Rejuvalife Vitality Institute
Beverly Hills CA
A new Kaiser Permanente survey shows that 7% of boys and 5% of girls are packing on the pounds here in California as early as grade school!
According to the study leader, Corinna Koebnick, a nutritionist and research scientist for Kaiser in Pasadena, “A 10-year-old boy is supposed to weigh around 70 pounds, and an extremely obese 10-year-old weighs 114 pounds. That’s not merely a cosmetic issue. There’s growing evidence that being obese in childhood raises the risk of a host of serious health problems in adulthood, including heart disease and diabetes. These children will likely continue to be extremely obese adults.”
Of the 710,949 children studied over a two-year period, 37% were overweight, 19% were obese and 6% were considered extremely obese. As a physician with a weight management program in my Beverly Hills practice, I worry about the illnesses that these kids are going to experience as an after-affect of their weight. Although the Obama administration has targeted $10 billion over the next ten years to improve school lunches, that’s not going to make the important, immediate changes that can avoid health problems later on for these overweight and obese children.
What can you do to prevent obesity in your kids or nip it in the bud if it’s already happening?
1. Know your child’s BMI. Body Mass Index is an excellent indicator of obesity. You can ask your pediatrician to measure your child’s BMI at an upcoming appointment or, better yet, visit this online child BMI calculator and you’ll know immediately.
2. Stop buying sugary beverages—even OJ has loads of sugar but at least it’s not loaded with the chemicals in Pepsi, Coke and other drinks. Plain sparkling water is an enjoyable alternative if you can get your kids interested in it. Sparkling water with ice and a small amount of pure juice for flavor is an excellent alternative to sugary beverages. These fruit spritzers are both refreshing and low in calories and refined carbs.
3. Increase your kids’ activities. Too much time spent in front of the computer or the TV will make your kids fat and flabby (and you too!). Make a point to get out daily with your kids, even to walk around the block or throw a Frisbee for 20 minutes. Jump around to some music or go biking together. Being an active family isn’t just about weight management either—it will pay benefits in family harmony, too!
Our patients struggle with weight issues that often began in childhood. They are helped to wellness by our nutritionist, physiologist/trainer and behavior therapist. Please call us if you have concerns about your weight and please, take a close look at your kids today. You’re their best hope for good health!
Posted 5 months, 1 week ago at 10:17 am. 2 comments
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 Cancer Research educational director. In addition, he said, it’s not just causing cancer that’s an issue.
“Obesity not only raises the risk for getting cancer,” Weldon said. “It also has a negative effect on survival and can make treatment more difficult.” (Link to full story)
The sheer magnitude of this is a bit overwhelming, and calling attention to the problem is certainly necessary. In addition to cancer, we know obesity-related health problems abound, including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes and various other maladies. As I’ve explained before, increased body fat can lead to increased cellular inflammation, which is linked to DNA mutation and diseased cell growth, as is seen in cancers and many other diseases.
Unfortunately, the study doesn’t propose any solution. While some would suggest simply losing the weight, or not gaining it at all, I can’t help but add “keeping your soup clean” – i.e. not just counting calories, but eating a nutritionally dense and healthy diet and adopting an active lifestyle are paramount to good health.
Thanks for reading,
Andre Berger, M.D.
Related recent posts from the archives:
Posted 9 months, 3 weeks ago at 5:02 pm. 1 comment
Chewing gum has benefits, after all!
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 your calorie consumption may go down as a result.
Kathleen Melanson, URI associate professor of nutrition and food sciences, compared gum chewing to non-gum chewing in healthy adult volunteers who came to her lab for two standardized tests in random order. When study subjects chewed gum for a total of one hour in the morning (three 20-minute gum-chewing sessions), they consumed 67 fewer calories at lunch and did not compensate by eating more later in the day. Male participants also reported feeling significantly less hungry after chewing gum. Melanson also found that when her subjects chewed gum before and after eating, they expended about 5 percent more energy than when they did not chew gum. In addition, her subjects reported feeling more energetic after chewing gum.
“This was a short term study, so the next step is to do a longer study and to use subjects who need to lose weight,” said Melanson. “But based on these initial results, one could hypothesize that gum chewing may be a useful adjunct to a weight management program.” (full story)
Chewing sugary gum won’t make your dentist very happy, however. 
The best alternative would be to find a sugarless gum sweetened with Xylitol, a natural sweetener that does double duty improving the health of your teeth. (Xylitol causes an increase in salivation. The saliva in your mouth is like a car wash: It washes the plaque and food off your teeth. But saliva also has antibodies, and by increasing those, you get a healthier mouth.)
Thanks for reading,
Andre Berger, M.D.
p.s. If you’re interested in what Rejuvalife has to offer for those looking for a medically managed weight loss program, view the video, below.
