Medical Weight Loss

Obese children may be more likely to die prematurely.

On February 11^th, the NY Times reported on a National Institutes of Health study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that tracked nearly 5,000 American Indian children in Arizona for 24 years, showing that overweight children are “more than twice as likely to die early from natural causes, such as alcoholic liver disease, cardiovascular disease, infections, cancer, and diabetes as children whose weight put them in the lowest quarter of the population.”

The researches were quoted as saying that in addition to health problems, overweight kids were twice as likely to die before the age of 55 of “self-inflicted injury.” Further, although “youngsters with…pre-diabetes were at almost double the risk of dying before 55, and those with high blood pressure were at some increased risk,” it was obesity that was “most closely associated with an early death.”

As reported in one of my…

Diabetes Medication May Decrease BMI in Obese Teens

The obesity rate among children has tripled since 1960, with 32% of US children considered overweight or obese, and many of them suffering the same weight-related problems as adults: diabetes mellitus type 2, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.  In the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a report by Darrell M. Wilson, M.D., of Stanford University and the Lucile S. Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford, Calif., along with colleagues in the Glaser Pediatric Research Network Obesity Study Group showed that teens given Metformin, a common pill given to type 2 diabetics, helped lower their BMI score. BMI is an indicator of body fat percentage—the lower your BMI the less risk you have for cardiovascular disease and other weight-related disorders.

The research group split 77 obese teenagers, ages 13 to 18, into two groups. Both groups were put on a “lifestyle intervention program” which included dietary…

Excess Body Fat = Thousands of Cancer Cases Annually

A shocking new study was published last week by researchers with the American Institute for Cancer Research,  that states more than 100,000 cases of cancer are caused annually by excess body-fat and obesity. The researchers studied seven cancers with known links to obesity along with actual case counts that were likely obesity-related.

From

The report says that 49 percent of endometrial cancers are caused by excess body fat. That number is followed by 35 percent of esophageal cancer cases; 28 percent of pancreatic cancer cases; 24 percent of kidney cancer cases; 21 percent of gallbladder cancer cases; 17 percent of breast cancer cases; and 9 percent of colorectal cancer cases.

“This is the first time that we’ve put real, quantifiable case numbers on obesity-related cancers,” said Glen Weldon, the American Institute for…

The Body-Jet is Here!

I talked recently about the newest procedure at Rejuvalife, and now that I’ve been performing the procedure for a few weeks, I’m even more excited that it’s available, and even more so that it’s here at Rejuvalife. Its safer, and more precise, with very little discomfort or downtime for the patient. It can be done in conjunction with other skin tightening treatments such as SmartLipo, though the skin is left in excellent condition post-procedure with Body-Jet alone! Also, we can use the extracted fat within minutes in a Fat Transfer treatment to restore volume to the face and/or hands, in desired.

I talk about the benefits and advantages of Body-Jet over other liposculpture methods in the video below, and there are some amazing before and…

Chewing Gum Can Assist Weight Loss

Your mother or your teacher may have told you about the dire effects of chewing gum, “it’s bad for your teeth”, or “it’s an ugly habit”,  and it’s definitely no fun stepping on a piece someone’s dropped on the ground. Contrary to what they may have told you, however, recent research proves chewing gum can have real benefits for those on a weight management plan. According to a study conducted by a professor of nutrition at the University of Rhode Island, chewing gum can actually reduce caloric intake and increase energy expenditure. This is great news for those looking for an effective weight management tool.

Though it doesn’t count as “exercise“,  apparently the nerves involved in the act of chewing send signals to the area of the brain that determines whether you’re “full”.  Consequently you may not feel hungry, and…

Move Over BMI, Here Comes BCA

Invented in the mid 19th century, the Body Mass Index, or BMI, is currently the most widely-used diagnostic tool for gauging whether a person is at a healthy weight, under or overweight, and is reached through a calculation of height and weight measurements.

A person’s BMI is a very simple indicator of a person’s “fatness” or “thinness” that when used as designed, allows doctors to more objectively discuss weight issues with their patients.  Using this calculation, doctors use an individual’s particular BMI to determine whether or not they need medical care for being over or underweight: a BMI of 18.5 to 25 usually indicates optimal weight, a BMI lower than 18.5 suggests the person is underweight, while a number above 25 may indicate the person is overweight; a BMI below 17.5 may indicate the…

Food Choices Supersede Genetics

A recent study has revealed that though a genetic predisposition to obesity creates a risk for obesity 2.5 times higher than for

those with no predisposition, this “fat gene” is effectively neutralized for those who follow a low-fat, nutrient rich diet!

This means even if you’re inherently predisposed to become obese, you can wrest some control of your genetic makeup simply by eating well. Talk about a reason to keep your soup clean! This research is a powerful weapon we have in our own hands that allows us to combat obesity from the comfort of our own homes!

” ‘This means that the critical factor is what you eat. At least in the case of the FTO gene, the most important obesity gene identified so far,’ says…

Insulin Resistance Improved with Exercise

A new study shows that moderate exercise alone, without weight loss, will improve insulin resistance in both lean and obese adolescents.  Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas that permits glucose to enter cells to be used for energy or stored for future use by the body.

From

Because obese adolescents are resistant to insulin, in order to maintain normal blood sugar levels, they have to increase their production of insulin. Increased insulin production however, places higher demands on the pancreas. These higher demands can exhaust pancreatic beta cells to the point that they no longer produce sufficient amounts of insulin to keep blood sugar levels normal, which might subsequently lead to type 2 diabetes.

Because weight loss can be difficult to achieve and maintain in obese sedentary children, the…

Bad News for Your Sweet Tooth and Waist-Line

Contrary to popular belief, replacing sugary snacks with those sweetened artificially do not help with weight loss. According to a recent study, artificial sweeteners are not helpful for losing weight because your body cannot really tell the difference.

The  researcher identified specific cells which detect sugar, releasing hormones essential for its passage through the lining of the stomach and into the blood, where it is either burned off or is converted into fat.

When confronted by artificial sweeteners these cells release the same hormones, and consequently the body prepares to absorb real sugar.  If you’re dieting, you may not lose any weight, and very well may gain additional pounds over time.

From the U.K. Daily Mail:

Professor Soraya Shirazi-Beechey, from the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Liverpool, found that…

Obesity Shrinks Your Brain & Shortens Your Life

Health professionals have known for decades about the severe health problems caused by obesity, and the cost of obesity to society and industry is a big part of the current health care debate.  Two recent studies shows, however, that the price of obesity to the patient is even higher than previously thought. In addition to increased risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and some cancers, the studies show that the negative effects of obesity include degeneration of the brain, and a shortened lifespan, as well.

In the first study, researchers concluded that the brains of obese people age more quickly than normal-weight people, as much as 16 years faster, researchers say, representing “severe brain degeneration”. Even moderately overweight people had “older” brains than their lean counterparts.(link)

A new study finds obese people have 8 percent less brain

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