The Health Traveler

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Showing posts with label obesity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label obesity. Show all posts

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Make Losing Weight a Family Affair

A study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that obesity is "socially contagious"  -  if  you have a friend who is obese, your chances of also becoming obese rise by 57 percent. 
Although there has been much talk of the 'fat virus' dubbed AD-36, the word 'contagion' here does not refer to a virus.  There has been no hard evidence that fat is not catching in the classic sense, i.e. through a bug or infection. 
Fat as social contagion refers to the the transmission not of a virus, but  of behaviors, e.g.  you join in on the weekly happy hours, pizza ordering etc, and evolving social norms e.g. people you admire/respect gain weight; both change your perceptions of what is normal/OK for your social circle, including you.   
Fear Not the Fat!   Just as fat seems to be catching, so does fat loss.  Dr. Nicholas Christakis (Harvard Medical School) reports in the NEJM study that weight loss was also contagious—people who considered themselves the friends of newly slim friends reported theylost weight themselves.
This supports the research from the Stanford School of Medicine bariatric surgery program ( published in the Arhcives of Surgery) which shows that when a patient has gastric bypass,   family members show a tendency to lose weight, eat better and exercise more; the finding was dubbed  gastric bypass ripple effect. 
At Health Travel Guides we see evidence of this all the time. Like this story of an Arizona husband and wife team losing a combined 150 pounds!
"Former co-workers don't recognize me!"
My husband had Gastric Plication surgery with Health Travel Guides in January, 2011. Following his surgery, I modified my eating habits and accelerated my activity and was able to lose approximately 30 lbs prior to my own weight loss surgery in September, 2011.

Since surgery I have lost 45+ lbs more.  I started weight and strength training twice a week in January 2012 and added Zumba Gold twice a week, in addition to working in the yard on nearly a daily basis. I have gone from a size 1X/2X or 18/20 clothing to Medium/Large or 12/14/16 since surgery.  Friends and former co-workers do not know me when they see me now. I am extremely happy with my progress as well as my husband's progress (75+ lbs) since surgery. We both look much better, feel much better, have much more energy and stamina, and both feel far healthier than prior to surgery. In fact, he is now off blood pressure and cholesterol medication..   



Weight Loss Drugs, Weight Loss Surgery Options
With more than a third of US adults obese, and fully two-thirds overweight, there is obviously a 'big' market for weight loss alternatives - everything from pills to new surgical procedures.  Weight loss surgery alternatives are increasingly minimally invasive, and geared to help patients get a jump start on the road to health.  Topping the list are the sleeve plication sugery with no resection and no devices, and the new Green Zone Weight Loss Surgery Options made possible by Irish medical device maker Crospon.

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Labels: fat virus, Health Travel Guides, lap band green zone, obesity, sleeve plication surgery, weight loss drugs, weight loss surgery options

Friday, January 13, 2012

Diabetics Have Less Opportunity, Lower Lifetime Earnings

The Toll of Diabetes:  Social and Economic As Well As Physical

A new study has quantified the non-medical costs associated with Type 2 diabetes, which according to the American Diabetes Association affects ~26 million children and adults in the United States, or 8% of the population, with new diagnoses at a rate of  1.9 million cases per year.

 The study, published in the journal Health Affairs, tracked 15,000 people diagnosed with either Type 1 or  the far more common Type 2 diabetecs from high school through their early 30s, or about 14 years.  Results show that people with diabetes can expect to make $160,000 less in earnings over the course of their lifetimes as compared to non-diabetics.

The research reveals that diabetics are less likely to complete high school or attend college; by age 30, a person with diabetes is 10 percent less likely to find employment. , in part because of reduced education.

"Diabetics may be having some negative consequences pretty early on in the course of life,” ~Dr. Michael Richards, study author/Yale University

The researchers estimate that the driving force of the income and opportunity disparities for diabetics is the difficulties experienced in balancing school or job demands with the management of a chronic disease.

In addition, employers may also be less likely to hire someone with diabetes, fearing either (or both) lost productivity due to sick days because and a greater insurance burden relative to non-diabetic workers.

Read: Diabetes Discrimination: Know Your Rights

"Job lock" may also be a factor; job lock refers to reluctance to seek out better-paying jobs for fear of losing existing health benefit.

Earlier research confirms that chronic disease and other health indicators - for example, being overweight, can pose barriers in the job market - obesity has long been linked to lower earnings.

Although Type 2 diabetes is more often encountered among older Americans, who can face age-related discrimination, the study controls for age, and shows the deleterious effects of diabetes are independent of age:  high school students with diabetes were 6% more likely to drop out, and 10% less likely to find a job.  

