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Posts Tagged ‘people’

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Does the Cause Really Matter?

Why is obesity on the rise?

According to one recent study, technology is the culprit.

The worldwide study by the Milken Institute found that for every 10 percent increase in a country’s spending on communications technology, there’s a 1.4 percent increase in obesity rates.

That seems to ring true, doesn’t it? Think about the “screen” time we all spend … whether it’s high-definition TVs, smart phones, notepads, laptops or gaming devices. For people of all ages, these wonderful advancements can mean a more sedentary lifestyle.

And it’s not just an American phenomenon. The link between technology and obesity applied to all 27 countries in the study.

But just as we lead the way in technology, we also lead in obesity. In the USA, the obesity rate is 33.8 percent, followed by Mexico (30 percent), New Zealand (26.5 percent), Australia (24.6 percent) and Canada (24.2 percent).

And according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, by the year 2030, the U.S. obesity rate is expected to rise to 42 percent.

What is the true cause of this alarming trend?

Our answer: Does it matter?

Not really.

For people who are severely obese, the right question is: What can I do to get on the road to healthier life?

That’s where we come in. We’re dedicated to changing the lives of people with severe weight problems. If diets and exercise have not produced effective, lasting results for you, it’s time to learn more about weight-loss surgery.

We invite you to explore our website and our blog, where you can learn from the experiences of our patients who have graciously shared their stories.

Better yet, we invite you to attend one of our seminars, where you can meet our surgeons and patients face-to-face and get your questions answered. You can find our seminar schedule on this website.

You can also make an appointment to see one of our surgeons by calling (516) 616-5500 or, if you prefer, click on “Live Chat” in the upper left corner of your screen to have a conversation now.

Yes, inaction can contribute to obesity. But the good news is that the action of reaching out to learn more can be that first step to a new life.

Why not take that first step today?

Category: Expert Advice, Health Benefits, Obesity, Weight Loss

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Friday, July 27, 2012

Half the Woman She Used To Be

Lisa Lucchese is 135 pounds. Five years ago, she weighed 285.

She had her weight-loss surgery on Sept. 11, 2007. Last weekend, she went sky-diving. “It was awesome,” she says. She’s been ziplining, too.

Lisa is a nurse. She co-leads a support group for people who have undergone weight-loss surgery. We’re delighted she has agreed to share some of her experiences and tips here:

“My weight had been up and down my whole life. I started my first formal diet in the sixth grade. At first, I would lose and gain 15 pounds. Then, as I got older and had my children, I would gain and lose 50 pounds, then 75, then 100. It was a vicious circle that kept getting worse.

“When I reached 285 pounds, I decided to have the surgery, My husband said it was voluntary. To me. it wasn’t. It had to be done, or I wasn’t going to live a long and happy life.”

It’s been almost five years since your weight-loss surgery, does it get easier to keep the weight off?

“Over time, it’s gets easier, and it gets harder. Some people do put weight on, because over time, your body compensates to the surgery. But I truly feel that if you learn the rules at the beginning and follow them through, you will be successful.

“Yes, there are rules you need to follow after you have the surgery. It’s not like you can have the surgery and just go out there and eat anything you want. You have to adjust.

“There are still a few things I don’t do. I have not had any kind of sugar since my surgery. I don’t eat any kinds of candies, cakes or cookies. I do have carbohydrates. I will eat natural sugar — in a fruit. I feel like sugar is a drug to me. If I have it, I could go off the deep end. I’ve just learned to accept that. To me, it’s well worth it. I don’t miss it.

“It is a bit of an adjustment — always drinking your water, trying to follow the rules, making sure you’re taking your vitamins and supplements. I’m very diligent about this, because I want to be healthy. You just have to be sure you’re working the tools your doctor gave you to the best advantage. I think that’s how I’ve been so successful.

“For me, not eating sugar is not even an issue. It doesn’t faze me at all. Everything is sugar-free now. There are 4 million diabetics in the world. People ask, ‘How do you do that?’ It’s easy. I’m like a diabetic. I do not eat sugar. I will not have it.

ziplining“I’m not gaining weight, because I try to do what I learned. I think that’s key.

“I would tell anyone who just had the surgery that the tool is what they gave you with the surgery, and you have to use it and do what’s right and learn how to eat again.

“On a normal day, I eat cheese a lot, because it’s high in protein. For breakfast, I might have cheese and crackers, or scrambled eggs, or a supplement — a high-protein meal always.

“For lunch, some days I’ll eat a sandwich — or chili. I’m a big chili fan, especially since the surgery. It’s high-protein. Today at work, we had Mexican food, so I had a part of a burrito. I saved the rest for tomorrow.

“For dinner, last night we had barbeque, so I had steak, some corn and some salad.

“I try not to obsess over what I’m eating. In between, if I’m hungry, I’ll have a piece of cheese or a handful of almonds. There are a lot of high-protein, low-fat, low-carb snacks out there.

“I try not to graze all day. If I’m going to have a snack, I try to plan it and make it healthy.

“With my support group, we have a book, and people will bring it labels of items that they have come across that provide good ideas of what to eat. Through that, I’ve learned so much.”

Any bits of advice for those considering surgery?

