Friend and Foe

Most of us tend to automatically assume that, when it comes to obesity, technology is much more our foe than our friend. There's no doubt a great deal of truth to that as our work and leisure time activities seem to be trending every more towards sedentary tasks, so that weight loss in Los Angeles and every other American city seems to be harder than ever before. Still, there is the occasional technological trend that goes in the opposite direction and may actually move some of us ever so slightly further away from requiring bariatric surgery.

For example, it might be tempting to paint with a broad brush about teenagers sinking ever deeper into their couches playing video games. However, not all video games encourage couch-potato behavior. The fact of the matter is that such games as Dance Dance Revolution and even Rock Band to some degree encourage people of all ages to get up and move around.

Today, however, there was a new idea that seemed worth entertaining. Writer Ron Recinto on his Yahoo! blog, "The Lookout," described an effort being spearheaded by the Pediatric Comprehensive Weight Management Center at the University of Michigan. It essentially boils down to using cell phone technology to send teenagers targeted suggestions for keeping control of their weight by avoiding junk food and fitting more physical activity into their day.

Skeptics might argue that the idea simply amounts to a form of high-tech nagging; supporters will point out the message are specifically targeted toward individual teenagers' interests and preferences. While we're pretty sure it won't prove to be an alternative to a gastric sleeve surgery, we're also pretty convinced that almost any idea is worth trying. The studies consistently show that even a few pounds can make a significant difference in health, so if this use of technology can help weight-conscious teens drop only five or ten pounds, they can make a not unimportant difference in young people's health over the long term.

Lisa Lampanelli Update: Over 100 Pounds Lost

Last time we checked in on Lisa Lampanelli, she had lost about 80 pounds after receiving a gastric sleeve procedure. Now, in an interview with Wendy Williams, she is proud to say that her total weight loss is now over 100 pounds. Furthermore, her husband who also got the gastric sleeve has now lost over 85 pounds.

We here at Dr. Feiz & Associates really appreciate Ms. Lampanelli's openness when discussing her procedure. The whole interview is very informative about the personal side of weight loss surgery (the video can be seen at the end of this post). She has really shown the work she's put into achieving her new body. She also mentioned something we stress in our office, that all types of weight loss surgery aren't necessarily right for everyone. Ms. Lampanelli didn't choose the Lap Band, for example, because she's over 40 and her metabolism has slowed down to the point where it might not be effective.

One perk of the weight loss, according to Lisa, is that "you can buy really cheap clothes and look good." We'll have to agree with Wendy Williams and agree that Ms. Lampanelli hasn't lost her funny bone.

If you're considering surgery for weight loss in Los Angeles, please contact Dr. Feiz' office for a free consultation at 310-817-6911.

Rewards and Punishments

A brief article we saw today via CNN described a Mayo Clinic study which indicated that people who were given a fairly modest cash prize tended to do better on their weight loss regimen than those who were not. It seems pretty obvious that, for a person with severe obesity, it will take more than a $20.00 reward to take the place of a well thought out approach that includes bariatric surgery. It did, however, get us thinking about the way we humans are motivated when it comes to such issues as food and exercise.

A old friend of ours had a mother with a serious weight problem that had caused her to have fairly severe high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Even so, she invariably come back from the store with a wide selection of just the kind of fat-laden foods that had caused her condition. When her son asked her why she'd kept buying such large amounts of this kind of food, she's start talking about how inexpensive it was (usually, a coupon was involved). Her son told her to think of the doctor bills. In fact, her later-life health problems, including a stroke and kidney failure, did eventually cause her a great deal of suffering while also requiring extremely expensive 24-hour care that wiped out a very large portion of her life savings-- but that was all far in the future at the time.

We don't have to tell anyone reading this how strong the body's drive to eat really is. One reason we believe that gastric sleeve surgery may be so efficacious is that it removes the part of the stomach that produces a hormone called ghrelin which appears to be at the root of that drive, which often tells overweight that they "need" to eat more despite the fact that they've consumed more than enough calories. In this way, the gastric sleeve appears to short circuit the means by which we become too overwhelmed with faux hunger to actually consider the real rewards and punishments of eating the right amount of the right foods or eating too much of the wrong foods. Since hormones like ghrelin basically work on the human brain, it really seems to us that the the chemistry of the mind may be the last great frontier when it comes to battling obesity.

Defeat the Negative Emotional Cycle with Dr. Feiz & Associates

Obesity has certainly been linked to depression, as well as mood disorders, anti-social behavior, and other personal issues. Leading bariatric surgeon Dr. Michael Feiz is familiar with his client's physical, mental, and emotional struggles. In this way, the office of Dr. Michael Feiz & Associates and the surgeon himself extend emotional support, perform psychological screenings, and supply useful education that helps combat pre-surgery and post-surgery depression; remember, Dr. Feiz and his patient are in this together.

