I personally feel very anti gastric bypass surgery as to many people regard it as the easy way out.I believe that until all other avenues have been completely and totally exhausted it should not even be an option.

I mean seriously tried not just having tried a couple of times on Atkins or something like that which seems to be most peoples idea of tryinghard to lose weight.

Really?

I would then like to see every one show with supported evidence that they were capable of making lifestyle changes before being given surgery ideally for 6 months.

Although not an automatic condition with all gastric bypass surgery (I believe it should be) all patients then need a 6 monthly check up as a minimum to make sure they are making changes to lifestyle with appropriate councelling and nutritional and health advice being given on demand either via a website of telephone help line for upto 5 years.

Gastric Bypass is seen by many as the easy no effort option it was that lack of effort that got most people the way they are in the first place and this would bring that sharply in to focus for those thinking it was a quick operation and then back to normal re adopting all the same bad habits.

It seems I am not alone in my views but read what some other bloggers have to say on this subject.

Are You a Suitable Candidate for Bariatric Surgery?

Meeting the above criteria does not guarantee your eligibility for weight loss surgery. Most bariatric clinics operate a screening policy and only approve candidates who are (a) ready to make appropriate long-term behavioral changes; …

Obese patients ‘encouraged to put on weight to qualify for surgery …

According to the Nice guidelines, bariatric surgery is recommended for adults with a BMI of more than 40, who have other significant diseases (for example, type 2 diabetes) that could be improved if they lost weight, … The college, which is holding a conference on the issue today, says that hospitals are assessing patients referred from primary care trusts under different eligibility criteria, resulting in some patients with a BMI of 60 or greater being refused surgery …

Advice For Beginners Looking Into Gastric Bypass Surgery

Medical history, mental health and commitment to success determine your eligibility. Know the Risks of Gastric Bypass Surgery. Gastric bypass surgery is the safest weight loss surgery available. However, as with all surgical procedures, …

More Gastric Bypass Thoughts and Opinions

• For Very Obese, Gastric Bypass May Extend Life (nlm.nih.gov)

The study completed at Sanford University was able to demonstrate that teens who were not diabetic but still obese when given metoformin XR and put in place certain lifestyle changes saw better results than those who just made changes to their lifestyles alone.

The Sanford team said that it was now quite common for non diabetic teenage obesity to be treated using meoformin but suprisingly until now no studies have actually been done to prove it’s effectiveness in treating obesity.

With nearly a third of all children in the U.S. being considered overweight or obese any help is greatfully recieved by the medical profession.

Obesity in childhood is associated with significant health risks, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and risk of heart disease as an adult.

Researchers say childhood obesity is treated with healthy lifestyle interventions, including diet and exercise, but studies show the success of these efforts varies greatly. This is also the case with most adult treatment programs for obesity.

The results of the research carried out showed that the BMI of teens who received metformin in addition to lifestyle changes decreased 0.9 after 48 weeks’ study, compared to a 0.2 increase in the placebo group.

The really good news is …

Researchers say the BMI difference between the two groups persisted for up to six months after they stopped taking the drug.

So I for one will be looking for more on the use of metofirm to treat childhood obesity and I will keep you posted on any further signs of progress.

Related articles On Teen Obesity

• Diabetes Drug Helps Dieting Teens Lose Weight (nlm.nih.gov)
• Childhood Obesity Widens Gender Gap (drsharma.ca)

According to the latest information published by the Endocrine Society it is now believed that children who are obese as young as 7 years of age are increasing their risk of heart attacks and cardiovascular problems significantly in the future.

This latest study shows clearly that the unhealthy consequences of excess body fat start very early according to Nelly Mauras, MD, of Nemours Children’s Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida and senior author of the entire study.

This study has managed to show that obesity in these young children makes them as adults far more susceptible to cardiovascular problems in the future. Than children who are not obese in childhood.

