PAST PICKS SEPTEMBER 2009

I passed the local golf course early morning recently and saw a few couples, seniors definitely, playing golf.  It brought a smaile to my face and I thought ... geez, these guys are probably 10 to 15 years older than me, and they're walking the course, not riding; they were all slim, obviously healthy ... THAT's the way to grow old.    Please never stop telling the overweight seniors in your life that aging gracefully, energetically and in good health is called living.  Any other way of getting old is simply existing.

Well, it's here ... the Fall Feeding Frenzy!  The Jewish holidays in September.   The Halloween candy which starts showing up in early October for the entire month.  Thanksgiving gorging in November.   Christmas and Hanukkah feasting in December.   And, finally, the over-drinking and over-indulging on New Year's Eve.  Are you going to make yet another resolution to lose weight starting on January 1?  How 'bout starting now so you can begin your New Year slimmer and healthier than you began your old one?

Brown University Medical School released results of an extensive study on childhood obesity.  The one statistic that stood out for me was that mothers, by 72%, increase control over food chooices when girls---NOT boys---gained excess weight from ages 4 to 7.  This shocked, and disappointed, me yet validates many of my experiences.   I can tell you from personal conversations with overweight young boys that, like girls, they DO care how they look, they DO want to wear the latest fashions from Abercrombie, and they DO hurt inside.   If there's a young boy in your circle of family or friends, please think of a way to initiate a discussion that might result in getting them to us.

You've heard of the relationship between stress and weight gain---not necessarily because someone eats more or less when stressed; but because stress wreaks havoc with hormones, and the erratic imbalance is what affects the metabolism.  Did you know that for women, perceived constraints in life and strain in family relationships are associated with the greatest weight gain? ... and for men, it's the various stresses in the work place, including lack of confidence in their skills and abilities.

Did you know that people with diabetes are over twice as likely to die of heart attack or stroke as people who do not have diabetes, and that almost 80% of type 2 diabetes is preventable with proper weight and eating habits?  Did you know that overweight diabetics who have not yet crossed the line from pills to insulin can reverse diabetes with weight loss? 

Did you know that Gastroparesis is a disorder where the movement of food is slowed or stopped, and the stomach takes too long to empty.  It interfers with digestion, causes nausea, vomiting and dehydration, and plays havoc with blood sugar.  There is no cure.  However, you can feel better; you can learn how to eat correctly, you can lose weight in a healthy manner.  Pureed proteins, vegetables and fruits; broths; very lowe fiber foods, even baby foods ... all with proper pacing and portion control ... will do the trick.

PCOS is a major cause of infertility in women.  Unfortunately, many young women aren't diagnosed until they're trying to conceive and could be well into their 20's or later.  At that time, many of the symptoms are out of the bag:  head hair loss, acne on face, chest and back; facial hair at the sideburns and chin ... and lots and lots of weight gain.  If you are a young woman (moms--think of your daughters) who is having erratic menstrual cycles, or not having cycles at all, don't think it's normal.  It's not, even if you're slim and otherwise fit.  Bypass the gynecologist.  Get to the endocrinologist. (In NJ, I highly recommend Dr. Allen Morgan, who has written and spoken extensively on this subject.)  If you're diagnosed with PCOS, no one helps with weight loss in this area better than we do.

Recently the Urology Department Chairwoman of Johns Hopkins Medical Institution in Baltimore reported on the findings of a six-year study at John Hopkins, the first of its kind in the medical community, on the relationship between obesity and urinary tract and kidney infections.  Obese women had more than double the number of UTIs than normal weight women, and obese men had more than five times the number of kidney infections.  This data provides yet another reason to encourage dietary change and weight loss for obese people.

Did you know that (a) depression is a disease predominantly of women, that the ratio of women to men is 2:1? ... and (b) obese women are 5 times more likely to be depressed than normal weight women?  These are the findings of the American Psychiatric Association, presented a few months ago in California.  Many of the women, of all ages, who come to our offices are on antidepressants when they start, but it's amazing (and wonderful) to see how they are weaned off as they become slimmer----and happier, and more confident, more in control.  If you are depressed about the way you look, we can help you to learn how to get slim, and in turn become more confident, empowered and happy.

Did you know that 1 pound of excess weight feels like 4 pounds to your knees?  Think about that ... 10 to 15 pounds overweight doesn't seem like too much of a big deal, but to your knees that's 40 to 60 pounds of stress every day.  Aching knees can make it hard to feel anything but tense and irritated. Your posture will be thrown out of line, and the more out of line your body is the greater the stress and fatigue.  When you are slumped over, your digestive tract won't function well. You are likely to develop lower back problems and knee problems.  Your knee structure is very complex region and joint of the body. With each step you take, the whole ensemble must shift and flex properly to carry your weight. There is a lot that can go wrong … and does.  These days, more and more ‘overweight’ people are actually in the ‘obese’ category so it's no wonder the high percentage of knee replacement surgeries.  Even so, without weight loss, surgery does NOT provide 100% relief, and post-surgical physical therapy does NOT provide long-term benefits.  If you have had knee (or hip or back) surgery and are overweight, if you are doing physical therapy right now, do your therapist a favor ... take your weight off and they'll be able to help you even more.