Bariatric surgery bolsters quality of life

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Dr. Brian Quebbemann

Dr. Brian Quebbemann

There are very few events in a person’s life that can impact them in such a positive way. Bariatric surgery can dramatically improve the quality of your life, give you new hope for the future and forever end your struggle with excess weight.

People who are overweight have significant quality of life obstacles to overcome and many people in society, including many physicians, have little sympathy or compassion for your struggles. The prejudice against overweight people is widespread and all too often the only help offered is another standard weight loss program, with the same long term results as all the ones you’ve tried before, or more commonly the simple comment “Why don’t you just start to exercise and diet.”

Imagine if the recommendations for treating cancer resulted in the lousy level of success that you’ve gotten following the “diet and exercise” advice that you’ve been offered by everyone. When chronic excess weight reduces the scope of your daily activities and diminishes your thoughts and feelings about yourself, its time you finally did something that works.

The good news is that bariatric surgery has benefits far beyond its most visible result of dramatic weight loss. After surgery, many chronic illnesses markedly improve and most of patients at The N.E.W. Program have discontinued multiple medications previously required due to obesity-induced illnesses. Through our research and numerous other published studies, the connection between obesity, chronic illness and quality of life has become quite clear. One thing is certain, when substantial excess weight is lost, both chronic illnesses and quality of life improve, and The N.E.W. Program can help you reach both of these goals.

Protein, amino acids aid in muscle development

Posted on April 23, 2011 by Dr. Brian Quebbemann

Exercise trainers often recommend amino acid supplements to their clients stating that they increase their energy, increase stamina, and build muscle mass or burn calories.

The health benefits of salmon include proper cardio vascular health, muscle and tissue development, eye care, and effective body metabolism.

The truth is that you can get more amino acids (an important component of dietary protein) if you simply spend your money on protein rich foods like fish, meat and dairy products. In theory, if you want to gain 1 pound of muscle per week, you will need 14 extra grams of protein per day, the amount of protein contained in 2 ounces of red meat.

The fact is, there is no scientific evidence that individual amino acids have any bodybuilding effect. When it comes to developing well-toned muscles, exercise, and natural whole-food nutrition is all that’s required. The N.E.W. Program, Inc. emphasizes this healthy balance for our clients.

The N.E.W. Program teaches clients how to obtain a more active lifestyle by practicing a few simple lifestyle pattern guidelines. These patterns are discussed in our unique Lifestyle Management Program. The ongoing workshops are held each Tuesday at our Newport Beach location. Join us for a these insightful and power-packed workshops and learn how to implement the simple patterns you need to control your weight forever.

Exercise improves wellness, not just figure

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Administrator

Regular exercise will hold rewards in weight loss, but will also aid overall health and wellness.

Most people in a serious weight-loss journey will acknowledge that regular exercise will have a dramatic effect on their results, but they might not realize that even before the scale victories are evident, the benefits of exercise can aid everything from the heart to quality of sleep.

The Los Angeles Times explored exercise and health in a recent article. Studies noted the correlation between increased exercise and decreased blood pressure. “Just why exercise lowers blood pressure isn’t clear, but there are several possibilities,” the L.A. Times states. “Exercise makes the heart stronger, so it doesn’t have to pump as hard, which in turn lowers the force on your arteries. Exercise reduces blood insulin levels, and high blood insulin has been linked to hypertension.”

But exercise does not stop there. In today’s Huffington Post, Dr. Qanta Ahmed explains how exercise enables sleep and reduces the problems associated with sleeplessness. “Exercise has a number of interesting impacts on sleep.” Ahmed said. “Of course, being neurotically overscheduled, Americans don’t always get a chance to exercise at the best time possible to help sleep, but beginning a conversation about this is always a good place to start.”

Ahmed’s Huffington Post article theorizes that exercise promotes ‘slow-wave sleep’ or the Stage 3 sleep that is deep and very difficult to be interrupted. What results is a sound, restful sleep.

