Alex Brecher

food gifts are among the most common gifts to give. They are easy, they can be elegant, and they are often very much appreciated. Not so much when you are on a weight loss surgery diet, though! Those fruit cakes from exclusive bakeries, homemade fudge and Christmas Cookies, hand-picked boxes of chocolate truffles, and gift baskets with fancy jams and crackers don’t fit very well into your diet. Did you get any food gifts this year? What did you receive, and did you handle it? Were you able to enjoy any of the food? Did you give it away? Share your strategy!

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style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! Merry Christmas, and Happy Hanukah to our Jewish friends! Season’s Greetings for those of you who are not celebrating a holiday now – it’s still a festive time when everyone can enjoy the uplifting spirit around town. As we near the end of a long season of tempting food, you may need a little help getting back on track or staying on track. Here are our offerings. Weight Loss on Christmas? A Personal Challenge Breaking the Slump: Make a Healthy Choice Now! The Holidays, Your Family, and Weight Loss Surgery Hopefully this newsletter can help you keep your weight loss goals in mind and give you a little push to inch closer to hitting them. After reading the newsletter and spending some quality time with your loved ones, don’t forget to head on over to the BariatricPal Forums so you can share your tips and ideas with all of the BariatricPal members! Merry Christmas! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Weight Loss on Christmas? A Personal Challenge The weight loss surgery journey itself is a bumpy road, and recent weeks may have been even tougher as the holiday spirit has taken over. High-calorie, fatty, sugary foods have been everywhere, and gift shopping, family obligations, and holiday parties may have been eating into the time you might otherwise have spent exercising or planning healthy meals. So, what do you say to a challenge to lose weight this Christmas? The idea may sound crazy, but it is actually possible if you try hard. Here are our suggestions for a weight loss Christmas Day. Christmas dinner the WLS Way The totals for a full-blown Christmas dinner can be somewhere between staggering and horrifying. You yourself may have indulged in a few such dinners in the past. Between the ham or turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, casseroles, and Desserts, plus some alcohol and a bit of nibbling on appetizers and nuts, you can have 5,000 or more calories on this single day. Yuck – that’s 1.5 pounds of fat! Here is a more reasonable Christmas Day scenario to consider. Breakfast: Festive Protein pancakes with 1 cup sliced strawberries (150 calories) Meet ‘n’ Greet Appetizers 1 cup fresh cut vegetables with yogurt-based dip (100 calories) Red, white, and green Christmas skewers with cherries, peeled apples or pears, and green grapes. (100 calories) chocolate Coated Protein Puffs Soy Snacks (150 calories) Christmas Dinner 3 ounces of ham or skinless turkey or duck breast with mustard (150 calories) Green bean frittata – a high-protein, low-calorie substitute for green bean casserole (100 calories) Green salad with Light Dressing ½ cup pureed sweet potatoes sprinkled lightly with crushed pecans and sugar (or honey or low-calorie sugar substitute) (200 calories) 1 medium baked apple with cinnamon, served with light or sugar-free whipped topping (150 calories) Later Snacks Protein Cocoa or Mocha (100 calories) 1/2 ounce mixed nuts (100 calories) (Don’t forget to use coupon code BPNEWSLETTER10 for a 10% discount of your first order!) Savor Your Treat Don’t forget to leave room for a treat. That’s right, even WLS patients deserve a treat. Just make sure: It’s one that you really, really want. You can tolerate it (some treats are too sugary or fatty for your post-op digestive system, and even a small serving can make you feel sick). You take only a small amount and count the calories. In the sample Christmas Day menu shown above, there is room for another 200 to 400 calories from your treat while still staying under 1,500 