These findings help if any confirmation was infact needed that Michelle Obama’s childhood obesity initiative is needed far sooner than later and indeed the future of child hood weight control should be of paramount importance to all parents.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors that raise the risk of developing heart disease, stroke and diabetes which is becoming more prevalent in adults and it is now being increasingly diagnosed in children as being overweight becomes a greater problem for the whole population.

Although debate exists as to its exact definition, to receive a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome, one must have at least three of the following characteristics: increased waist circumference (abdominal fat), low HDL (”good”) cholesterol, high triglycerides (fats in the blood), high blood pressure and high blood glucose (blood sugar).

The research team wanted to know if obesity could raise cardiovascular disease risk prior to the onset of the metabolic syndrome in children and the results were quite shocking and without going in to specifics showed there was a far greater risk in obese and overweight children than those who were not.

One interesting factor the study revealled when looking for suitable candidates to use was that generally parents which were obese and showed at least some of the signs of metabolic disorder were more likely to have children with similar traits.

Whilst up until now doctors have suspected a causal link between obese adults this has not been believed to be the case
in such young children and the indications are that obese children are 10 times more likely to suffer adult cardiovascular problems.

I would like all readers of this blog to encourage your children to exercise more and eat less and if you have any concerns contact me through the blog and I will try and at least point you in the right direction. Don’t forget to check out my new site at Teenage Obesity.

Related articles by Childhood Obesity

• Childhood obesity alone may increase risk of later cardiovascular disease (scienceblog.com)
• Obesity Drives Hypertension Epidemic in the Young (drsharma.ca)
• Young adults at risk of cardiovascular disease (parentcentral.ca)
• Health At Every Size (slog.thestranger.com)

If you read the article in OK magazine you would have been led to believe that Kourtney Kardashian had an exclusive interview and photo shoot with OK magazine but she tells a very different story and begs the question how much of what we read and see in these glossies is telling the whole truth.

The cover on Life and Style magazine tells a completely different story to the clearly altered images in OK and it worries me that far more doctoring of pictures is giving women like you and me unrealistic goals and expectations when we try to lose weight.

What It also brings in to question is how credible are any claims made in celebrity endorsements when clearly they are easily misquoted and it seems now shrunken at the touch of the artists digital pen.

We should start a campaign for all photo’s in magazines to be genuine and only edited for photographic reasons not blatant misrepresentation.

Other Bloggers Thoughts On Kourtney Kardashian And Weight Loss

• Kourtney Kardashian: OK! Photoshopped My Post-Baby Body (PHOTOS) (huffingtonpost.com)
• The “Baby Weight” Obsession: Officially Out Of Control [Weighty Matters] (jezebel.com)

Well I read a recent article in UK newpaper which might remind you that not every thing you see is true and maybe just maybe you are being mislead…

We have all seen them those fitness and weight loss DVD’s that say you can get fit while exercising in your own home after all who needs all that blood, sweat and tears in the gym when bouncing up and down at home to some popular piece of music a few minutes a day would be so much more refined for a lady.

If you are not one who has fallen for the lure of the DVD workout with celebrities this might just make you rethink things if you are ever tempted by the lure of the celebrity endorsed workout?

According to popular soap opera star Ricky Groves (who until recently was seen in the UK top soap Eastenders) his wife Hannah Waterman who had become a little bigger than usual was approached by Universal Pictures to lose the weight BEFORE they made the video. (sounds a bit unlikley but lets go with it for now. Bear in mind they are getting divorced)

She was then given a diet and exercise regimen for 5 months during which time she lost a total of about 42 pounds now she is is lean and mean and a size US 4.In fact some would say she is really horribly skinny and looks twice her age but that is just being mean.

But hold a minute aren’t we lead to believe this miracle transformation has taken place following the instructions on the video where as reality she has had five months to lose 2lb a week (on average) some how that doesn’t seem quite as impressive and certainly not quite a gruelling a challenge as she and many before would have us believe.

So maybe next time you are considering purchasing a celebrity exercise video you might want to think to yourself am I being told the whole truth here. Hm…

Food for thought perhaps?