Tonight’s workshop “The Best 30-Minute Workout” will provide some valuable steps in finding an effective exercise routine. The workshop will be held at 5:30 p.m. at The N.E.W. Program’s Newport Beach location.

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Eat more, weigh less: Add planned snacks to routine

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Dr. Brian Quebbemann

Having healthy snacks in between meals keeps metabolism high and appetite low. It is important to never skip a meal or go on a starvation diet. Eat frequently to prevent hunger and to keep your energy levels consistent which in turn will increase and speed up your metabolism.

The following are some suggestions for healthy snacks/meals:

Roll asparagus spear in deli meat
Vegetable and cheese omelet using a reasonable amount of cheese and one whole egg with one additional egg white
Cottage cheese with added fruit (breakfast) or added salsa or green peas (lunch)
Roll a pickle in a slice of deli meat
Deviled eggs with pickles
Eat the middle out of a taco or burrito
Grated cheese on refried beans with vegetables and salsa
Mini chef salad with meat and cheese
Pickled mushrooms or pearl onions with a dash of soy sauce
Frozen grapes or other berries
Shrimp in cocktail sauce
Celery with low-fat peanut butter
Slices of tomato with slices of cheese
Cucumber with tomato
Cucumber with shrimp and low-fat mayo
Hard boiled egg dices with a reasonable amount of melted grated cheese
Freeze Crystal Lite and blend for slush
Lettuce wrapped around deli meat, cheese and veggies
String less snap peas, sugar peas or china peas
Light yogurt
Beef jerky or turkey jerky
Slices of deli meat with chunks of cheese eaten plain
Chili
Slices of fresh turkey or chicken, divided in snack-size portions, refrigerated to be eaten later

If you have questions about your nutritional needs, the clinicians of The N.E.W. Program can help you design a dietary regimen that works best for you and gets you started on your way to developing your own eating patterns that will leave you with eating satisfaction and permanent weight control.

Consider causes when tackling weight-loss plateaus

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Administrator

Early after surgery, you may loose inches and pounds quite rapidly. Sooner or later, however, your rate of weight loss will slow down, or seem to stop. This is almost never a cause of concern, just a normal physical process. Your body has had a major change in its function. There is no reason to expect it to adjust to this change immediately!

Anyone who has attended support groups will tell you that plateaus are inevitable and should be taken in stride. Plateaus are not a sign that all your weight loss has stopped or that you will now begin to gain weight.

If a plateau continues more than a few weeks, it might be wise to look at the following:

What are you eating? Check your nutritional program. Are you following your plan carefully? Have you maintained your caloric intake at a weight loss level? Are you careful to eat a nutritionally balanced diet?
How much are you moving? Check your exercise program and activity level. Are you being consistent with your increased activity and the exercise you are doing? If you have decreased your exercise, your body may be slowing its fat-burning function.
How much is new muscle? Have you added muscle-building exercises to your program? You may have built enough heavier muscle to offset some of your loss of the lighter fat.
Do you need to change your intake/output balance? You may temporarily need to decrease your caloric intake and/or increase your exercise output to start losing again. Check with your physician or dietitian for recommendations about using this method to halt your plateau.

Most people, even competitive athletes, think about factors affecting their weight on a regular basis. This is normal and OK.

If you’ve reached your goal weight, these considerations will then keep you on the plateau. If you are still on the weight loss phase of your program, and have hit a plateau, it may be wise to consult with your physician or support team members about how to implement some of these strategies. Most of the time you will be surprised at how easy it is to overcome your plateau.

Weight-loss efforts combat chronic pain

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Administrator

This cycle is one everyone recognizes – when we hurt for a period of time, we are less active and tend to put on weight. In turn, the extra weight makes us hurt more.

Excess body weight puts greater physical strain on the joints and muscles. The “daily grind” of just moving around can especially affect the lower extremities, including the hips, knees, ankles and feet. In fact, among the patients we evaluate before surgery at the N.E.W. Program, severe pain is most often reported in the knees, lower back, feet and hips, in that order. Many have already had knee and hip replacement surgery.