to 1,800 for the day. Those calories can get you any two of the following: A half-cup of mashed potatoes with gravy. A half-cup of bread or rice-based stuffing. A 1-inch sliver of pecan, pumpkin, or another kind of pie. A small square of fudge. A small dinner roll with a pat of butter. A half-cup of eggnog. Get Moving, for So Many Reasons It’s a busy day, but surely you can find a few minutes to get in a short walk or workout. There are so many reasons to get moving in the morning or during the day. Burn calories and boost metabolism. Keep yourself motivated as you notice how good it feels to get moving rather than eat. Take time away from the food because when you are walking, you are not eating. Bond with your children, nieces, or nephews; with your out of town relatives; or with your significant other. Breaking the Slump: Make a Healthy Choice Now! One bad day of eating does not make a habit, but a six-week period does. A skipped workout or two doesn’t get you out of shape, but a month of inactivity makes you sluggish. A single bad weigh-in is no cause for alarm, but a few weeks of climbing numbers is reason to take heed. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas can put you in a weight loss slump. Over time, your can get weaker and those poor decisions can get easier. While a bite of a cookie might have made you feel guilty in early November, the whole cookie and a second one may be par for the course now. Snap out of it! It is time to get out your slump. If the thought of reversing all those bad habits at once is too much, take heart. You can put yourself on the right path with a single decision. One good decision can increase your confidence and lead to more good decisions. You could: Make your own 200-calorie Breakfast sandwich with Protein Pancakes, a fat-free slice of cheese, and egg whites instead of hitting the drive-through for a 500-calorie breakfast biscuit. Schedule a short walk with a neighbor – no backing out! Log your food for a day, no matter how bad you know the numbers will be. Step on the scale if you’ve been avoiding it. How will you break your slump? The Holidays, Your Family, and Weight Loss Surgery As hard as the food and lifestyle around the holidays may be for you as a weight loss surgery patient, your family can make things even harder. You can prevent them from knocking you off your game by being prepared for what to expect and how to handle it. Problem: Pressure to Go Off Your Diet Saying no is just one of those things you have to learn how to do in life. Refusing your relatives’ offer of freshly baked Christmas bread or Christmas Cookies made “just for you” is difficult. They may feel that you are rejecting them. Practicing ahead of time can help. A simple, “No, thanks” can do wonders, and it leaves no room for argument. You could elaborate with variations such as “No, thanks, I’m not hungry,” “No, thanks, my doctor says I can’t eat that anymore,” or, “Not right now, thanks. It’s already great to get to see you!” Problem: Unwanted Comments on Your Weight or Weight Loss If you got your WLS in the past year, you may have dropped several pounds since relatives from out of town saw you. They may be overly reactive to your weight loss. Or, they could have the opposite reaction and say something discouraging about how they expected you to lose more weight by now. Whatever they say, do not let them throw you off your game. Problem: Lack of Acceptance of Your WLS They are not living your life, and they do not know exactly what you have gone through. A lack of understanding about what WLS is and how a WLS lives can inspire negative comments. You can choose to ignore them, or try to explain your WLS to them. You can also try to include them in your routine, such as inviting them on a walk or asking for their help in your kitchen while they’re in town. You can grow closer and develop a better understanding. Again, Happy Holidays! Enjoy this special time with family and friends, and make it a safe and healthy time for yourself and your loved ones. Thanks for spending some time with the newsletter, and we look forward to seeing you on the forums! · Unsubscribe from all BariatricPal E-Mail.