“Listen to your doctor. Follow their rules. Know what they’re talking about. Support is the key to success. Attend your support group meetings. Ask questions. People who have the surgery and have been successful are willing to help — especially new people.

“If people could see my life today, they would know there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

* * *

If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment to see one of our surgeons, call our office at (516) 616-5500 or click on “Live Chat” in the upper left corner of your screen to have a conversation now.

Category: Exercise, Health Benefits, Obesity, Post Surgery, Weight Loss

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Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Common Misconceptions About Weight-Loss Surgery: Part 2

In last week’s blog, Dr. John Angstadt addressed perhaps the most common misconception about weight-loss surgery — that it’s risky. It’s actually less risky than gall bladder surgery. This week, he tackles two more common misconceptions.

“Some people are told — I’m sure by well-meaning friends and family members — that surgery is the easy way out. Somehow, you’re selling yourself out if you’ve decided to have an operation.

“The reality of it is that you don’t get overweight because you have a problem with your stomach, which is what we operate on to get you to lose weight. You’re overweight because of what’s in your head — your attitudes toward food and all the habits you’ve developed.

“What we do is to take this tool and use it to allow you to lose weight. Your part is to totally change the way you approach food. You have to change all your habits, and that requires effort and commitment.

“So when your friends tell you it’s the easy way out, it really isn’t. It’s a tool to change life-long habits — and that’s hard.

“If this was only about the operation, you wouldn’t need a program. You wouldn’t need to be part of a support group. We have all that because surgery is only 25 percent of the success. The other 75 percent is what you do with it, and how you change the way you approach food.

“I think it’s important for people coming into weight-loss surgery to understand that they have to be willing to make that commitment. It’s very important. The whole structure of our program is designed to provide you with what you need to be successful.”

Another common misconception, says Dr. Angstadt, is a failure to do a total risk-benefit analysis before making a decision about weight-loss surgery.

“We’re all sort of stuck where we are,” he says. “What I think it’s hard for people to realize is how much better you’re going to feel. It’s not just about looking better. It’s about how much more energy you’re going to have. And how much better you’re going to feel about yourself and about life. And if you’re on medication, we start to peel away those medicines and that makes a difference as well.

“So if you’re at the point of making a decision, you really need to weigh all the risks and benefits. People tend not to fully weigh the benefits. We talk about risks, but the other piece of the equation is just as important. And it’s not just about making your diseases go away, but it’s also that when you’re 50 to 80 pounds lighter, you’re able to do things that you weren’t able to do before. Some of our patients are now ziplining and hang-gliding. They’re scuba diving, or they’re back on bicycles. They’re doing all kinds of activities they never thought they could do.

“As you’re contemplating bariatric surgery, you want to keep the benefits right in front of you. And as you think about making the effort to begin a new diet and make significant changes in your life, also think about the benefits and satisfaction of doing things that you never could do before.

“And as long as you look at the full picture, you will see that this is more than worth it.”

if you have any questions or would like to make an appointment to see one of our surgeons, call our office at (516) 616-5500 or click on “Live Chat” in the upper left corner of your screen to have a conversation now.

Category: Expert Advice, Health Benefits, Obesity, Procedures, Weight Loss

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Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Common Misconceptions About Weight-Loss Surgery: Part 1

Not everything you hear about weight-loss surgery is true. Dr. John Angstadt knows that. He’s performed hundreds of surgeries and has met hundreds of patients. In this two-part series, he talks about three of the most common misconceptions about weight-loss surgery:

“Perhaps the most common misconception that people have is that these procedures are very risky. You hear that from a lot from people who have been dissuaded from taking action either by a family member or by something they read.

“The reality is that if you look at even the riskiest procedure we do — gastric bypass — if the surgery is done in a center of excellence, the mortality rate today is 0.1 percent. That’s actually a lower mortality than having your gall bladder removed. In the hands of well-trained surgeons working in a center of excellence where the protocols are all in place, the procedures are really very safe.

“In fact, if you’re looking at mortality ratios, it’s far more risky to continue to live with obesity and the co-morbid diseases you may have developed. If you don’t take action, your morbidity rate is more on the order of five to 10 percent. You have a far greater chance of dying as a result of complications from obesity that you ever will undergoing the small risk of an operation.

“The analogy I use with my patients is to think of this as getting on a plane and flying. For some people, when they get on a plane, they’re worrying about it crashing. But when you look at all the data, flying is the safest form of travel. You face far more risk getting in your car. It’s just that we live with that every day. We don’t think about it. You just kind of ignore that risk.

“And that’s kind of what people with obesity do. You don’t think about the risk you’re living with every day. You’re just concerned about the risk of surgery. But when you step back and a look at your whole situation, it’s far riskier to stay where you are than to move forward with an operation.”

Next week, in part two of this series, Dr. Angstadt will address two other common misconceptions that many people have about weight-loss surgery. In the mean time, if you have any questions or would like to make an appointment to see one of our surgeons, call our office at (516) 616-5500 or click on “Live Chat” in the upper left corner of your screen to have a conversation now. We’re ready to help.

Category: Health Benefits, Obesity, Procedures, Weight Loss

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