South Carolina to Cover Obesity Surgery?

Americas Obesity Epidemic

When I heard this it really irritated me.  Instead of spending the money on education to prevent obesity, lets enable bad dietary behavior by surgically shrinking the stomach.  What has the person learned? Nothing! This is a waste of taxpayer money.  Just two weeks ago the N.Y Times released an article stating that obesity rates are still climbing.  Gastric  by-pass and lap band surgeries do not fix the problem.  An analogy might be;  run the car engine without putting oil in the motor, when it burns up lets just replace it.  Does that make sense.  Eat a poor diet, don’t exercise and when you become obese it’s OK we will just cut you open and shrink your stomach.  Maybe you will keep the weight off, maybe not. The problem has not been addressed.

Recent studies make it clear that the current approaches to obesity from western medicine aren’t working.  When I was close to 440 pounds my doctor never recommend a dietary or lifestyle change, he recommended gastric bypass surgery.   I am so glad I did not have the surgery.  I did it the healthy way and lost over 200 pounds and I have kept it off.  The problem got corrected.

It further impresses upon me the need for state or federal program to teach people how to lose weight and live healthy. To change this poor health mentality in our American culture it has to start in our schools.   At an early age we must begin to educate our children on the importance of  healthy eating, healthy lifestyles and the mechanics of how to live of life of wellness.  This has to be ingrained in the minds of our youth.

The cost of educating is cheaper than a surgical fix. We must focus on prevention. We must address the cause of the problem. Lap band surgery or even gastric bypass surgery does not fix the problem and many times there are surgical complications.  Weight is a behavior and education problem.  Less than 1% of obesity is caused by medical conditions or the side effects of drugs.

If you are obese or have weight issues I challenge you to make a stand. Take your life back the right way, the only long-term healthy way, by eating healthier foods, moving more and staying within your calorie budget.

I did it , you can do it.  Please,  for your children, for your wife, for your self, for your friends,  for your health, make a commitment today to do something about your weight.

The first step is making the commitment.

Always consult with you doctor before making dietary or lifestyle changes particularly if your have health issues.

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

Nutritionist

Obesity, You Can Beat It

obesity-epidemic rates 2004
obesity-epidemic rates 2004

I was once a morbidly obese person.  Thank you God, the bonds of my obesity were literally eaten and walked off.  If you are obese or overweight, I am urging you to take a step today to change your life.  If you don’t, I can promise you that it will shorten your life by years.  Sure 15 or 20 extra pounds  isn’t going to impact your health as much as 100 pounds of extra fat will. However, that extra 20 pounds will, if you are consuming a nutrient poor diet and not getting enough exercise.

This week, I watched Losing it with Jillian Michaels. I try to watch it every week as well as the biggest loser when it is on. I am cheering hard for their success.  Jillian’s show gets down to the dynamics of family life and the effect obesity has on everyone; spouses, children, aunts and uncles, even neighbors and friends.  I will tell you, playing with my grand children is the greatest reward I could receive.  Before the weight loss I could only sit and watch them play.  People that know me will tell you I am not the type of person to sit and watch. My weight loss has given me my life back.  Obesity is a type of imprisonment within your own body.  I f you are overweight or obese, I want to empower you with the knowledge to lose all the weight you want to lose and be healthy!

Do you know what the number one killer in America is? How about lifestyle choices which include diet and activity . This includes heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure.

If you are overweight I want you to know that you can lose that weight and keep it off. I know you are shaking your head saying I have tried and tried and tried again and I lose some weight and then life bucks me off the diet and I gain it back. I went though those thoughts too and tried a lot of diets. I literally dieted my way to almost 450 pounds. I have walked in your shoes and I have succeeded at losing over 200 pounds and kept it off.  I must tell you, I enjoy eating today more that ever.

Please listen to me, believe me,  you can lose the extra weight you are carrying. A lot of my clients use the same excuses I did.  I blamed my genes, my ex-wife,  my schedule, stress from work even bad luck.  Genetics only go so far. Science has shown repeatedly  that our lifestyle choices can trump genetics a majority of the time.  We all have people, schedules and jobs that stress us. There are no acceptable excuses to neglect our health.

There is no shortcut or pill for weight loss.  If there was, I would have found it.  Surgery should always be the last option. You will have to make huge sacrifices once you have your stomach stabled or banded. The answer is to discovery why you have gained the weight and then to correct it.  You must learn how to eat and live a healthy lifestyle.

How to get started, read this document and understand that just reading a manual or word document isn’t the answer. We must tailor the information in this document for your unique situation. I promise, you will not be hungry or deprived any foods.

It requires a warriors attitude! You must declare war on your fat! You must make slow gradual changes and understand it takes time. We want you to lose no more than 2 pounds per week.

If you want my help just ask .

Healthy Wishes

Wally’s Daily Dose