From the GENEPRO website: "The combination of the Tri-Protein and the way it is processed along with the addition of protease enzymes, allows for the equivalent of a 30gram** (we haven't broken the laws of physics with getting a 15g weight to equal 30g in weight but with the absorbability/bioavailability value of Genepro Gen2 you are getting the equivalent of the same 30g serving size of regular whey protein) serving of protein with only a 1 TBSP serving size." They also recently published a Genepro Gen2 Clinical Study.

If you exchange gifts in your family or with your friends, the holidays can be the perfect time to ask for a few items that will help you lose weight. You might ask for some new spices to flavor your foods without adding calories, a recipe book of healthy recipes, some Protein bars, or a pillow to come home with after the surgery. Or, you might be the type of person who wants to use the holidays and gift exchanges as a way to escape thoughts of weight loss, and the items on your list might be as far from weight loss as possible. How do you approach your holiday gift list? What do you have on yours? Are the items strictly practical, or are they a little more whimsical or luxurious than you would usually get for yourself? Share the fun of your list here!

With the holidays around the corner, gifts may be on the top of your mind. You may be thinking about making up your own gift list to pass around to others. Aside from the usual items, maybe such as something for your favorite hobby, a new piece of furniture for your home, or the latest smartphone, you might want to include a few items that help you move forward in your weight loss surgery journey. Here is the BariatricPal holiday gift list that you can give to others or that you can use as inspiration as you search for gifts to give to another weight loss surgery patient in your life. Protein Snacks and Meals What? Our first idea is to give food to a weight loss surgery patient? Yes, and with good reason. A gift of a healthy snack can keep the recipient away from the junk food without feeling deprived. Healthy, instant dinners offer a practical alternative to drive-throughs, fast food, and take-out. Protein snacks and meals help suppress hunger and maintain lean muscle mass. The snacks and meals need to be great-tasting if the recipient is going to choose them over alternatives such as chips, cookies, and fast food. The BariatricPal Store does not disappoint, with a full selection of snacks including Protein Bars, Protein Chips, Protein Cookies, and more. Protein Breakfast options include pancakes, omelets, cereal, and oatmeal, and our Protein Entrees include low-carb pasta dishes, chili, enchiladas, and more. A Smart Scale A good scale can be one of your most important tools during your weight loss surgery journey and as you maintain your weight. Knowing that you have to step on the scale tomorrow morning can motivate you eat better and exercise today, and seeing the numbers drop can inspire you to keep making those healthy weight loss decisions. Still, it’s not all about the weight. Your journey is about gaining health, too. With the Yunmai Wireless Bluetooth Smart Scale, your weight is only the beginning of the list of what you can track. Monitor your body fat and muscle mass to see how effective your workout program is, and check your bone density to see if you may need to focus more on bone nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D. Compared to some other scales, this scale is more practical because of its capacity of up to 400 lbs. You can track your numbers with a smartphone app that connects via Bluetooth. Food Journal Logging your food increases your chances of losing weight and keeping it off. There are a million smartphone apps that you can use, but not everyone is cut out to use them. You are not alone if you prefer pencil and paper to keep track of your food. The very act of writing makes you connect more to what you write, so you can think harder about the choices you make. A food journal can be the perfect gift for diligent WLS patients who are not tied to their smartphones. A Do-It-Yourself Gift Basket You can order a gift basket online, but it probably will not be very weight loss surgery-friendly. Likely items include sugary jams, crackers, fatty sausages, and chocolate-covered pretzels. Skipping a gift is better than delivering that kind of fat and sugar load! Instead, make it healthier and more personal by gathering the goods yourself. You could include all kinds of non-perishable protein foods and shakes. You can even make a themed basket. For example: A protein snack basket with bars, cookies, granola, and chips. A post-op care package with protein powdered shakes and smoothies, gelatin, and pudding for the post-op liquid diet. A wintery mix assortment with protein soup, cocoa, and chili. A chocolate lover’s basket with protein brownies, triple chocolate cookies, chocolate cereal, chocolate pudding, and hot chocolate. A Scrapbook or Album The weight loss surgery journey is exciting, and you want to remember every moment of it! There are all kinds of ways you can make a gift of a scrapbook or album. The simplest is a blank book with space to paste in photos and write notes about milestones and victories. You could go a step further and include dedicated spaces to add in specific milestones or photos, such as losing your first 50 pounds, fitting back into your high school jeans, or a pre-op photo to remind you how far you have come. A Book The internet is such a good resource that a book does not always seem necessary, but it can have its advantages. When you buy an informative weight loss surgery book, you can trust the information more than the information you may get from an anonymous online source. Plus, the information is at your fingertips so you do not have to search all over the web for answers to your questions. A Care Package This one may be especially appropriate for a pre-op or post-op patient to show love and support during and after surgery. Include items to help the patient feel better. A “cough pillow,” or hard pillow to push against your abdomen to provide support when you cough or sneeze. An adult coloring book and crayons or colored pencils to distract the patient from the pain. Herbal (caffeine-free) tea to sip and promote calmness. Water flavoring drops and electrolyte drops to encourage hydration. Protein powders in various flavors. An IOU or coupon for them to use to call for your help, such as for grocery shopping, cooking, or cleaning the house. Liquid bariatric vitamins so they can get started with their post-op nourishment. Gift Card Not sure what to get? You can never go wrong with a gift card. A gift card to The BariatricPal Store can be used to by all kinds of protein bars and shakes, protein snacks, and protein entrees. The store also has bariatric vitamins, books, and bariatric dinnerware. The gift will be a hit! A Fitness Tracker Wearable activity monitors are all the rage, and for good reason. If you love to “get credit” for every step you take, these monitors will let you know, down to the nearest calories. They can motivate you to move a little more throughout the day, and to follow through on your planned workouts. Most fitness trackers now connect to your smartphone so you can see your progress over time and, if you want, share your workouts with your network. A good gift list can take the stress out of buying gifts, and put the fun into it. This holiday season, get the gifts that will help you reach your goals by using our gift list as a starting point!