Related articles by Zemanta

• How Hannah Waterman Lost Three Stone in Five Months (losethattyre.co.uk)
• New Year, New You? : Thousands of Women Turning to Adultery for “Self-Improvement” (uk.prweb.com)

But before you start to think this means everyone should be eating like a sports star lets consider what this might mean reading between the lines.

First of all Kelly has not secumbed to the lure of the plastic surgeons knife so she is the shape she is because God intended her to be that way.

Plus at the moment she is on a Dance Tour with the UK equivalent of “So You Think You Can Dance” and we all know that one sure fire way to burn away the calories is expending energy with an exercise like dancing.

Then looking at what she eats …

She avoids fast food and prefers to cook herself and if her latest victory against Gordon Ramsey in the F Word (a popular UK TV show) where she cooked suffed peppers is anythingto go by she isn’t a bad cook either.

One of the best ways to start to reduce your weight is to stop picking up fast food and start to cooking for yourself and your family. If some one as busy as Kelly Brook can find time so can you?

Beware the video isn’t pretty but the now highly publicised campaigns of Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said once again in a statement that sugary drinks are a main contributor to the city’s obesity epidemic.

A 2007 health department survey found that more than 2 million New Yorkers drink at least one sugar-sweetened beverage each day, which can have as many as 16 teaspoons of sugar in one 20-ounce bottle.

The health department urges people to drink water or other drinks with no calories, or low calories, instead of sugary drinks.

Soda should be an occasional treat, as should some of the high-calorie coffee drinks sold in national coffee chains, the department said.

Earlier this year NYC was the first US state to introduce a sales tax for Soda’s which caused uproar in the State as few people believed it was justified or even worth while.

If you haven’t yet seen the video here is a chance to decide for yourself is it hard hitting and effective or just disgusting and irresponsible.

Here’s what some other bloggers had to say…
Prevention Matters: Drinking Fat – The Video

Drinking Fat – The Video. The New York City Department of Health and Hygiene raised a lot of eyebrows last summer with a subway advertisement that showed a soda bottle pouring globs of human fat into a drinking glass. …

City Releases Fat-Drinking Soda PSA

The New York City Department of Health has released a stomach-turning public service announcement to prevent people from drinking sugary soft drinks. The video, posted on YouTube and the Department of Health website, shows a smNYC New Fight Against Obesity Ad… The Anti Coke!

New York is really on a ball when it comes to it’s fight against obesity campaign. This will have you grabbing for water all day long. … anti-soda ad. by TaylorR on December 15, 2009. NYC New Fight Against Obesity Ad… The Anti Coke! You’ ll be reaching for something other than a soda at your next

Related articles on the Soda Tax Debate

• Man drinks fake fat in NYC anti-soda video (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Calls grow for US tax on fizzy drinks to fight obesity (telegraph.co.uk)
• Should America tax soda? (economist.com)

She states in her book that a very high percentage of Americans have something called mucoid plaque in their guts and this is why they are fat.

The Science Doesn’t Have Any Validity?

Now I would like to say there is tons of scientific evidence to back up this theory but sadly I have tried every avenue and came up with a resounding this is complete BS!

There is no sound medical evidence to support this theory.

Don’t forget in this day and age surgeons can routinely examine your colon either through a ultrasound or endoscopy (camera in your intestinal tract) so if this was the case they could easily identify it and remove it.

Colon Cleansing Doesn’t Make You Thin

It would be nice to think a quick colon clean was all that was needed to make up for years of abusing the body feeding it crap and no exercise and that none of it was my fault.

In other words if I got fat it’s my lazy good for nothing colon’s lack of efforts fault but sorry to burst your bubble it simply isn’t true.

Neither are the claims that millions of American’s have harmful bacteria and worms growing in their guts. It is true that some Americans have these affilictions and if you have serious IBS or other gastric problems you should speak to your doctor about these possibilities.