 Even if the person is excited for their bariatric surgery and the positive life-changes that will result, the individual can experience melancholy feelings in the first days following gastric sleeve surgery. While many patients do not feel compelled to over-eat while their bodies adjust to gastric sleeve, depression can trigger emotional eating in the weeks that follow. Through balanced eating habits and a good exercise regimen advised by Dr. Feiz, the patient takes power over these feelings. They say old habits die hard, but the proper plan of attack replaces negative self-talk and behaviors with a healthy outlook and lifestyle.

In the case that the gastric sleeve patient may benefit from some counseling, Dr. Feiz & Associates make proper referrals and can link the patient with an influential support group. Pre and post-surgery, Dr.  Feiz and his team are the cornerstone of your support system.

To schedule a free consultation for gastric sleeve, contact Dr. Feiz & Associates today at 800-868-5946.

It's the Vacuum Cleaner's Fault!

In a world full of extremely difficult issues, you can depend on the media to give you very easy answers. Studies with incomplete data make the front page and it seems like every online news story points to some kind of magic bullet in terms of either the cause or the cure for obesity. As practitioners of weight loss surgery, we're especially annoyed by stories that point to a truly tiny data point and extrapolate it into something immensely larger.

An excellent example of building these molehills into mountains is a story we saw entitled "Obesity: Is the Vacuum Cleaner to Blame?" The topic was a study that looked at such labor-saving cleaning devices as the Roomba and tried to assess their impact on the nation's collective weight problem. The study was funded by Coca-Cola and it's easy to see why the nation's #1 distributor of sugary sodas was interested in looking at the exercise end of the weight equation. As long as we're focusing on even one very minor reason Americans are getting less exercise than we used to, we're not talking about all those empty, non-filling calories so many of us become almost literally addicted to on on our way to becoming candidates for obesity surgery.

These news stories are pointless because we already know that lack of exercise is a major issue for most of us in this world of sedentary work and leisure time pursuits. We also know exactly as well that doing away with Roombas won't get us any closer to dealing with the root issues of weight. After all, every moment that disc-schaped robot saves us from sweeping and operating a vacuum is more time we could just as easily be spending at the gym or a dance class as sitting in front of the television or the laptop.

In the very same way, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to draw big conclusions from a study that tries to look at the cost-effectiveness of bariatric procedures but looks at only two of several available operations and completely ignores sleeve gastrectomy. It's not that the data isn't valid, it's just that it examines only the tiniest part of the data that's out there. Obesity is a big problem, and the answer to it is going to be a little larger than a vacuum cleaner or a very partial and preliminary study.

New Standards for Bariatric Surgery?

Up until pretty recently, the fairly universal standard for health insurance coverage of weight loss surgery was a BMI (body mass index) of 35. However, today's news (also featured on our Facebook page today), tells us that the Cleveland Clinic, which is ranked as one one the top four hospitals nationwide, now considers people with BMIs as low as 30 to be candidates for bariatric procedures. There is another proviso, however. They must also have type 2 diabetes, an increasingly common illness and one that is more serious than a lot of people think.

While 30 on the BMI scale is the lowest possible measurement considered obese, the growing evidence of the effectiveness of obesity surgery against diabetes has obviously been a major factor in the Cleveland Clinic's decision. Moreover, considering the possible outcomes of type 2 diabetes, which range from heart disease to outright destruction of the kidneys, especially when combined with high blood pressure, it seems to us that it's more than past time for a reevaluation of when a bariatric procedure is medically beneficial or even, in some instances, necessary.

Of course, all patients are different and BMI by itself is something of a blunt instrument when measuring obesity. Still, patients who may be only mildly obese may be excellent candidates for a sleeve gastrectomy, a lap band, or other less invasive procedures. Bariatric surgery isn't for everyone, but if you've seen what diabetes can do to a person over the course of a lifetime, you might agree that perhaps more people cold benefit from it.

Uncompromising Commitment is the Key to Success

Weight loss through bariatric surgery begins with a decision and is followed by uncompromising commitment. The success stories of Dr. Michael Feiz’ Patient Ambassadors have been published by news outlets throughout the country over the past several months. In reading many of these testimonies, one sees that the dramatic and necessary weight loss of each person was indeed a result of the FDA approved lap band and gastric sleeve surgeries officiated by Dr. Feiz & Associates. However, this is not to discount the patient’s ongoing commitment to a healthy lifestyle. In the days or months leading up to each surgery, Dr. Feiz builds a solid working relationship with each client for an easy flow of communication on all aspects of the procedure. It is very important that each band or  gastric sleeve patient follows recovery guidelines, with diet as a key element. While Dr. Feiz and his team are continually available to the patient, the day will come when he or she has recovered from surgery and settles back into daily life.

After taking initial cues from Dr. Feiz, the patient utilizes his or her own will power to stick to a healthy diet and exercise plan. Many of our patients relate that going to the gym or getting some cardio in isn’t always first on the list, but they realize the benefits of staying true to the fitness regimen, in addition to watching portion size, avoiding alcohol and sodas, taking proper nutritional supplements, and so on. The clinic would like to take the opportunity to commend all of our wonderful patients, to say well done and keep it going! Those who are a part of the Dr. Feiz family are all too aware of the commitment that is involved in achieving and then maintaining a healthy weight. Our clinic congratulates you.