Chronic pain problems and obesity go hand-in-hand. Excess weight slows you down. You get less exercise, less activity in general.

In a study of patients at a local pain clinic,. more than 63 percent of chronic pain patients had moderate to severe obesity. Did the weight cause the pain, or vice versa? Cause and effect doesn’t matter much, although 41 percent of these patients said they were overweight before the onset of their pain. The rest claimed that their weight gain occurred after their pain started.

Medications used to treat pain may work at first, but they ultimately lose their effectiveness and require greater dosages. Some pain medications also lead to weight gain. Gradually increasing physical activity, not medication, is the primary way professionals treat chronic pain. This is often a very difficult goal when pain is severe, especially in a patient with excess body weight.

In many cases, patients find not only significant reductions in extremity pain following weight-loss surgery, but increased activity as well. Some, who were candidates for knee or hip surgery, no longer need it after weight loss.

In a recent study done at the N.E.W. Program, a group of our patients wore pedometers which measure the number of steps taken each day. Patients wore them and recorded their daily steps for one month before and five months after bariatric surgery.

The pedometer reading is an excellent indicator of activity level. Most of our patients increased their activity by more than 100 percent within 6 months after surgery, compared with pre-surgical readings These new results were presented at a San Diego meeting of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery.

When there is excessive body weight, the most effective way to prevent or reduce chronic pain is to lose weight. This is particularly true for those with morbid obesity. In this case, bariatric surgery is a powerful tool to combat chronic pain.

Program choice crucial in weight-loss journey

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Administrator

Surgery for obesity is recommended by the American College of Physicians (ACP) if you have a BMI greater then 40 or a BMI greater then 35 and an obesity related co-morbidity such as elevated cholesterol or high blood pressure.

Published medical literature does show a mortality benefit from cardiovascular disease after significant weight loss. Co-morbidities such as diabetes mellitus, elevated cholesterol, hypertension and sleep apnea generally improve after gastric bypass. Other complications from obesity such as stress urinary incontinence (urinary leakage with coughing or sneezing), non-cardiac shortness of breath, asthmatic symptoms and joint pain and stiffness also improve dramatically.

Dr. Tracy Siegfried

When choosing a bariatric surgical program where and by whom your surgery is performed can make a significant difference in your outcome. The association between superior experience and lower mortality is well documented. In one study, the mortality was 5 percent among patients of surgeons who had performed fewer then 20 procedures per year and near zero for those treated by clinicians who have done greater the 250 surgical procedures annually.

Another to factor to consider is whether a surgeon performs the operation laparoscopically for the majority of procedures. When you interview prospective surgeons ask their percentage of transition from laparoscopic to open incisions. The ACP guidelines observe that critical differences are not limited to the surgical skill but extend to more comprehensive aspects of the providing program.

Better outcomes depend also on the capacity of the systems of care, from the pre-operative evaluation to the post-operative follow-up. Many surgical groups do not have comprehensive pre-operative evaluations or extensive close follow up care, which is critical to long term success after your procedure and weight loss.

And lastly, your surgery should be performed at a COE, “Center of Excellence” as designated by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. These centers are evaluated extensively by the society and must meet rigorous criteria in order to maintain a COE classification.

This article was written by Tracy Ann Siegfried , M .D., Bariatric Internist for The NEW Program in Newport Beach, Calif. The NEW Program at South Coast Medical Center offers state-of-the-art weight loss treatment for people who are at least 100 pounds above their ideal body weight. The N.E.W. Program is the most comprehensive weight loss surgery program in the region.

If the Shoe Fits: Foot gear crucial to fitness goals

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Administrator

Q: Exercise Shoes – How can an exercise shoe prevent joint problems; and what factors determine when an exercise shoe is passed its prime?