The Mayo Clinic Says Colon Cleansing Can Be Harmful

More importantly Colon cleansing may not only be unneccessary it may actual be detrimental to your health. Violently purging your digestive tract may disturb healthful bacterial (probiotic) populations in the gut, which are needed for proper digestion and immunity, these efforts cause you to lose important electrolytes and minerals including sodium, potassium, and magnesium.

My big problem with Dr Suzane Gudakunst is nothing she says makes any sense and infact based on my own research I doubt seriously if she is real doctor.

Sad fact is this sort of hype is designed to get people buying a book which provides some very questionable information. The good parts of the book are actually the parts discussed least in the marketing message on the website. But they alone do NOT make up for the other stuff.

These include but are not exclusively…

1.How to choose a good diet
2.Weight Loss Tips and Ideas
3.Metabolic Programming and Choosing The Right Diet
4. Making Changes To Your Eating Habits
5. Food Replacing

Lets see if you take the parasite / colon cleanse part out of the equation. If anyone followed the basic recommendations of this program as written, they’d lose weight.

* Don’t diet; change your lifestyle.

* Dump processed foods.

* Eat more fruits and veggies.

* Get plenty of fiber and eat lean protein.

* Be conscious of portion size.

* Drink lots of water.

* Exercise regularly.

* Find a committed buddy.

* Model successful people.

* Be consistent.

This is just like the late night exercise gadget infomercial hucksters. They hype their equipment as the magic solution when the strict diet they include is the real reason people lose weight on their program.

Sorry it looks good from the outside but when the Mayo Clinic tells me that Colon Cleansing is likely more harmful than helpful this product does simply not have anything to redeem it.

Her website is graphic and controversial. But on the site she reveals exactly why she thinks the problem that people have with losing weight stems from their colon. Her ebook is full of her research results which are backed up with the sources of her conclusions.

We found this book to be highly educational and somewhat revolutionary. It has changed the way that thousands are approaching their fat loss goals. The book is only 49 pages and hits you hard and fast with the edgy information Dr. Suzanne is becoming famous for.

The book is lacking in the area of a suggested exercise regiment. She of course speaks of how a regular exercise routine can help, but also says that by curing the problem at the core (the colon), people will be surprised at how quickly they can lose weight without the need for exhaustive workouts.

Dr. Suzanne has our vote because she calls it like she sees it and doesn’t hold back. We believe this book is going to change the lives of many people. More information…Top Fat Loss Secret

The Slim Fast Plan calls for the dieter to have a flavored shake instead of their usual breakfast (usually chocolate, strawberry or vanilla) and another at lunch, and then end the day with a calorie controlled nutritionally balanced dinner.

Since the initial shakes were introduced many years ago Slim Fast have a much wider range of products giving your greater choice and more options such as their snack bars and other meal options.

Free Shipping With Amazon and Slim Fast

In addition to the shakes you are also allowed if following the prescribed Slim Fast plan two additional pieces of fruit and a Slim Fast nutrition bar or snack as needed during the day.

The blanaced meal for dinner may be used for any meal, as long as the two other meals are the diet shakes. Most people tend to eat the nutritionally balanced meal at the end of the day as a reward while others like to break up the day.

The way Slim Fast works is it makes you feel full (the shakes are full of fibre to fill you up stopping you feeling hungry) as a result you take in less calories. This means provided you stick to it your calorie intake is lowered and in theory at least you shouldn’t feel hungry a problem common to most diets.

The Slim Fast plan averages about 1,200 calories a day, which will cause fairly certain weight loss for most people, as it is at least 500 calories less than average female needs to for energy and probably at least 1,000 calories less than the average male needs.

According to most nutritional experts we asked there are some good aspects to the Slim Fast meal plan, however, there are also several pitfalls which should not be ignored.

The good news is that the Slim Fast plan now includes exercise recommendations and promotes drinking 6-8 cups of water daily, which are both important features in any weight loss plan.

Another big plus is the Slim Fast system is easy to understand (maybe it’s biggest plus). However with such tight calorie restrictions there is a serious risk that the body may not get adequate vitamins,minerals and other essential nutrients required for long term healthy living.

