Making the Right Choice with Bariatric Surgery

If you’re someone suffering with severe obesity, the decision to pursue weight loss surgery in Los Angeles is a good decision, but for many it’s one that’s not pursued due to a lack of information or misinformation based on what they’ve heard. Weight loss surgery is a great option, even the best option to reverse and prevent the serious associated health risks including heart attack and stroke. Nevertheless, it’s important to have the right information going into it, and here at Dr. Feiz & Associates we want to help you make the best decision for a healthier future. 


The first thing potential patients should understand about bariatric surgery is that it’s proven to be safe as well as effective. Weight loss surgery by an experienced expert has a very  low complication rate compared to other surgeries. Our team, for example, is able to boast a 0 fatality rate. It’s also important to remember that there is no simple and easy fix for severe obesity. In addition to being a safe procedure, it’s also the only one proven to consistently yield positive results. If you’re ready to being your journey to a new, more healthy you, All you have to do is call!



 

Snapping Out of the Duldrums: How Weight Loss Can Lead to Confidence

It's easy to feel caught up in a rut, especially if there are aspects to your life you want to change, but feel are out of your control. It's common for people to go into survival mode at that point and start focusing their energy on simply getting through the day. Living day to day is better than shutting down completely, but it normally prevents you from being able to take the steps you need to make improvements. The best weapon for ending a rut is to take a step, any step, in a positive direction. 

Finding an area of self-improvement is a great start. Feeling better about how you look will trickle down and give you the confidence to tackle other areas of your life. Improving your self-image is all about results. If you don't like your wardrobe, you need new clothes, and if you don't like how much you weight, you need to lose weight. 

We all know that losing weight can be difficult, and there are a lot of ways to get there including  healthy eating and exercise. For some, this isn't enough which is why at Dr. Feiz & Associates we work hard to help people get the results they need. 

Once you start shedding pounds and begin to enjoy the positive benefits from weight loss, you'll experience a boost of confidence which you'll likely be able to utilize to continue positive progress through other issues. Weight loss patients consistently report improvements from everything from their employment status to their personal and romantic relationships. 

A little confidence is sometimes all it takes to make a big difference. Weight loss could be just the tool to give it to you. If you're curious about weight loss surgery in Los Angeles,contact Dr. Feiz today!               

Eat For Health, Not For Weight

Although Dr. Feiz & Associates are known for skillfully performing weight loss surgery in Los Angeles, we want patients and others to learn how to eat for health, not for weight. Do not worry about eating foods that are low carb or low fat. An optimal diet is low in unhealthful carbs (both sugar and other refined carbohydrates) and low in fat (especially saturated fats and trans fats) as well as in red meat and processed foods.

WHAT you eat is as important as what you exclude — your diet needs to be high in healthy  carbs like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, soy products in natural, unrefined forms and some fish, like salmon. There are hundreds of thousands of health-enhancing substances in these foods. And what’s good for you is good for the planet.

Calories do count — fat is much denser in calories, so when you eat less fat, you consume fewer calories, without consuming less food. Also, it’s easy to eat too many calories from sugar and other refined carbs because they are so low in fiber that you can consume large amounts without getting full. Sugar is absorbed so quickly that you get repeated insulin surges, which promote Type 2 diabetes and accelerate the conversion of calories into body fat.

This way of living helps you lose weight and keep it off while enhancing rather than harming your health.

Portions, Portions, Portions! How Much to Eat of Each Food Group

Los Angeles bariatric Surgeon Dr. Michael Feiz knows just how frustrating it can be when you want to lose weight, but you get conflicting advice about what healthy eating entails. With all of the diet fads out there, it's easy to get sucked in to a plan that promises quick, easy results. However, Dr. Feiz knows that no sustainable weight loss plan is ever as simple or quick as snapping your fingers.

To take some of the guesswork out of what is a healthy portion size, and how much you should eat of each food group, Dr. Feiz recommends reading up on the Harvard Medical School "Healthy Eating Plate" photo. With the easy-to-understand visual of splitting up your plate into sections, you won't have to be a mathematician or meticulously count out calories to follow it.

