Nobody Does it Alone

With Dr. Feiz and the Colone family's appearance on "The Doctors" and so many reminders of the level of success we've achieved on behalf of our patients, it's really been a memorable week for us. Of course, the battle against the obesity epidemic continues more strongly than ever, though we also had some very good news this week about declining childhood obesity rates. That will mean fewer obese adults facing hypertension, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and social isolation in the future.

Still, once you've got obesity, dealing with it is a lifelong battle. While procedures like the gastric sleeve and the lap band have made it vastly easier for severely obese people to lose weight, what we've really noticed is that people like our good friends Crystal, Clarissa, and Candra Colone -- members or a loving and supportive family -- often do better than others.

Especially when they're very overweight, all too often, people who receive a weight loss surgery in California find themselves somewhat socially adrift, and that's not easy. The Colones are going to do great largely because they have strong social support, and that's something we all need -- whether we're battling obesity or just trying to get by. If you are lucky enough to have close family and friends you can rely on, be sure to keep those relationships as strong as you can. You never know when you're going to need them.

Of course, if severe obesity is one of the battles you're facing and you think a surgical solution might be best for you, Dr. Feiz and Associates are here to be part of your support team, too. Please feel free to contact us at 310-855-8058.

It's All About Helping People

Being on "The Doctors" was, obviously, a very exciting moment for everyone of us at Dr. Feiz & Associates. It's not every day a busy bariatric surgeon gets to engage an audience of millions. Even so, the most exciting aspect, wasn't about us. It was about showing the world the amazing results that a gastric sleeve procedure was able to render for three members of the amazing Colone family, mother Crystal, and daughters Candra and Clarissa.

These three women have achieved the dream of a healthy weight shared by countless obese people from all walks of life. It's all very largely thanks to a procedure that we've been able to refine to a point where it's extremely safe and very reliable.

The revelations we've seen in recent times about the hunger hormone, ghrelin, appear to have added to the reliability of the procedure. At the same time, we have to credit the determination of great patients like the Colones -- and it's the patients that this is truly all about.

If you think you would benefit from learning more about a weight loss procedure with Dr. Michael Feiz, please give us a  call (800) 868-5946 today to inquire about attending a free seminar.

Dr. Feiz Speaks on the Risks and Benefits of Weight Loss Surgery

In response to the ongoing conversations surrounding weight loss surgery in Los Angeles, Dr. Michael Feiz has released a YouTube video explaining his thoughts on the procedure's risks and benefits.

First, he starts by noting that living with obesity is harmful to your health. He states:

"Obesity is the leading cause of death, second only to smoking. Weight loss surgery is the only reliable method to effectively lose the weight and live a longer and healthier life."

Dr. Feiz then goes on to mention that a bariatric procedure like the lap band or gastric sleeve can effectively cure many diseases that we relate with obesity, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea.

He then frankly and compassionately discusses the risks of weight loss surgery, which are similar to the risks of any surgery. However, Dr. Feiz has managed to minimize surgical risk at every avenue. This is because he exclusively dedicates himself to being a weight loss surgeon, which has led to him performing over 2000 weight loss procedures with no deaths or major complications. This is also what has led to him being declared a Center of Excellence bariatric surgeon.

To learn more about his qualifications and the ramifications of living with obesity, watch the full video below:

Looking for Miracle Pills

The obesity epidemic is, to use an unfortunate phrase, as serious as a heart attack. It seems as if, no matter how well educated patients are about the health risks of the disease -- and no matter how much they directly experience the social costs of being perceived as obese -- losing very large amounts of weight simply by decreasing how much we eat and increasing our level of exercise simply doesn't work for very many people.

The bariatric surgery we perform at Dr. Feiz & Associates is, as far as we know, the only proven way around this. Even so, it's not hard to figure out why the appeal of seemingly magical cures that can take people to their ideal healthy weight never seems to go away.

A new study that appeared today suggests that probiotic pills, which offer some of the same helpful bacteria found in yogurt and are taken in supplement form by many people for digestive health, might have a positive impact on women seeking to lose weight. While the report, which indicated that women, but not men, taking the probiotics lose about 9.75 additional pounds on average while dieting, is fascinating, we're not sure what to make of it.

Of course, the danger is that women taking probiotics will start to think that they can eat more because the pills are doing the work of losing their weight and the use of probiotics will actually do more harm than good. It's just human nature. We're pretty sure that, as long as issues like obesity and ensuring type 2 diabetes remain a problem, people will be looking for a magic button to press that will magically remove all of their unwanted pounds.

Of course, there is no magic button, but weight loss surgery has been proven to produce outstanding results for countless women and men. If you are severely obese and seriously interested in getting off the destructive treadmill of obesity, please contact the office of Dr. Feiz & Associates at 310-855-8058.