The study also controlled and adjusted for the effect of being overweight, as well as race and other environmental and demographic factors, with results clearly showing diabetes having a negative effect on income independent of other factors.
Intergenerational effects were also noted: children of diabetics were 6% less likely to attend college if they had a diabetic parent, possibly due to the financial impact of diabetes on the family income/savings. 

Diabetes: Stealing The Future of Our Children?
Current estimates place obesity rates among adolescents between 16-32%, a statistic that has the A panel of experts appointed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics recently released a report recommending screening for Type 2 Diabetes should begin before age 10 for children who are overweight and/or have a family history of diabetes.  

Read: Is Weight Loss Surgery a Drastic Solution to the Problem of Childhood Obesity?

The problem of childhood obesity is so severe the New England Journal of Medicine has opined that the next generation of children may be the first in history to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

First Lady Michele Obama's Let's Move initiative to reduce childhood obesity is aptly named; recent research has discovered an 'exercise hormone' (nicknamed "irisis" by scientists).  The hormone helps transform inert white fat into metabolically active brown fat; while overweight people who exercise may not lose weight, they experience the benefit of the hormone making them weight-gain and diabetes resistant.

Gastric Bypass and Diabetes Resolution
Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the US, and will likely move up the mortality ladder given that nearly 80 million Americans are currently classified by the ADA as "prediabetic". 

Type 2 diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure and adult blindness, and is linked to increases incidence of heart disease, stroke, cancer diagnosis and death. 

The current gold standard of bariatric surgery for obesity has the welcome side effect of resolving Type 2 diabetes.  The popular Dr. Oz was recently quoted in Prevention Magazine recommending  gastric bypass surgery, a procedure he considers essential in the fight against obesity.
Read: 10 Celebrities Who Have Had Weight Loss Surgery

Dr. Oz points out that an obese 50-year old has the same mortality rate as a cancer patient - most would not hesitate to operate for cancer, and the same should be true of obesity. "If you get people to start losing 5% of their excess body weight, you're really taking a big whack out of  (a serious health problem that is affecting) the two-thirds of Americans," he notes.
Related Reading
  • Diabetes, Obesity and Superheroes 
  • 12 Anti-Diabetes "Superfoods"
  • Why Gastric Bypass Spells the End of Type 2 Diabetes
  • 9 Foods on the No List for Diabetics
Posted by Unknown at 11:02 AM 1 comment:
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Labels: childhood obesity, diabetes resistance, diabetes-resistant, Dr. Oz, economic toll of diabetes, exercise hormone, Gastric bypass, irisis, Let's Move.org, obesity, Type 2 Diabetes

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Diabetes, Obesity, Superhero Workouts Top Internet Health Searches of 2011

What do obesity and pin-thin Ryan Gosling have to do with each other? Well, a lot, according to Google. Seems "obesity", and "Ryan Gosling workout" are among the top two topics among Internet searchers in 2011.   

With more than two-thirds of the population overweight, and one third obese, America is flabbier than ever. But that may be about to change, if the search topics of 2011 are an indication:  among the most searched terms were "high protein diet" the "Thor" workout, the “Ryan Gosling workout,” the “Chris Hemsworth workout,” and the “Captain America workout.”

The most searched diet term: the “Dukan diet” (also known as the Kate Middleton pre-wedding diet, and also also known (by the British Dietetic Association) as one of the top 5 worst celebrity diets to avoid).  The “four-hour diet” and “17-days diet" were also in the top three.

With more than two-thirds of the population overweight, and one third obese, America is flabbier than ever. But that may be about to change, if the search topics of 2011 are an indication. 

Other top health-related search terms include:
  • diabetes symptoms
  • obesity
  • gall bladder symptoms
  • diet
  • poison ivy 
  • sunscreen
  • sinusitis
  • bipolar disorder
The most popular search terms at Health Travel Guides: obesity, diet, diabetes, joint replacement, and fertility treatment.   Our most popular articles include:

  • Is American Medicine Losing It's Edge?
  • Why Ginger Grant Would Never Marry a Dentist 
  • Woman Refuses to Cash IRA for Hip Replacement Surgery

Popular New York Times Health Searches 
The New York Times reports the most highly searched health topics include alternative therapies, the brain and mental health, and happy relationships.  Below are some links to the Times' most searched articles of the year:

“How Meditation May Change the Brain”
People who meditated 30 minutes a day for eight weeks had changes in parts of the brain associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress.

“Go Easy on Yourself, a New Wave of Research Urges”
A new area of psychological research suggests that self-compassion, a measure of how kindly people view themselves, may be the first step toward better health.

OFFSPRING Ryan Kramer, 20, of Pasadena, Calif., is the child of a donor.
“One Sperm Donor, 150 Sons and Daughters”
As the number of children born through artificial insemination increases, concern is growing about having many children fathered by the same donors.

“Can Exercise Keep You Young?”
A new study finds that exercise reduced or eliminated signs of aging in mice genetically programmed to grow old at an accelerated pace.