Here's some simple pointers:

1. Eat plenty of produce, and the greater variety of colors, the better.  Make most of your vegetable choices non-starchy, which usually means dark green or leafy vegetables, including but not limited to romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, broccoli, or  cauliflower. Most of the vegetables which aren't leafy or green are starchy - think potatoes, corn and  squash, and others. 
2. Choose whole grains: brown rice, whole-wheat bread, and whole-grain pasta. These keep you fuller longer than refined grains like white rice and white bread. 
3. Choose healthy sources of protein, such as fish, poultry (not the skin), beans, and nuts. Limit processed meats and red meats, such as bacon or cold cuts. 
4. Use healthy oils for cooking, like olive or canola oil, and limit butter, and avoid trans fat.
5. Drink plenty of water, and when drinking other beverages, use little or no sugar and avoid sugary beverages in general.

Interested in learning more about weight loss in Los Angeles with Dr. Michael Feiz? Call his offices today at 310-817-6911!

Eating at the bowling alley, in the car or on the couch?

For those who eat the majority of their meals away from the dinner table, they may have a valid excuse: they live in a so-called "Food Desert," or an area that has few options for well-priced, fresh produce. After all, not every town has a grocery store nearby, yet other sources of food may be in the vicinity: gas stations, convenience stores, movie theaters, theme parks - any location that serves food, and often that isn't even their main purpose. Dr. Michael Feiz, who performs weight loss surgery in California, proposes that individuals in this situation find ways to be creative with what they have available.

The problem with food deserts is the fact that they are strongly correlated to higher instances of obesity, and with obesity comes obesity-caused illnesses, including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke. Becoming more educated about nutrition and exercise is recommended by Dr. Feiz. As a bariatric surgeon, he is accustomed to meeting individuals who may have the handicap of living in a food desert, but he recommends researching healthy eating, for individuals who are concerned that they may be eating too much - especially carbs, fat and calories, from food found at places such as the gas station.

If you are concerned you live in a food desert, feel free to ask Dr. Feiz a question about what you can do to make sure you are eating a healthy diet and maintaining a normal weight.

Nobody does it Alone

Although Dr. Feiz is obviously an expert in achieving the best results through various types of weight loss surgery, we also like to keep abreast of other methods of achieving weight loss.

Earlier in the week, a study of the results of attendance at Weight Watchers on weight loss by weight management specialists at Baylor College of Medicine got its share of media attention. What it found wasn't at all surprising. It showed the people who enrolled in Weight Watchers were about eight times more likely to lose 5 percent of their body weight over six months than those who did not.

While, to be more fair, the study should probably have looked at such other weight loss organizations as TOPS and Overeaters Anonymous, anyone who understands anything about weight loss in Los Angeles or anywhere wlese would not be surprised by this. As one psychologist in the study pointed out, we human beings are social animals and it simply makes sense that the camaraderie and social reinforcement of a group would encourage weight loss, even to the very modest degree measured by the study.

The fact of the matter is that, whether you're losing weight via an organized group like Weight Watchers or are getting a lap band in Los Angeles from Dr. Feiz, things will go far better with a strong social support system. While support from friends and family can be crucial, support from people who are going through a similar experience of weight loss is sometimes even more helpful.

While not every group is good for everyone, we certainly encourage everyone who is trying to lose weight to connect with others who are doing the same. It's not the same kind of medical power tool as bariatric surgery but, especially for people with relatively minor weight problems, it's not a bad start.

New Research Points to Link Between Weight Gain During Pregnancy and Childhood Obesity

At Dr. Feiz & Associates, we are proud to provide cutting-edge solutions for weight loss in Los Angeles that can make a substantial difference in enhancing the length and quality of one's life. In recent years, our work has thankfully been aided by the recognition of obesity as a disease, allowing for better care and various types of weight loss surgery treatment options for those suffering from excess weight. That's why we wanted to share this piece of news that further illustrates the importance of recognizing obesity as a treatable disease.