Protein Snacks and Meals What? Our first idea is to give food to a weight loss surgery patient? Yes, and with good reason. A gift of a healthy snack can keep the recipient away from the junk food without feeling deprived. Healthy, instant dinners offer a practical alternative to drive-throughs, fast food, and take-out. Protein snacks and meals help suppress hunger and maintain lean muscle mass. The snacks and meals need to be great-tasting if the recipient is going to choose them over alternatives such as chips, cookies, and fast food. The BariatricPal Store does not disappoint, with a full selection of snacks including Protein Bars, Protein Chips, Protein Cookies, and more. Protein Breakfast options include pancakes, omelets, cereal, and oatmeal, and our Protein Entrees include low-carb pasta dishes, chili, enchiladas, and more. A Smart Scale A good scale can be one of your most important tools during your weight loss surgery journey and as you maintain your weight. Knowing that you have to step on the scale tomorrow morning can motivate you eat better and exercise today, and seeing the numbers drop can inspire you to keep making those healthy weight loss decisions. Still, it’s not all about the weight. Your journey is about gaining health, too. With the Yunmai Wireless Bluetooth Smart Scale, your weight is only the beginning of the list of what you can track. Monitor your body fat and muscle mass to see how effective your workout program is, and check your bone density to see if you may need to focus more on bone nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D. Compared to some other scales, this scale is more practical because of its capacity of up to 400 lbs. You can track your numbers with a smartphone app that connects via Bluetooth. Food Journal Logging your food increases your chances of losing weight and keeping it off. There are a million smartphone apps that you can use, but not everyone is cut out to use them. You are not alone if you prefer pencil and paper to keep track of your food. The very act of writing makes you connect more to what you write, so you can think harder about the choices you make. A food journal can be the perfect gift for diligent WLS patients who are not tied to their smartphones. A Do-It-Yourself Gift Basket You can order a gift basket online, but it probably will not be very weight loss surgery-friendly. Likely items include sugary jams, crackers, fatty sausages, and chocolate-covered pretzels. Skipping a gift is better than delivering that kind of fat and sugar load! Instead, make it healthier and more personal by gathering the goods yourself. You could include all kinds of non-perishable protein foods and shakes. You can even make a themed basket. For example: A protein snack basket with bars, cookies, granola, and chips. A post-op care package with protein powdered shakes and smoothies, gelatin, and pudding for the post-op liquid diet. A wintery mix assortment with protein soup, cocoa, and chili. A chocolate lover’s basket with protein brownies, triple chocolate cookies, chocolate cereal, chocolate pudding, and hot chocolate. A Scrapbook or Album The weight loss surgery journey is exciting, and you want to remember every moment of it! There are all kinds of ways you can make a gift of a scrapbook or album. The simplest is a blank book with space to paste in photos and write notes about milestones and victories. You could go a step further and include dedicated spaces to add in specific milestones or photos, such as losing your first 50 pounds, fitting back into your high school jeans, or a pre-op photo to remind you how far you have come. A Book The internet is such a good resource that a book does not always seem necessary, but it can have its advantages. When you buy an informative weight loss surgery book, you can trust the information more than the information you may get from an anonymous online source. Plus, the information is at your fingertips so you do not have to search all over the web for answers to your questions. A Care Package This one may be especially appropriate for a pre-op or post-op patient to show love and support during and after surgery. Include items to help the patient feel better. A “cough pillow,” or hard pillow to push against your abdomen to provide support when you cough or sneeze. An adult coloring book and crayons or colored pencils to distract the patient from the pain. Herbal (caffeine-free) tea to sip and promote calmness. Water flavoring drops and electrolyte drops to encourage hydration. Protein powders in various flavors. An IOU or coupon for them to use to call for your help, such as for grocery shopping, cooking, or cleaning the house. Liquid bariatric vitamins so they can get started with their post-op nourishment. Gift Card Not sure what to get? You can never go wrong with a gift card. A gift card to The BariatricPal Store can be used to by all kinds of protein bars and shakes, protein snacks, and protein entrees. The store also has bariatric vitamins, books, and bariatric dinnerware. The gift will be a hit! A Fitness Tracker Wearable activity monitors are all the rage, and for good reason. If you love to “get credit” for every step you take, these monitors will let you know, down to the nearest calories. They can motivate you to move a little more throughout the day, and to follow through on your planned workouts. Most fitness trackers now connect to your smartphone so you can see your progress over time and, if you want, share your workouts with your network. A good gift list can take the stress out of buying gifts, and put the fun into it. This holiday season, get the gifts that will help you reach your goals by using our gift list as a starting point!

