Numerous health issues have been given the national spotlight in recent years.  Some, like AIDS, have resulted in strong political demonstration while others, like multiple sclerosis, have resulted in quiet but powerful movements.  Both of these, as well as several other high-profile diseases, have generated hugely successful fund-raising efforts headlined… Continue reading The Quiet Epidemic

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Everyone now knows that being overweight leads to numerous disease processes.  What most overweight people do not realize is that their size severely limits the ability of physicians to even tell them what’s wrong. A new study has just revealed that the number of inconclusive imaging tests, CAT scans, MRIs,… Continue reading Patient Obesity: Complicating Medical Scans

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Considerable evidence has shown that being overweight plays an important role in the development of cancer.  Based on the American Cancer Society’s 2002 estimates for cancer incidence, 51% of all new cancers diagnosed among women were directly related to obesity.  Among men, cancers linked to obesity comprise approximately 14% of… Continue reading Obesity and Cancer

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The Covid-19 global pandemic has finally exposed the fact that obesity kills. The truth is, in the United States, obesity is now the most prevalent threat to your health. It’s not diabetes, heart disease or even cancer. Obesity affects 42% of all Americans and it’s a killer. On July 24th… Continue reading Obesity: The Biggest Risk for Death from Covid-19

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The world may be getting smaller, but it’s people are getting bigger……and bigger…..and bigger. Back in 1963, when the boats that carry customers through Disneyland’s “It’s a Small World” ride were first designed, an adult’s height was roughly the same as today, but the average adult weighed far less than… Continue reading It’s Not a Small World, After All

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Metabolic Surgery should be offered to all obese people with diabetes. The evidence for this recommendation is now irrefutable. In 2016, the American Diabetes Association, the International Diabetes Federation, and 43 other medical groups published guidelines, in the journal Diabetes Care, recommending surgery as treatment for people suffering from obesity… Continue reading Metabolic Surgery for Diabetes

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So you think that weight loss surgery is expensive?  Well, staying fat is more costly than you may realize!  Economic experts tell us that we are spending outrageous amounts of money treating obesity-related conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.  In fact, America spends more than $147 billion annually on… Continue reading Losing Weight May Make You Richer

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Joint replacement surgery is common–even very common in the U.S., with more than 700,000 major joint replacements performed annually.  It’s also very expensive, with total costs exceeding $10 billion.  It’s highly successful in most patients and dramatically improves their quality of life.  However, complications can be disastrous and very costly.… Continue reading Joint Replacement and Obesity: A Surgeon’s Dilemma

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Orthopedic surgeons, rheumatologists and physicians specializing in rehabilitation medicine know that the knee joint has to support the force of three to six times one’s weight.  The impact of extra weight is also multiplied on other joints, including those of the back, hips and ankles.  The results of this increased… Continue reading Joint Pain, Weight Loss, and Orthopedic Surgery

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The gastric bypass surgery typically results in only a minor amount of malabsorption of nutrients. Proteins, for instance, are absorbed normally after a gastric bypass. However, patients who are not followed well, or who are not educated about the importance of some vitamins and minerals, can develop mineral deficiencies. Iron… Continue reading The Importance of Iron after Weight Loss Surgery

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