Type II Diabetes is a disease in which the body cannot effectively use insulin and the level of sugar in their blood stream reaches dangerously high levels causing multiple medical complications.  Although there are treatments available, most patients are on lifelong medication and many develop numerous medical complications from this disease.   As the incidence of diabetes has increased dramatically over the last 10 years, it has become clear that this increase is caused by the increase in weight of the average person in America.

Unfortunately, this combination of obesity and diabetes is deadly.  Every year more than 300,000 people die in the United States as a direct result of obesity-induced illnesses, and diabetes is a main culprit.  Diabetes alone is the 6^th leading cause of preventable death in America.  Not only that, but diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, non-traumatic amputations and kidney failure in American adults.

Fortunately, diabetes can be controlled, and sometimes even resolved completely, with gastric bypass.  Recent media attention, on CBS 60 Minutes™ and numerous other news outlets, has reported the dramatic resolution seen in diabetes after the gastric bypass operation.  This incredible success is not seen with other weight loss operations such as the gastric band procedure.

As a result, The N.E.W. Program is now offering modified gastric bypass as a treatment for Type-2 Diabetes in patients who are overweight but have a body mass index below the standard criteria required for traditional bariatric surgery.  The expectation is for patients who have diabetes that is difficult to treat to be able to finally gain effective control of this devastating disease, and hopefully even resolve diabetes completely.

Interested physicians and patients may call for more information at The N.E.W. Program or email info@thenewprogram.com

My disgust with the TV show the “Biggest Loser” is something that I’ve been open about for years. As a physician dedicated to helping people win their battles with obesity, using legitimate interventions, healthy support and positive advice, I have always found it appalling that a TV show that belittles obese people is so popular. Why would we tolerate this?! Would we send our child, if they were struggling in school, to a camp called the “Smartest Idiot??” Of course not, so why would society find it acceptable to gawk at severely overweight people that want nothing more than to be healthy?

In response to this The N.E.W. Program decided to launch a positive initiative. In contrast to the Biggest Loser show, this program uses realistic and constructive training methods to find an active lifestyle that you can maintain. It’s up and running, its healthy, it’s fun, and it works.

With this exciting exercise challenge, working out has never been so much fun! Participants have full access to results-driven fitness programs and expertise from our team of trainers. When it comes to permanent weight loss, the experts from The N.E.W. Program know what works, and what doesn’t. We provide a competitive but positive training environment.

Prizes are awarded, but more importantly, you’ll enjoy the camaraderie of working together as a team and the personal satisfaction of taking control of your health through exercise. The competition combines the muscle toning benefits of “boot camp” at the gym with calorie burning aerobic outdoor field trips throughout Southern California.

The next competition starts January 10th!  To learn more and SIGN UP for The Smallest Winner Competition CLICK HERE.

Article written by: Dr. Brian Quebbemann

A recent study found that bariatric surgery is a cost-effective weightloss option for people in most obesity categories–ranging from mildly to severely obese. The study found that people who have bariatric surgery are more likely to keep weight off in the long-run than people who shed pounds through other methods. Additionally, they suffer fewer health problems related to being obese. Because of these findings, the research team from Washington University in St. Louis concluded that weight loss surgery is a good value, in economic terms. Moreover, they found that for the most severely obese people, bariatric surgery ultimately saves money, in the form of healthcare dollars saved.

The research team looked at over 150 studies, and examined the effectiveness of weight loss surgery. They estimated the life expectancies and quality of life of people who had bariatric surgery in comparison with people who did not undergo surgery. Findings indicated that life expectancy for those who received weight loss surgery was an average of 5-6 years longer.

The study determined the cost-effectiveness of bariatric surgery using a metric called the quality-adjusted life year (QALY), which measures the value of medical treatment in terms of an individual’s quality and length of life. In our country, it is presumed that an individual would be willing to pay up to $50,000 for an extra year of a healthy life. Therefore, a cost less than $50,000 is considered cost-effective. The researchers found that for those with a BMI of 50 or more, the cost per QALY is negative, meaning that the cost of weight loss surgery is less than the medical costs associated with not having the surgery. For people with a BMI of 40-50, the cost per QALY ranges from $1,900 to $3,800, while for those with a BMI of 35-40, the cost per QALY ranges from $2,400 to $3,900, all well below the limit of $50,000.