Holiday cards are flying around this time of year! A lot of us use them to keep in touch with friends and relatives we do not talk to much the rest of the year and to provide updates on the year. During this season, as we think about what we are grateful for, a lot of us turn our thoughts to weight loss surgery and our surgeons. As you are losing weight or keeping off a substantial amount, it can be nice to share your success and gratitude with your surgeon. So, I was wondering whether you keep in touch with your surgeon. Do you stay in touch regularly? Do you send an email or letter when you hit a big milestone? Do you send a holiday card with your proud smiling face atop your shrinking body?

It seems like everything gets out of whack around holiday time. There is too much food everywhere. The food is too high in sugar and fat. The food is too delicious to pass up. There is too much pressure to eat it. Furthermore, there can be so much stress that your good intentions are too much to keep up. You may not have enough time or energy to work out as you normally do, or to cook the healthy meals you know you need. In short, it’s hard to lose weight this time of year! So, do you change your weight loss goals for the holidays? Sometimes, it makes sense to change your goals to maintaining your current weight loss instead of reaching for more. For other people, it seems more productive to keep those high weight loss standards, even if you do not quite hit your goals. How do you approach goal setting during the holiday season?

Chronic GERD treatment is challenging for patients who have had a sleeve gastrectomy (SG). In some patients, GERD is resolved after SG, but in others symptoms remain Nissen fundoplication surgery is not an option for SG patients due to altered anatomy Revisional surgery from the less invasive SG to Roux-En-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) has been the standard alternative for this challenging patient Patients who chose the SG, may want to avoid a revision to RYGB to control their GERD GERD medications (PPIs) if taken long-term may have a risk of significant side effects, including: osteoporosis, c.diff infections, kidney disease, heart disease and dementia For some patients, GERD symptoms are not completely controlled by PPIs Leaving chronic GERD uncontrolled can lead to Barretts Esophagus There is a clinical study currently enrolling patients on the management of reflux with stretta in patients who have had a sleeve gastrectomy. Email Rebecca Meli rmeli@montefiore.org to be referred to a study site. Please let her know that you heard about it on BariatricPal! For complete study details go to: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02637713. What is Stretta - and why may Stretta be appropriate for GERD after bariatric surgery? Stretta is an FDA cleared device that treats the muscle between the stomach and the esophagus with radiofrequency (RF) energy - it is indicated for the treatment of GERD. Non-surgical treatment delivered through the mouth, that does not alter the anatomy Delivers low levels of RF energy to the muscle between the stomach and esophagus Studies show Stretta results in a thicker muscle, improved barrier and fewer reflux events More than 40 clinical studies show Stretta to be safe, effective and durable Having a Stretta procedure does not complicate future surgeries when necessary A study of Stretta in GERD patients after RYGB showed 71% with resolved symptoms (Mattar et al 2006)

Reflux is one of the possible side effects of Sleeve Gastrectomy. Luckily, it can usually be treated by taking PPIs. Taking PPIs long term isn't advisable though and that's why I am such a strong believer in stretta.

LOL! That's too funny. Thanks for the laugh. Your husband sounds like a cool dude

Thanks for posting a review. @@archrbo83 it was awesome meeting you!

Please REPORT any spam you see and it will be dealt with pretty quickly. We are upgrading the platform in a few weeks and we've built in some new anti-spam tools which should eliminate most of these spam posters.

Thank you so much for taking your time to share your experience with BariatricPal TeamMX!

