I need help! Under the auspices of having some shelf stable snacks for hiking, I bought a box of chocolate hazelnut-filled energy bars. Each one has 230 calories and, though touted as being organic and having a low glycemic index, each bar has 27 grams of carbohydrates. They looked so innocent sitting
A patient came into my office this morning and told me she made all the food for her daughter’s recent wedding. I asked her “Do you have any idea what’s in a piece of cake? You would never eat frosting if you knew the garbage that goes into it!” Chocolate
Why are skinny people featured in the media as healthy, sexy, and successful? Why do ad campaigns repeatedly teach us, “New ways to get rid of ugly fat?” Why do most people want to be thin? Back in the day, having a few extra pounds was a sign of wealth.
“The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.” Often attributed to the 5th Century BCE Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu, I first heard this quote from my USMC(R) father when I was struggling with my weight in high school. I was a newly minted freshman on the
Last month I attended my local Medical Society’s meeting in Denver. The title of the meeting was, “The New Insurance Exchange—What Physicians Need to Know.” Representatives from Connect for Health Colorado, the CO Division of Insurance, and Denver Public Health were on the panel to help explain how the insurance
According to the Boy Scouts of America, “The basic premise of Scouting for youth with disabilities and special needs is that they want most to participate like other youth—and Scouting gives them that opportunity.” Not if a scout is obese. This week, in July 2013, scouts (and their leaders) with
I was at a social function earlier this week and a woman asked me what I do for a living. “I’m a bariatric surgeon,” I replied. To which she said, “What do you think about that? You know, people just taking the easy way out and having surgery for their
AMA Classifying Obesity as a Disease The American Medical Association (AMA) has officially defined obesity as a disease. While pundits and talk show hosts are certain to make light of the AMA’s classification, the fact remains that 30% of Americans are obese. In a study released by the Robert Wood Johnson
I applaud New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s announcement that he has undergone lap-band surgery to help manage his weight. As a public figure and politician, Governor Christie is uniquely positioned to help champion obesity awareness, and to spread the message that bariatric surgery is not the easy way out for