Dr. Marina Kurian of NYU explained that this is an important study because it “helps to identify the benefits of weight loss surgery a cross Body Mass Index (BMI) categories and adds credence to the FDA approval of the lap band in lower BMI patients.”

You can find more information about The N.E.W. Program’s financing options here.

Doug wanted to be healthy.

He had succeeded in college, had a successful business, a beautiful daughter that he adored, and a dedicated wife. Doug was used to hard work and was geared towards success, but as his work had taken over his life, he had gained weight. A lot of weight. Several times he had successfully lost his extra weight, and then gradually the weight would come back on, more weight every time. After years of struggling with every success being followed by failure, he found himself at 430 lbs, miserable, angry and resentful. Unable to maintain a healthy weight with point systems, mail order food, calorie counting, vitamin shots, liquid meals and all the “good advice” he’d been given, he had lost his “battle with fat.”

But Doug wanted to be healthy. He had put in so much effort, but couldn’t sustain the diets. “No Willpower” he decided. He grew to resent the thin, fit people he saw all around him; why were they having fun when he had tried so hard and failed? As a “last resort” he decided to look into weight loss surgery and attended an Information Seminar at The N.E.W. Program. I saw him in the audience, like many people, looking skeptical, conflicted and depressed. When I explained that it was our patient’s efforts, their desire to change their lifestyle and be active and fit, that made them successful he immediately said “If I could do that I wouldn’t be here.” All too familiar with this common misconception, I explained that doing something he hated, like dieting, no matter how hard he tried, would not be sustainable. “Nobody healthy does it”, I told him. But, I said, “if you use the surgery as leverage to help you develop a lifestyle that you truly enjoy, you will be able to stick with that forever.” He looked at me skeptically, and I told him that we’d teach him how to do this in our LifeStyle Management Program. He replied “I don’t attend support groups.” I told him “Neither would I, but, if I want to learn how to do something, I find a place that teaches it, and that’s what our workshops do.” I explained that The N.E.W. Program has a unique system where we teach our patients the principles they need to use to develop a lifestyle, their own lifestyle, that works for them. I said that surgery isn’t the “easy way out”, it’s the smart way for people that decide they actually are interested in winning this battle against obesity and just need some leverage in order to help them do it.
Doug had gastric bypass a few months later, and despite his initial skepticism, attended the lifestyle management workshops and made a real effort to live the life he wanted; to feel good about eating, rather than eat in a way that made him feel bad, and to pursue the active life he wanted, rather than pretend he didn’t want it. Now, 5 years after surgery, he has lost all of his extra body fat, over 200 lbs, and is fit and trim. He eats what he wants, but has learned that he doesn’t want things that make him feel stuffed, heavy or uncomfortable. He loves feeling fit and swims, runs and bicycles on a daily basis. Now, he is one of those fit people he used to resent, that bicycle down Pacific Coast Hwy. He found that by applying the principles he learned in the lifestyle management workshops, he could develop his own lifestyle, one that he wouldn’t trade for anything, that keeps him fit, trim, looking good and feeling healthy. Doug knows that surgery wasn’t the easy way out, it was the smart way for him; and he knows that although surgery gave him leverage, it was his effort that made the difference. Through healthy lifestyle management, on top of his surgery, Doug has found the life that he wanted, and the right lifestyle for him, to give him permanent control of his weight and fitness success.

A new study suggests that the weight loss that occurs after Gastric Bypass Surgery may limit the expression of Alzheimer’s genes. It had been previously found that obesity and Type 2 diabetes can increase the chance of getting Alzheimer’s disease. This new study, which was presented at a recent national Endocrinology conference, looked at 15 morbidly obese patients with Type 2 diabetes who had gastric bypass surgery. The patients lost an average of close to 86 pounds each over six months.