Whether you Celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, New Year’s, another holiday, or no official winter holiday…you are almost certain to find yourself at a holiday party, special lunch or dinner, or within reach of some tempting, delicious food. How do you handle it? Do you bring your own healthy options? For example, you could always be sure to bring a green salad with some chicken, Beans, or other Protein to parties and potlucks, or you could bring your own Protein Bar or some nuts or cheese to nibble on while others are hitting the fried and battered appetizers. Also, do you save “room” for a treat? There are some holiday foods that you might not want to pass up because you look forward to them all year. Maybe it’s that bite of sausage stuffing or your aunt’s special Christmas Cookies, for example. Do you allow yourself a bite (or maybe a full serving)? So, what is your holiday party and event strategy?

Stacy Eckel is a crucial part of the BariatricPal Team MX Support Team. As a former patient of weight loss surgery in Tijuana, Stacy has the insight to speak with those considering weight loss surgery with BariatricPal Team MX, not only as a supporting team member, but from the patient perspective as well. This unique ability allows Stacy to connect with people/patients in a way that many others cannot. Stacy works with those individuals that have booked with BariatricPal Team MX to help them understand both the pre-operative and post-operative diet instructions and guidelines. She is here to help those that need, not only support, but advice and guidance on adjusting to their new lifestyle changes. Stacy just aced her exams and is now a certified nutritionist! certificate.pdf

Cleveland clinic is one of the top Bariatric surgery centers in the world and Dr. Schauer is one of the most well-respected weight loss surgeons in the world. Hope that answers your question

I personally stayed at the Pueblo Amigo Hotel & Casino two weeks ago. It was a 5-star experience for me. I've stayed at many hotels, in Mexico, and across the world. The rooms were modern, clean and spacious. I HATE cigarette smoke and this was absolutely not an issue for me. Sure, if you walk into the smoking room in the casino, you'll smell smoke but you most definitely do not smell it across the hotel or inside the room. The people that work there are very friendly and courteous. The food in their restaurant was inexpensive and tasted delicious. Here's a picture of their regular rooms: PS: BariatricPal TeamMX patients are always upgraded to Junior Suites!