A: In general, exercise shoes are divided into upper and lower parts. The upper part of the shoe is above the sole and designed to cover and secure the foot to the bottom of the shoe. The bottom part of the shoe, often called the “support,” is designed to provide us with cushioning, stability, and protection from the running surface. A well-fit shoe absorbs shocks and decreases the amount of impact on the body. The vertical forces on the body are three times that of the runner’s body weight and can cause injury. In general, most shoes last 300-500 miles or six months. It is recommended that runners/walkers log miles in a calendar so that they know how many miles are on the support of the shoe. The full bio-mechanics of how the shoe and running/walking works is beyond the scope of this article, however, do keep in mind that a shoe evaluation by a physical therapist or licensed personal trainer well versed in runners/walkers and their injuries is recommended before buying new shoes.

Whole foods, lean proteins give maximum benefits

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Dr. Brian Quebbemann

Most diet and nutrition plans are full of foods to avoid or eliminate. What’s good to eat, then?

High-protein foods are the cornerstone of any healthy eating strategy. Eggs, for example, contain one of the most complete and digestible proteins available. The biological value of egg whites is so high that egg protein is the reference protein against which all other forms of protein are measured. Eggs are also a source of B vitamins, including B12. Fish is also a great source of protein and offers many other benefits: wild salmon is rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids; tuna provides B12 and thiamine, and many other types of fish are rich in nutrition.

Broiled, baked, seared, poached, or steamed, fish should not be overcooked to retain most of the vitamins. Fried fish is usually high in grease that makes you feel stuffed; for healthy weight people the feeling of being stuffed is uncomfortable and this is a key point to be aware of if you wish to control your weight.

Another fact to remember for healthy eating is that whole protein foods have the advantage of being digested slowly, resulting in a feeling of fullness and satisfaction that lasts for hours. Whole protein, natural foods are also packed with flavor.

We encourage clients of The N.E.W. Program to make these foods a substantial part of their N.E.W. nutrition strategy, not as weight loss tools, but as great tasting sources of nutrition with maximum health benefits that make them satisfied and happy after a meal.

Light shed on validity of weight loss supplements

Posted on January 10, 2011 by Administrator

By Brian B. Quebbemann, M.D.

An article “Are diet pills the answer to weight loss struggles?” was recently posted in the Harvard Medical School Adviser. This article posted questions about weight-loss pills: Do they work and are they safe?

The answer given was that advertising claims such as “Exercise in a bottle” are, “for the most part” too good to be true. Well, I have one comment: Shame on the Harvard Medical School Adviser for trying to come off as so objective that it cannot even render a definite opinion on this clear-cut subject.

The article explains that claims on nutrient and herbal products are not required to be verified by the FDA. The FDA can, and has in some extreme cases, removed these products from sale; an example is the ban on the sale of Ephedra in 2004 after several deaths. Unfortunately, there are numerous other ephedra-like supplements that are playing off the frustration that so many people have with the commonly available, traditional, strict diet plans. People who are desperate to lose weight often seem willing to blow large amounts of money on just about anything that promises a quick-and-easy solution to their problem.

Even after the ban on ephedra, these ephedra-like compounds such as ephedrine, norephedrine and methylephedrine, are available on the Internet and in stores, as are supplements containing caffeine and caffeine-like compounds such as guarana, yerba mate and others. These compounds are highly concentrated and are, in my opinion, drugs. None of these drugs has ever been truly tested for effectiveness and the claims made are simply ridiculous. Not only that, but there are potential adverse health consequences for taking these ineffective drugs that have never been identified.

So, why are these drugs allowed to be sold? The standard answer is because there is an FDA loophole that allows herbal remedies that don’t claim to cure medical conditions to be sold. The real answer is that these drugs are Big Business! This is a $200,000,000 (that’s 200 million mollars) per year market in America alone. Bottom line, the snake oil salesmen are alive and well in America; in fact they are richer than ever before.

It’s time that legitimate medical professionals start to confront these frauds in terms that are appropriate. Identify them for what they are, scams that waste your money and provide false hope and may, in fact, hurt people in the end. Rather than stating that “people should be cautious about using” these drugs, as is stated in the article, the medical community should state unequivocally that these drugs have never been shown to have any benefit whatsoever, and in fact may be quite dangerous and until their safety and efficacy has been shown, people should never take these supplements, under any circumstances, period.

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