The researchers measured the expression of what’s called amyloid precursor protein (APP), which relates to protein pieces that form plaques in the brain, (one of the key brain abnormalities in Alzheimer’s disease). They found that the level of APP fell by 22 percent after weight loss surgery. Dr. Mark Fusco explained that obesity has adverse effects on a large number of the body’s systems and functions. “Some seem easy to explain, extra weight leading to back pain and knee pain, for instance. Other obesity consequences seem harder to explain. Several previous studies have shown a link between obesity poor memory function, decreased cognitive function, and a higher rate of Alzheimer’s disease.”

This is exciting for several reasons. First of all, if whatever it is about weight reduction that changes the way these genes are expressed can be isolated, this may provide a key for new treatments for Alzheimer’s. And secondly, these short term effects may translate into a decreased rate of development of Alzheimer’s disease in patients after weight loss surgery.

Please contact us if you have questions about the potential benefits of weight loss surgery, or to request a consultation.

Sometimes good isn’t good enough.

Kate L. had a gastric bypass in August of 2008. Although she is a young, vibrant woman, at 350 pounds she was suffering from signs of diabetes and high blood pressure and more importantly had lost her self-confidence and quality of life. Over the next 12 months after surgery, Kate dropped almost 150 pounds of excess weight, no longer showed any signs of diabetes or high blood pressure, and even better, rediscovered her “mojo”. She was taking advantage of her new found health, eating healthy, and being more active. She picked up new sports, was traveling and dating, and had developed outstanding eating habits. Kate made a conscious effort to never go back to being the person she was before the gastric bypass, she was committed to living life to the fullest.

With her healthy eating habits and regular exercise Kate expected to be able to get close to her ideal body weight, but her weight loss slowed and Kate’s weight hit a plateau higher than she expected. Despite losing two thirds of her excess weight, the 200 pound mark became a barrier she could not break. Even though she put in effort, it became a struggle to not only maintain her success, but to avoid putting some weight back on, and over time, that is what she did. After a 25 pound weight regain, she scheduled an appointment with Dr. Braverman at The N.E.W. Program for some help to achieve her goal.

After a detailed discussion and a few simple tests, Dr. Braverman discovered that her pouch had slightly stretched in the 2 years since her gastric bypass. Kate felt that she could eat more, eat faster, and that her appetite had increased. Since she had already exhausted non-surgical attempts to stop the weight regain, Dr. Braverman recommended surgery to restore her initial feeling of restriction, a feeling caused by gastric bypass that helps people change their eating habits. He told her that a small percentage of people lose this restriction after surgery, and can regain weight as a result. He explained that a novel procedure can restore her original surgery. That is when Kate met BOB.

Who is BoB you ask? Not who, but what.

BoB stands for Band-over-Bypass surgery. The Band-over-Bypass procedure is where a Lap-Band® is placed around the pouch of a gastric bypass. Placement of the band around the gastric bypass pouch allows the surgeon to carefully adjust the tightness of the band, once the surgery heals, and optimize the feeling of fullness and restriction that the patient feels when they eat. This procedure has been evaluated in several studies (references) and been shown to be safe, well tolerated, and highly effective. BoB helps patients to feel full sooner and stay full longer The best part is that BoB is adjustable, and can be tightened over time to fit the patient’s needs.

In July 2010, almost two years after her gastric bypass, Kate went back to the operating room and had the BoB procedure. It was an outpatient surgery and she went home the same day. Within a week, she was back in the gym and pain free. And since her BoB procedure, she has lost another 65 pounds!!!

Now Kate is back to enjoying her new found health and improved quality of life and will be the first to tell you, BoB is her new best friend. She still needs to adhere to a healthy lifestyle, but she has returned to a comfort zone where she has a normal appetite and is able to effectively manage her eating.

To learn more about Bob, or to schedule an appointment with our expert surgeons, please call 949-722-7662 OR CLICK HERE to attend a FREE BoB Information Seminar!

Dr. Brian Quebbemann, the first physician in the US to treat patients with the ReShape Duo, added, “ReShape Duo may have an important role in the treatment …CLICK HERE TO READ MORE