• Sep7

    A new UK research study promotes “health at every size” (HAES).

    It suggests that that instead of trying to lose weight, people should try to change their lifestyle and health behaviors.  And that keeping lost weight off and maintaining a normal weight over the long term to is seldom achieved, and that researchers and clients should accept that.

    In other words, the “dietetic literature on weight management fails to meet the standards of evidence based medicine.”

    The 5000+ enrollees in the National Weight Control Registry–who have lost on average 66# and kept it off 5.5 years—would agree. Most of them did it themselves or with a coach like in Chef Clinic–not with an organized commercial program. That’s how I help people reach a healthy weight.

    HAES is
    *weight neutral
    *relies on “intuitive eating” not eating time, plate size or portion measurement
    *encourages positive body esteem and plus-size acceptance

    There is something to this. Yet a healthy body does not appear because you decide not to diet. You have to learn and practice the skills, and learn how to be healthy if you weigh more than you medically should.

    Because if you’re overweight and have erectile dysfunction, changing what you’re eating can mean a return of sexual function.

    That’s worthwhile. At every size.

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  • Aug31

    There is a great business case for prevention.  And the government is making the argument, and putting our money, towards it.

    Starting 2011, small companies—those with 100 employees or fewer, and no existing wellness program in place–will be able to get grants for up to five years to establish employee wellness programs. With a 30% credit.

    Companies also can establish employee rewards programs, with an up to 50% credit by the government.

    But what are the criteria? How to apply? Where is the grant application? Not posted, yet.

    Many studies say corporate wellness programs show a positive return on investment (ROI). A study of 56 worksite health promotion programs showed, on average, 32 percent less workers’ comp/disability claims costs.

    A 2010 Harvard Study of wellness programs found
    *$2.73:1 savings-to-cost ratio for absenteeism
    *$3.27:1 savings-to-cost ratio for health costs

    All from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Here is a timeline summary through 2015, courtesy of the Kaiser Foundation, about what to expect. Fasten your seat belt!

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  • Aug27

    Get ready for a boom in prevention. Many benefits will be covered. But which?

    Health plans established on or after Sept. 23, 2010 will need to cover preventive services rated “A” or “B” by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Ditto Medicare/Medicaid by January 1, 2011.

    Which services are those for You? Fill in the quick blanks below: it shows “A” and “B”.

    No copays, deductibles and coinsurance amounts will be due. That’s for

    • Mammograms, colonoscopies and other cancer screenings.
    • Blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol screening.
    • Lifestyle counseling (quitting smoking, losing weight, eating better, treating depression and reducing alcohol use).
    • Counseling and screening for healthy pregnancies.
    • Flu and pneumonia vaccines
    • Regular well baby and well child visits

    Older private employer plans are exempt or grandfathered, if they don’t change their plans. But most will. 70 percent will probably lose their exemption or grandfather status by 2013.

    Next: grants for employee wellness.

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  • Aug24

    Jamie Oliver illustrating policy change in West Virginia...next stop SacramentoTomorrow I’m testifying at a Legislative Informational Hearing on Diabetes and Obesity at the California State Capitol in Sacramento on what works in practice.

    It’s not unfamiliar, but still a challenge. I did testify before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Aging about the care near the end of life in the 1990s.

    Now the time seems right to be part of change about obesity and public policy.

    You can read the press release about my appearance, and sneak a quick look at my prepared statement.

    I think this will be fun, and hope you’ll find ways to advocate for change not just in school lunches (which California is leading in, within the U.S.), but also in “seat-belt-equivalents” (my term).

    Seat belts save more lives than any doctor ever will. We need something like them in obesity and diabetes prevention. What would it be?

    Here’s a 90 second viewer success story in diabetes: a viewer of my Chef MD segment on Lifetime TV followed my plan, wrote to me, I encouraged her, and she transformed her life. Gotta love how powerful Susan is.

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  • Aug17

    Several sneak peaks–including my statement to the Information Hearing on Diabetes and Obesity in Sacramento 8.25.10 are in the newsletter tomorrow (quick sign-up to get it, top right!).

    It was challenging to say something new, practical, and responsible…to decisionmakers about policy.   Let me know what you think.

    The news that the average American ingests 3366 mg sodium daily, over 2x what’s recommended is not shocking.

    Ditto that 90% of sodium comes not from the table or cooking, but from prepared foods.

    What is shocking is that dropping from 3366 to 2166mg daily could prevent 32-66000 cases of stroke, and up to 120000 cases of heart disease every year. The top 5 foods for salt by how much and how often we eat them in the U.S.?

    1.  Meat pizza
    2.  White bread
    3.  Processed cheese
    4.  Hot dogs
    5.  Spaghetti w/sauce

    Lastly,  I answer 10-20 emails weekly at ChefMD.com and on FB. But I feel as if I don’t really have the space or time to give you as complete an answer as you deserve.  And need. And for many people, the time and cost involved in traveling to Santa Barbara to see me is too much.

    Please take our Discussion Survey (not a medical consultation).  If you even might be interested, please take it…it’s a quickie, no contact info, no e-mail required.

    And if there’s enough interest in one-on-one discussions with me on weight loss, medication, cholesterol, more…we’ll do it!

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