I feel maybe more emphasis should be put on these requirements and there is an opportunity to replace these by carefull selection of the balanced meal within the Slim Fast regimen.

Sadly the Slim Fast shakes seem to contain additional vitamins and minerals but lack other aspects of good nutrition. This I am guessing would be to keep the cost down and make the diet more accesible to more people.

Whilst the Slim Fast products are not cheap they are quite well priced and should not cost any more than a comparable take away meal would cost so you could actually find the effects on your pocket not as dramatic as some other programs.

In the past I have used the Slim Fast plan myself but my concerns were although I was losing weight what would happen when I tried to wean myself away from the Slim Fast shakes and start adding normal food in to the diet more.

There is a serious risk as to what is known as a diet crash and I feel that maybe the Slim Fast plan can be too aggressive in it’s goals for some people. This sort of regimen is notorious for putting people in to a cycle of weight loss and then a few months later weight gain. This is also known as Yo-Yo dieting.

One thing that Slim Fast meals and slim fast shakes do is make losing weight relatively simple if you follow the plan you will lose weight but it’s simplicity is also it’s biggest failing. People become dependent on the discipline this weight loss regimen gives so don’t make the required changes to lifestyle in the usual way they might on other programs.

Without lifestyle change and an notably increased exercise regimen any weight loss will only be temporary and what I think is the biggest problem for most people is that the Slim Fast plan is entirely self-directed, with little or no outside structure or support.

This means that people haven’t learned to eat well or control their lifestyle but just follow a regimented weight loss program. I believe Slim Fast could do more to encourage people to start a healthy living plan and wean off Slim Fast but I guess that wouldn’t do much for keeping their share holders happy.

Some might say is that the diet was the first non fad diet as it had the benefit of science and medicine but it now seems it may have still been predominatley a fad diet and it’s nutritional back bone is now seen to be fundemently floored.

According to the popular way of following this plan, you are permitted to eat as much fat as you like so long as you consume little carbs.

The sorcery behind the short term success of the Atkins Diet, and the low-carbohydrate diet generally, lies in its effect on the body : the body’s preferred power source is glucose.

When carbs are seriously limited, the body runs short on its recurring supply of glucose, the breakdown product of carbohydrate.

The body predicts these eventualities by storing glucose ( glycogen ) in the muscles and liver. For each gram of glycogen the body stores, it must store with it 3 grams of water.

If carbohydrates are noticeably limited as they’re in the Atkins Diet, the body will break down these glycogen stores to get glucose for energy. When the glycogen is broken down stored water is released and excreted.

The more assertive the carb limitation, the more dramatic this effect. The Atkins Diet is one of the more assertive lo-carbohydrate diet plans.

There are quite literally thousands of low carbohydrate and Atkins Diet products on the market. It is truly incredible how promoters of the locarb and Atkins Diet have managed to mislead many millions of people across the globe into a diet opposed by almost all of the worlds leading health institutions.

The Atkins Diet and other low carb diets have shown unacceptable results in the long term. Which is the fundemental flaw in the Atkins program and why so many health experts had issue with it.

Whilst it is true carb restriction will work short term it is neither healthy or sustainable for any length of time.

To be fair some time after the initial book an Atkins Maintence Diet was launched but it was to little and to late.

Considering the health dangers related to the lo carb program, the Atkins Diet appears like a poor choice among the enormous assortment of options. But with the marketing muscle that accompanied it a nation of Atkins dieters was made.

Such was it’s popularity and indeed inspite of the widely publicised dangers still today it remains probably the most popular fad diet program.

The lo carb diet craze swept through America at the start of the 21st Century and even today you’ll find restaurants from the lowest back street grill to some of the most respected restaurants in the country offering lo carb options fueling the diet fest.

The main issues with lo carb diets as a long term diet solution are the fact that they are not sustainable and lack sufficient nutritional balance to be adaptable in to regular life style.

The other major issue is the Atkin’s diet and many like it fail to adequately address the issue of exercise and how it plays an essential part in weight loss success.