Medical News Today reports that researchers from Boston Children's Hospital have found that women who gain excessive weight during pregnancy are at a higher risk of having overweight or obese children. In the study, records of all live births in Arkansas were matched with state-mandated data on childhood body mass index and height from public schools between 2003 and 2011. The researchers found that for every kilogram of weight a mother gained during pregnancy, their child's BMI would increase by 8% by age 12.

Dr. David Ludwig, author of the study remarks that "for all but the most obese mothers, some weight gain is necessary to ensure good nutrition to the developing fetus." However, Dr. Ludwig notes that "public health measures to avoid excessive, not just inadequate, pregnancy weight gain are warranted."

While more research is needed before conclusive results are known, it is worth noting that bariatric weight loss solutions from Dr. Feiz can always prove exceptionally useful for those looking to enhance their health in and potentially lengthen their lives. For a free consultation, or any questions regarding bariatric surgeries like lap band in Los Angeles, contact Dr. Feiz & Associates today. 

Obesity May Be as Complex as You Already Know It Is

It's hard to believe, but there are still people around who are convinced the obesity is simply a matter of a lack of will power and flat-out laziness. Of course, you don't have to be an expert in human metabolism or a bariatric surgeon to know that's hogwash -- all you have to do is be, or just speak to, someone who is suffering from this problem.

You'll know it's a very complicated and difficult blend of issues; what might appear on its surface to simply be poor health habits might often by driven by signals from the body that just about anyone would find extremely difficult to resist. Let's face it, no matter what else is true, weight loss in Los Angeles or anywhere else is never remotely easy.

An interview by Good Morning America's Liz Neporent appearing on the ABC News web site this week featured the thoughts of Nikhik Dhurandhar of the Obesity Society. He likens obesity to cancer in the sense that he believes it's not just one disease, but a complex of various conditions that vary greatly between individuals. In other words, while two obese people may look as if they're dealing with essentially the same problem, the root causes may be completely different. 

Dhurandhar himself was involved with 1980s study that found an obesity causing virus in chickens, which he later found in people. While virus-caused obesity in humans is likely very rare, the fact that it's even possible, Dhurandhar notes, shows that it's much more complicated to deal with than most people think -- at least most thin people. A more complex and comprehensive understanding of the root causes of obesity can only help us to combat this very serious health problem. The article doesn't mention the hunger-causing hormone ghrelin, but that could prove to be an enormous part of the isseue.

Fortunately, such procedures as a gastric sleeve can reduce ghrelin and permanently reduce excessive food cravings and other procedures are often extremely effective as well. If you're considering a weight loss surgery, please call Dr. Feiz & Associates at 800-868-5946 or contact us online.

Research finds Disparity Regarding Bariatric Surgery Between White and Black Americans

For weight loss in Los Angeles, a growing number of people are coming to trust Dr. Feiz and Associates. Led by Michael Feiz, M.D., F.A.C.S., our facility offers weight loss surgery options that have improved the health, lifespand and overall quality of life for many patients from a variety of backgrounds.

Of course, as pioneers in the field gastric sleeve and related surgeries, our staff is always eager to learn about advances and new research into bariatric procedures. This often leads us to some fascinating stories, and this week was no exception. In an article in U.S. News and World Reports, a recent study reports that obese white Americans are twice as likely as obese blacks to have weight-loss surgery, despite the fact that a greater percentage of black adults qualify for the procedure.

Their research, taken from 1999 to 2010, found that 22% of black women and 11% of black men met medical eligibility guidelines for the procedure. This is in comparison to 12% of white women and 8% of white men.

This startling data has led many to question what the cause of the discrepancy may be, with insurance coverage appearing to play a significant role in the discrepancy. Yet no matter what the cause, the result is unfortunate for many black Americans who would stand to benefit a great deal from the incredible results of bariatric surgery. As our many patients are well aware, our work has been shown to alleviate the effects of diabetes and hypertension among other health issues.

No matter what your ethnic or cultural background, or your economic status, at Dr. Feiz and Associates, we are committed to positively affecting your life in any way possible. Contact us today for a free consultation with one of our specialists!