Marsha Linehan is a therapist who recently opened up about living with borderline personality disorder.
“Expert on Mental Illness Reveals Her Own Struggle”
Across the country, people with severe mental illness live what appear to be normal, successful lives. Now, a small number of them are openly discussing their struggles.

“Counting Calories? Your Weight-Loss Plan May Be Outdated”
The newest findings on what specific foods people should eat less often — and more importantly, more often — to keep from gaining pounds as they age.

“Alzheimer’s Therapy Focuses on Care”
Science is weighing in on many aspects of taking care of dementia patients, applying evidence-based research to what used to be considered subjective and ad hoc.

Recent left-handed presidents include, from left, Gerald R. Ford, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
“Left-Handedness Loses Its Stigma but Retains Its Mystery”
Over the centuries, left-handers have been accused of criminality and dealings with the devil; today, the riddle of handedness remains.

“I had to train myself not to get too interested in their problems, and not to get sidetracked trying to be a semi-therapist.” DR. DONALD LEVIN, a psychiatrist whose practice no longer includes talk therapy.
“Talk Doesn’t Pay, So Psychiatry Turns Instead to Drug Therapy”
Many psychiatrists, in large part because of how much insurance will pay, no longer provide talk therapy.

“Calcium and Vitamin D – Who Needs It, and How Much”
New recommendations for calcium and vitamin D have left many people wondering whether they are getting enough, or perhaps too much, in their diets and supplements.

“The Hazards of the Couch”
Increasingly, research is focusing not on how much exercise people get, but how much of their time is spent in sedentary activity, and the harm that does.
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Labels: captain america workout, dukan diet, Google, health searches, Health Travel Guides, high protein, htor workout, Kate middleton, obesity, ryan gosling workout, Superhero workouts, Type 2 Diabetes

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Let Them Eat Chocolate! 12 Anti-Diabetes Superfoods

Type 2 Diabetes presents one of the greatest health risks to the population today.  It is the seventh leading cause of death in the US.  Diabetes are more likely to experience glaucoma, cataracts, and neuropathy (nerve damage to the feet that impacts ability to feel pain, heat and cold), is also the leading cause of kidney failure.

Recent research confirms that diabetes increases the risk of heart attack and stroke:
  • women with diabetes have an 11% greater  risk of cancer mortality
  • men with diabetes have a 17% greater risk of cancer mortality.
Diabetes experience higher incidence of cancer of the colon, liver and rectum. Diabetic women have greater incidence of stomach and endometrial cancers while diabetic men have higher incidence of bladder and pancreatic cancer.

Diabetes can be prevented and controlled through diet. People who are obese (i.e. have Body Mass Index of >30) are 400% more likely to suffer from Type 2 Diabetes (aka “diabesity”), and so are more likely to receive a cancer diagnosis or die from cancer.

Superfoods for Diabetics
A great step for diabetics and pre-diabetics: integrate the following 'super foods' into your regular diet and experience a prompt impact lowering blood sugar, cholesterol and heart disease risks (click here to see the list full size) 



Additional Resources
  • Take the  Diabetes Risk Test in English or Spanish.
  • Attend a free online medical webcast about weight loss surgery  -  attendees receive  $250 medical credits 
  • Prevent, Control and Eliminate: Diabetes and Your Weight  
  • Increasingly Obese and Diabetic, More Adolescents Getting Weight Loss Surgery 
  • Internet radio:Lean and Green: New Green Zone LAP-BAND Improves Results!
  • Diabetes and Job Discrimination: Know Your Rights
  • Adult Stem Cell Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes
     
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Labels: blood sugar, heart attack, neuropathy, obesity, stroke, superfoods, Type 2 Diabetes

Friday, August 19, 2011

Resveratrol-Like Drug Eliminates Many Health Risks of Obesity

Fat Chance: 
Obese Mice Given Resveratrol-
Mimicking Drug Live 44% Longer


A designer drug for obese mice suppresses typical obesity-related co-morbidities has given new energy to the notion that the aging process of humans can be significantly slowed.

by The Health Traveler, August 19 2011



Researchers at the National Institute on Aging have discovered that a resveratrol-mimicking drug , SRT-1720, reduces liver fat and improves insulin receptivity when given to obese mice. The obese mice taking the drug added 44% to their lifespan. Clinical trials for humans are now underway.
“SRT-1720... is good evidence that this compound has a positive effect on the physiology of the obese animal, and that is definitely promising for humans”
~Jan Viig, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx

More Evidence of the Health Benefits of Calorie Restriction
SRT-1720 was designed to essentially mimic resveratrol, the ingredient in red wine (and purple grape juice) thought to activate protective proteins called sirtuins, which gives mice on low-calorie diets a longevity boost.