Related posts:
Keeping Your Soup Clean: Questions and Answers About Diagnostic Testing
Obesity Shrinks Your Brain & Shortens Your Life
Insulin Resistance Improved with Exercise
Weight Loss Improves Mood in Depressed Individuals
FDA Cracking Down on Misleading Nutrition Labels
Posted 10 months ago at 5:26 pm. 6 comments
Unhealthy food choices are more common because of the recession.
Everyone is feeling the effects of the economic recession. For many, value trumps health-conscious when it comes to food choices. It’s sad, but true, that processed, frozen or “fast food” is less expensive than the healthier alternatives. Whether you’re feeding yourself or an entire family, those frozen tv-dinners or the “value menu” at the burger joint can be pretty attractive, financially.
One of the consequences of this unfortunate situation, however, is that Americans are just getting fatter, and our risk for obesity related illnesses such as diabetes is rising.
From the Wall Street Journal:
“Approximately 20% of all meals prepared in our homes from 1990 to 2007 involved the use of a microwave,” says Mr. Balzer. But in 2008, microwave usage rose to 30%. NPD Group, which has been following the microwaving habits of American consumers for nearly two decades, attributes that gain to the troubled economy.
Not surprising, then, are the rising rates of obesity and diabetes. The obesity rate climbed more than one percentage point to 26.4% in September from a year earlier, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, a measure of U.S. health compiled by the Gallup research firm and wellness-program provider Healthways. (Full story)
In spite of the current economic situation, there are healthy choices you can make. Again from the WSJ.
Think ahead. Planning out your meals and snacks in advance forces you to think more about the types of foods you are eating.
Make a shopping list. Studies show that people who make shopping lists — and stick to them — are less likely to make impulsive purchases of things like candy, chips or a box of donuts.
Buy in bulk. Buying 32 ounces of yogurt can cost less than buying four eight-ounce containers. In some cases, the savings of buying in bulk versus the premium-preportioned packages can run upward of 50%, according to grocery-store price surveys.
Make it yourself. You can find a multitude of 10-minute recipes online that use healthy and affordable ingredients. And you can be both time- and budget-conscious by making a few larger meals early in the week and freezing smaller portions for later use.
Pack a lunch. Take leftovers for lunch and bring your own snacks to work. This will save you money and keep you from binging on vending-machine fare when hunger strikes.
Cut down on sugary drinks. Water is cheaper — and better for you. If you still crave some flavor, squeeze the juice of a lime or lemon into the water.
There is always an “easier way” when it comes to selecting nutritious food. The “grab-and-go” meal at the drive through, the bag of potato chips to “tide you over”, these are reasonable choices if immediate value is the main concern.
However beneficial these savings are in the short-term, though, there are long-term physical and economic implications. As a nation we’re becoming less and less healthy, and the long-term financial impact will be felt individually and as a society long past the end of this recession. Something to think about…
Thanks for reading,
Andre Berger, M.D.
Related posts:
Keeping Your Soup Clean: Questions and Answers About Diagnostic Testing
Obesity Shrinks Your Brain & Shortens Your Life
Insulin Resistance Improved with Exercise
Weight Loss Improves Mood in Depressed Individuals
FDA Cracking Down on Misleading Nutrition Labels
Think ahead. Planning out your meals and snacks in advance forces you to think more about the types of foods you are eating.
Make a shopping list. Studies show that people who make shopping lists — and stick to them — are less likely to make impulsive purchases of things like candy, chips or a box of donuts.
Buy in bulk. Buying 32 ounces of yogurt can cost less than buying four eight-ounce containers. In some cases, the savings of buying in bulk versus the premium-preportioned packages can run upward of 50%, according to grocery-store price surveys.
Make it yourself. You can find a multitude of 10-minute recipes online that use healthy and affordable ingredients. And you can be both time- and budget-conscious by making a few larger meals early in the week and freezing smaller portions for later use.
Pack a lunch. Take leftovers for lunch and bring your own snacks to work. This will save you money and keep you from binging on vending-machine fare when hunger strikes.
Cut down on sugary drinks. Water is cheaper — and better for you. If you still crave some flavor, squeeze the juice of a lime or lemon into the water.
Write to Jennifer Waters at jennifer.waters@dowjones.com
Related News From the Web
Posted 10 months ago at 2:54 pm. 2 comments
The Body Mass Index can't distinguish lean body mass from fat weight, therefore very muscular people have BMI scores of the morbidly obese. (image: How Things Work 2005)
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 person has anorexia nervosa or a related disorder; a number above 30 suggests the person is obese (over 40, morbidly obese).
There is some controversy over the accuracy of this measurement, as it can’t distinguish body fat from lean body mass, therefore a very muscular person will weigh more, and therefore have a higher BMI, even though he/she may really be quite lean, and many feel it is most appropriately used in the study of populations, not individuals, for that reason.
There is another method of measurement that, according to recent studies, is a more reliable indicator. Body Composition Analysis (BCA) measures four parameters of health.