On the first day of ObesityWeek 2016, The New York Times featured a major story on obesity with the headline, “Americans Blame Obesity on Willpower, Despite Evidence It’s Genetic.” This was no coincidence. The story was timed to the release of a national consumer survey conducted by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) on perceptions Americans have about obesity and its treatment. Major national news outlets including People magazine, Medscape, Yahoo News, CNBC, MedPage Today and even Cosmopolitan covered the ASMBS/NORC Obesity Poll. The ASMBS Executive Council decided several months earlier to partner with the highly regarded independent research organization NORC at the University of Chicago to identify current views, perceptions, and misperceptions about obesity and its treatment held by the American public. Additionally, the ASMBS wanted to use the survey as an educational and public awareness platform to inspire national dialog on the diagnosis and treatment of obesity and generate national media coverage on the issues that interfere with the treatment of the disease. “The barriers to treatment go beyond insurance,” said Raul J. Rosenthal, who was president of the ASMBS during the time the survey was conducted. “We felt the survey could uncover other barriers including fear and denial about the disease and misperceptions about the safety and effectiveness of the treatments, including weight-loss surgery.” In addition to comments from ASMBS president at the time, Dr. Raul J. Rosenthal, The New York Times contained reactions to the survey from several obesity experts from throughout the country. Dr. Donna Ryan, an obesity researcher and professor emerita at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La. said, “It’s frustrating to see doctors and the general public stigmatize patients with obesity and blame these patients, ascribing attributes of laziness or lack of willpower. We would never treat patients with alcoholism or any chronic disease this way. It’s so revealing of a real lack of education and knowledge.” “Trying 20 times and not succeeding — is that lack of willpower, or a problem that can’t be treated with willpower?” asked Dr. Louis Aronne, director, Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian. One problem, though, is that medical professionals can be as misinformed as the public, said Dr. Scott Kahan, an obesity medicine specialist who is an assistant professor at George Washington University and directs the National Center for Weight and Wellness, an obesity clinic. Doctors, he said, learn nothing about obesity in medical school, which might be why only 12 percent of those in the survey with severe obesity said a doctor had suggested surgery to them. “We are talking about people who are 100, 200 pounds overweight,” Dr. Kahan added. Dr. Caroline M. Apovian, the president-elect of the Obesity Society and director of the nutrition and weight management center at Boston University, echoed Dr. Kahan’s concerns about the failure by doctors to mention the only effective course of treatment. “If I said that was the case for cardiovascular disease and bypass surgery, you would say doctors are negligent,” she said. Major finding from the ASMBS/NORC Obesity Poll include: 81 percent of Americans consider obesity to be the most serious health problem facing the nation, tying cancer and ahead of diabetes (72 percent) and heart disease (72 percent) 94 percent think obesity itself increases the risk for an early death, even when no other health problems are present Most Americans think diet and exercise on one’s own is the most effective (78 percent) for long-term weight loss, saying it’s even more effective than weight-loss surgery (60 percent) and prescription obesity drugs (25 percent) 1 in 3 of those struggling with obesity, report that they have never spoken with a doctor or health professional about their weight Only 12 percent of those with severe obesity, for whom weight-loss surgery may be an option, say a doctor has ever suggested they consider surgery Only 22 percent of Americans with obesity rate their health positively, and half report being diagnosed with two or more chronic conditions 88 percent say losing weight through diet and exercise, especially with the help of a doctor, is the safest way to do it, while prescription medications (15 percent) and dietary supplements (16 percent) are perceived to be the least safe About one-third believe weight-loss surgery to be either safe (31 percent), unsafe (37 percent), or neither safe nor unsafe (31 percent), though 68 percent think that living with obesity is still riskier than having weight-loss surgery 62 percent consider obesity simply a risk factor for other diseases and not a disease itself 48 percent believe obesity is caused primarily by a person’s lifestyle choices and that the biggest barrier to weight loss is a lack of willpower (75 percent) For more information, you may find two reports associated with the survey: “Obesity Rises to Top Health Concern for Americans, but Misperceptions Persist,” and, “New Insights into Americans’ Perceptions and Misperceptions of Obesity Treatments, and the Struggles Many Face.” http://www.norc.org/Research/Projects/Pages/the-asmbsnorc-obesity-poll.aspx.

Sometimes it seems like December is one giant party. You might have holiday parties at your work or your partner’s workplace. Friends and neighbors often have get-togethers. You might be hosting or going to family holiday parties, and New Year’s Eve is one of the biggest party nights of the year. All those parties can be fun, but they can be bad news for your waistline if you are not careful. You might be offered egg nog or another drink the second you walk in the door, and bowls of candy, nuts, and crackers may be set out already. Platters of fatty, doughy, and greasy appetizers may not be far behind, and all that happens before you even get to the main course and dessert. Aside from skipping the party, how do you cope? Do you have the willpower to walk around with a glass of ice Water as you focus on socializing instead of food? Are you able to choose a few slices of ham, some cheese, and a fruit skewer while staying away from the cocktail franks and Cookies? Do you stick a Protein bar in your pocket or purse to depend on during the party? Please share your holiday party strategies with us. We can all use some advice for having fun during this time of the year, without doing too much damage to our hard efforts the rest of the year?

We all deserve a treat, and this time of year is when many of us exchange gifts, whether for Christmas or Hanukah, or simply out of family tradition. It’s a good chance to ask your loved ones to pitch in for something you need, or for something that is a bit of a luxury that you would not normally get yourself. I’m wondering what is on your holiday gift list, and whether your wishes have to do with weight loss surgery. food journals, memberships to health and fitness app sites, and gift cards to bariatric food and supplement stores make great gifts at any stage of your WLS journey. If you’re pre-op, you might be hoping for a blender for your mushies stage, or an IOU to redeem when you need help in the kitchen, taking care of your children, or cleaning the house as you recover from surgery. If you are post-op, your list might include exercise clothes and shoes, a gift card to your favorite healthy restaurant, or some Protein bars to have on hand. What is on your holiday gift list that can help you lose weight and keep it off in the coming year?

We've been approached by a pretty innovative company that would like us to sell Adult diapers that were specifically created for bariatric patients. I haven't seen this topic discussed on here much and I was curious how if you've ever used Bariatric Adult Diapers before or after weight loss surgery? The poll is 100% anonymous!

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