Since it takes very large doses of resveratrol to obtain the longevity benefits, chemically simulated resveratrol mimics such as SRT-1720 were developed to activate sirtuin at much lower doses.

Sirtuins have been in the longevity reearch spotlight for some time, but studies by Pfizer, among others, did not prove out a relationship. But the National Institute of Aging study is more robust, following large groups of mice for over three years.

Although the drug improved the lifespan of obese mice, it did not not reverse the effects of obesity altogether. In the study, the treated fat mice lived longer than the untreated ones, but had a significantly shorter lifespan than the normal weight mice. SRT-1720 enabled the obese mice to enjoy more of their available life span without actually increasing the normal lifespan, itself.

It is not yet known if SRT-1720 prolongs the lives of normal weight mice; however given SRT-1720 drug did not extend the maximum life span of the obese mice, the researchers said it would be "surprising if it did so with lean mice."

However, the scientific world is watching with interest. Brian Kennedy, president of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging says that sirtuins could turn out to be “key modulators of aging.”


Further Reading
  • Resveratrol 
  • What is Resveratrol?  
  • Resveratrol and Cancer: What is the Relationship?  
  • Is Weight Loss Surgery a Drastic Solution to the Problem of Childhood Obesity?  
  • Maternal Obesity Crisis: Very Overweight Moms 3x More Likely to Die Within One Month of Birth  
  •   The 13 Most Dangerous Complications of Obesity
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Labels: comorbidities, longevity, obesity, resveratrol, weight loss surgery

Monday, August 15, 2011

Is Green the New Black? Green Hornet, Green Lantern, Now Even Green Zone LAP-BAND

Allergan, makers of LAP-BAND, reports that more than 350,000 people around the world have had the LAP-BAND stomach restriction procedure for weight loss. Recently, the FDAapproved relaxed requirements for LAP-BAND, with millions more meeting the qualifying requirement of BMI > 30.

  • QUIZ: Not just for soccer moms! What NFL lineman - and coach- had LAP-BAND?

The FDA change is just in time for more patients to take advantage of the latest innovation in non-invasive stomach restriction procedures: the Green Zone  LAP-BAND.  This evolution of the non-invasive procedure will help patients lose post-op weight faster than before, thanks to an FDA-approved medical device by Crospon called the  Endolumenal Functional Lumen Imaging Probe- or EndoFLIP.

Recently I watched a demonstration of the EndoFLIP, which allows the gastroenterologist surgeon to take multiple (up to 16) real-time images of the bariatric patient's gastroesophogeal tract, enabling very precise placement of the LAP-BAND so the patient feels a restriction that is not too loose (not enough weight loss) and not too tight (leading to nausea or reflux, and discomfort during and after eating), but just right for optimized weight loss.

Most importantly, the EndoFLIP enables the surgeon to perform the first fill of the LAP-BAND interoperatively - so patients leave the hospital with a 'jump start' to their LAP-BAND.  Most patients won't need their next fill for 5 or more months, a significant savings on hassle and cost compared to the regular LAP-BAND, which requires the first fill to take place within 4-6 weeks of band placement, and at least another band fill in the first six months. 

 

 Medical Travel Talk radio recently hosted Health Travel Guides on its show to learn about Green Zone LAP-BAND - case manager Leslie McDeavitt has worked with thousands of LAP-BAND patients having their procedure with the top Allergan-certified  obesity surgical team at the Weight Loss Surgery Center at Hospital Angeles in Tijuana Mexico, just 20 minutes from downtown San Diego, where more than 5,000 US patients have had their LAP-BAND placed by Dr. Juan Lopez Corvala.  


Thanks to a special arrangement with Irish medical device maker Crospon, the Green Zone LAP-BAND is available exclusively at Hospital Angeles, a super state-of-the-art facility in a gated medical campus that is the shining star of Mexico's largest private hospital network.

The all-inclusive Green Zone LAP-BAND medical travel program is offered at $5,950 including 2 nights at the hospital and all associated pre-op tests, doctor, surgeon, and medical fees.  Patients are also enrolled in a one-year follow-up program and receive one year of free fills   from Hosptal Angeles.

  • read about other medical device manufacturers going abroad

Thanks to Leslie for providing the following information: to find out if you’re a candidate for Green Zone LAP-BAND and learn more about the medical travel process: 
  •  click here to email  Leslie 

  • call toll free 866.978.2573 x 119

  •  securely submit you  personal medical history online (under age 18 use this form) 

    Related Articles:

    • FDA Approves Relaxed Requirements for LAP-BAND
    • VIDEO: This US Doctor Had His LAP-BAND in Mexico
    Posted by Unknown at 1:17 PM 3 comments:
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    Labels: green hornet, green lantern, green zone lap-band, Health Travel Guides, Hospital Angeles, obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, weight loss surgery
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