The BCA for Weight Management helps us measure four parameters of health:
1. Body Hydration Status by measuring the cellular fluid.
2. Cell Health Status by measuring the lean body mass and fat mass.
3, Nutritional Status through the BIA meter. (Bioelectrical Impedance Analyzer)
4. Longevity Status by calculating various indices.
From Medical News Today:
Recent studies using similar analysis suggest that up to 30% of obese people do not in fact require medical treatment. Widespread adoption of BCA could significantly improve the targeting of limited healthcare resources in the context of one of modern society’s global killers. Thanks to advances in imaging technology, variables – such as the body’s fat proportion, location and distribution and the size of fat cells and fat droplets within these cells – can now be factored into the health risk assessment.
Coupled with a better understanding of the interrelation between genes, environment, hormone levels and metabolism, BCA gives clinicians a clearer picture of the specific health risks to an individual.
In light of the growing evidence in favour of functional BCA, the authors conclude that “the definitions of both ‘overweight’ and ‘malnutrition’ should be reconsidered” by clinicians and researchers. Evidently, size does still matter but it’s what you do with it that really counts.
One way to ensure that you are at “optimal weight” regardless of how it’s measured is to…yep, stay active, eat a healthy diet, and keep your soup clean!
Thanks for reading,
Andre Berger, M.D.
p.s. Full disclosure – we have been using the BCA for Weight Management at Rejuvalife for quite some time. Give us a call if you’re interested in being measured!
Associated posts:
Keeping Your Soup Clean: Questions and Answers About Diagnostic Testing
Obesity Shrinks Your Brain & Shortens Your Life
Insulin Resistance Improved with Exercise
Weight Loss Improves Mood in Depressed Individuals
FDA Cracking Down on Misleading Nutrition Labels
Posted 10 months, 1 week ago at 5:11 pm. 2 comments
It’s great to be home! It’s been hectic since I got back, but I’ll report on my trip soon. I’ve posted a couple of photos on Facebook, in the meantime though.
Great news today on the nutrition front – the FDA is going after manufacturers who label their food “healthy” when they are very clearly not. For those of us searching the aisles for nutritious food choices, it’s infuriating to learn we’ve been misled.
NPR has put together a list of six such “healthy” foods to stay away from. Unfortunately this kind of labeling is indicative of the lengths gone to by brands jumping on the “healthy” bandwagon only to sell product – with no intent to provide healthy food.
From NPR
When a food claims to be a “Smart Choice” or “Heart Healthy,” and it’s written right there on the front of the package, should you believe it? Not all the time, says the Food and Drug Administration.
Should snacks like these be considered health foods? (Joe Raedle/Getty)
Posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago at 5:19 pm. Add a comment
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 purpose of this study was to determine whether a controlled exercise program, without any diet intervention and with no intention of weight loss, would improve fat distribution and sensitivity to insulin,” said Agneta Sunehag, MD, PhD, of Baylor College of Medicine and senior author of the study. “We found that a 12-week moderate aerobic exercise program consisting of four 30-minute workouts a week increased fitness and improved insulin sensitivity in both lean and obese adolescents.” (more – link)
This study is significant because there are many studies that include both diet and exercise together, therefore making it difficult to determine which of the two is most effective. One researcher said, “Our findings show that exercise alone can increase fitness and improve insulin sensitivity, making an aerobic program like the one used in this study a potential useful tool in preventing obesity-related illnesses.”
Any new tools in the obesity-fighting toolbox are welcomed ones.
Thanks for reading,
Andre Berger, M.D.
Posted 11 months, 3 weeks ago at 12:23 pm. Add a comment
Artificial Sweeteners are no friend to dieters.
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 a sweet taste receptor, present in the taste cells of the gut, allows humans and animals to detect glucose within the intestine.
Artificial sweeteners behave in a similar way to sugar however, and activate the sensors in the gut key to glucose absorption.
The receptor also detects artificial sweeteners in foods and drinks, resulting in increased intestinal intake of
dietary sugars. This could explain why artificial sweeteners are unsuccessful at helping people lose weight, and
sometimes result in weight gain.
Professor Shirazi-Beechey said: “If someone wants to lose weight, I don’t think artificial sweeteners are going to
help. “My recommendation is to eat natural foods, but to eat less of them.”
Prof Shirazi-Beechey said: “Artificial sweeteners can also activate the glucose sensor and increase the capacity of the intestine to absorb more sugar. “You drink diet cola to stay slim but the reverse is true, because the artificial sweeteners can activate the sensor, so you are taking more glucose from your diet.”
Prof Shirazi-Beechey’s research can be seen at an exhibition at the Food Museum in Switzerland. The exhibition,
called Research Food – a Dialogue, looks at food history, science and technologies.
I recommend eliminating artificial sweeteners (and other highly processed products and foods) from your diet entirely, and if you must indulge in something sweet, try Stevia, Xylitol or Lo Han. They are better natural solutions all the way around, in more ways than one!
Thanks for reading – see you after the Holiday weekend!
Andre Berger, M.D.
Posted 12 months ago at 6:18 pm. 1 comment