Paging Dr La Puma - Transform Your Life With What You Eat

Aug31

The Business Case for Prevention

Posted in: Aging and Costs of Aging, Wellness and Health
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

The Coming of Prevention: What’s Covered

Posted in: Aging and Costs of Aging, Wellness and Health
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

Short Trip to Sacto: Obesity Testimony

Posted in: Child Obesity, Obesity and Weight Loss, Wellness and Health
Tomorrow 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

Salt Much? Discussion 1-on-1 For You?

Posted in: Common Conditions, Diabetes, High Cholesterol, Hypertension, Obesity and Weight Loss, Vitamins and Supplements, Wellness and Health
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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Aug6

Celebrity Weight Loss: Powerful!

Posted in: Obesity and Weight Loss, Wellness and Health
Celebrity is like royalty in the U.S. Some are going public in creating positive role models for weight loss and health. And they’re doing it with lifestyle, diet and exercise. Not drugs or fads.

Drew Carey, according to the medical journal People, has “cured” his type 2 diabetes with weight loss of 80#. His diet is ascetic, however and probably not one for the long term: no carbs except occasional fruit.

But hopefully, he’ll put a few carbs in the form of veggies back, and read the 4 time-tested ways to keep it off.

John Goodman, according to the news site e-diets, has lost over 100#, is exercising 6 days/week, and is off booze/barleycorn, which is a craft brew. He wasn’t feeling well and decided to do something about it. Himself.

And Jennifer Hudson, reportedly lost 56# by April, more since and has become a spokesperson for Weight Watchers, and its lifestyle program: she used its iphone app and a personal trainer.

Weight Watchers is one of the most popular programs and although it was not the high scorer of our top-rated online programs, it can be a good choice.

Keeping the weight off will be the challenge, but these three celebs can begin to vie for Top Healthy Model…a show I’d love to see Tyra do.
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« PREV.POSTS

The Business Case for Prevention

Posted in: Aging and Costs of Aging, Wellness and Health

The Coming of Prevention: What’s Covered

Posted in: Aging and Costs of Aging, Wellness and Health

Short Trip to Sacto: Obesity Testimony

Posted in: Child Obesity, Obesity and Weight Loss, Wellness and Health

Salt Much? Discussion 1-on-1 For You?

Posted in: Common Conditions, Diabetes, High Cholesterol, Hypertension, Obesity and Weight Loss, Vitamins and Supplements, Wellness and Health

Celebrity Weight Loss: Powerful!

Posted in: Obesity and Weight Loss, Wellness and Health

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