier and happier. Yes, it is a business and we have to be profitable, but the mental "profit" of seeing so many people put smiles back on their faces because of a heightened self-esteem and confidence is amazing.

To be able to expand our program to people outside the DC area is really fun. Weight problems in America are epidemic. Yesterday, I had lots of downtime in the airport and had a great chance to "people watch". First, it is incredible how many obese/overweight people you see walking around. Many have children with them who are also overweight at an incredibly young age. Then you see the eating patterns in the airport. The aforementioned people seem to gravitate to the least healthy eateries in the terminal.

Losing weight is very difficult yet necessary to prolong life and kkeepm us healthy. Somehow in America we have allowed our instinctual part of the brain to override the intelligent part that tells us to be healthy and live longer.

I LOVE being back home and LOVE being in that office seeing you, my patients. As much as it is fun to open up centers elsewhere, my heart resides here in Burke and I just wanted to thank you all once again for allowing me to be a part of your quest for health and happiness.

weight loss and Americans

Yesterday on the front page of the USA Today newspaper was an article detailing the extent of how obesity is costing America billions of dollars in medical care. Americans who are 30 pounds or more above a healthy body weight are costing the country 147 BILLION dollars in obesity-associated medical problems in 2008 and this is DOUBLE the amount from 1998. Obesity accounts for 9.1% of healthcare expenditures whic is up from 6.5 % in 1998.

Obesity is the biggest reason for healthcare cost increases and most of this 147 BILLION dollars is being paid by taxpayers as over 50% of the obesity-related expenditures are taking place in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

As the President and our elected officials are working through healthcare reform, it is imperative that the obesity epidemic must be addressed and steps taken to reverse this trend. Otherwise, the entire system will collapse from lack of money to pay for the services and medications required.