With more than 20 years’ experience as a bariatric surgeon, Dr. David Provost has helped thousands of patients begin a new and healthier life after weight loss surgery. Dr. Provost was previously the Medical Director for the Surgical Management of Obesity at UT Southwestern Medical Center and has taught weight loss surgery procedures to hundreds of medical students and doctors. He is an active member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and sits on the Board of Directors for the ASMBS Foundation.
Dr. Provost believes strongly in the benefits of patient support both before and after weight loss surgery. He joins the Weight Loss Surgery Channel as an advisor and expert commentator on the surgical treatment of obesity.
Obesity Keeping Potential Recruits out of the Army
Ten… hut! Listen up, people! The U.S. Army is facing a new enemy – a foe that’s keeping three out of ten potential soldiers out of uniform and off the front lines. The enemy: fat!
At ease, and I’ll explain. The Army needs young Americans to take on the toughest job in the world — and plenty of recruits show up to volunteer. Unfortunately for Uncle Sam, 30% percent of would-be-soldiers who sign up for the armed services are too fat when they show up at the entrance station — and they don’t get in!
But, we are a nation of fighters, and the U.S. Army does not intend to lose this war on obesity. Defeat is not an option! The Army is advancing… constantly… in this battle of the bulge — and it will win!
Major General Thomas Bostick, head of the Army Recruiting Command, wants to start a “fat camp” for overweight recruits – putting them through a tough diet and fitness regimen to help them drop those pounds; they can proceed to basic training once they’ve achieved the Army’s weight and fitness standards.
And, once they lose the weight, those young soldiers will have no problem keeping off the pounds with their drill sergeant barking orders at them. Mission accomplished!
New Device for Non-Surgical Weight Loss Treatment
Imagine a weight loss treatment that requires no surgery… then imagine that it’s available on an outpatient basis. Fantasy, right? Maybe not — if the new Full Sense Device lives up to its promises.
Invented by Dr. Randal Baker, a weight loss surgeon in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the Full Sense Device is similar to the stents that surgeons use to open up clogged arteries. The mechanism is threaded through the patient’s mouth into the upper stomach using an endoscope, then expanded to full size.
By pressing against the bottom of the esophagus and the top of the stomach, the device creates a feeling of satiety – but unlike other weight loss surgery treatments that affect how much food a patient can eat, the Full Sense Device essentially tricks the brain into thinking the stomach is full.
Tests outside of the United States so far have yielded positive results. The first three patients to receive the implants lost 18 percent of their excess body weight in less than three weeks, with no complications so far.
It may be several years before the Full Sense device is available in the U.S., but if it is approved by the FDA, it could open a new era of safe, non-surgical weight loss treatment –and offer hope to the millions of Americans who need treatment for obesity but can’t afford the cost or and possible complications of traditional weight loss surgery. Add to that the fact that Full Sense is completely reversible, requires no incision, and could be implanted on an outpatient basis, and the future of this new technology looks bright.
DNA Forecasts Future Obesity
Researchers from Imperial College London, the French National Research Institute CNRS, and other medical institutions compiled the results of a decade-long European obesity study, which indicates that it may be possible to identify kids prone to obesity by looking at their DNA. This would allow parents and doctors to provide preventative treatment for children who show a high probability of becoming obese later in life.
The report identified three genetic variations in children that seem to be linked to weight problems. Researchers believe the first variant may be responsible for up to a THIRD of all childhood obesity, and the second may influence appetite. The THIRD variant controls the production of the hormones and certain amino acids that strongly affect the metabolism and a person’s ability to feel “full” after eating. Scientists believe this variant may account for 6 percent of early-onset obesity in children, and 16 percent of adult morbid obesity.
But, it’s still a little early to rush the kiddos to the lab for DNA testing. The researchers of the study point out that whatever impact DNA may have on your kids’ weight, it’s no excuse for allowing them to lead an unhealthy lifestyle. Feeding your kids an 800-calorie drive through mega-jiggly-meal four times a week is bad for them no matter what their genes say.
Couple Denied Adoption Due to Father’s Weight
In the U.K., a local council recently refused to allow one couple to adopt because the husband’s body mass index was more than 42 – categorizing him as morbidly obese. The council cited the man’s weight-related “health and lifestyle issues” as the reason for rejection the couple’s request. There was a similar case here in the States in 2007, when a family court judge ruled a man unfit as an adoptive parent because he weighed 500 pounds. Although the National Council for Adoption says that obesity itself does not disqualify someone as an adoptive parent as long as their weight does not pose undue risks to the child, the organization does admit that the long-term health risks associated with obesity can be a cause for rejection in certain circumstances.
In the U.S., anyone who applies to adopt a child is subjected to a lengthy home study by a licensed social worker, which includes a detailed investigation of their backgrounds along with the living conditions, health, security, and safety of their home. Some people will argue, of course, that weight should not be a factor in judging a given couple’s fitness to adopt, as long as they are capable of providing a child with a healthy, happy home. But, others point out that children should not be adopted into families where one or both parents suffer from a potentially life-threatening disease.
The Purpose of Pain. Have you ever asked yourself why weight loss surgery is so hard? This journey brings a constant slew of challenges, whether it’s qualifying for insurance coverage, dealing with the physical pain of recovery, or dealing with the rollercoaster of emotions months and even years after your procedure. In this episode of 90 Seconds to Success, host Craig Thompson assures us that there is a purpose to our pain. Only by experiencing the feelings of shame and the physical strains of obesity can we fully appreciate the freedom we have by losing the weight and learning to achieve emotional balance in our lives.
With more than 13 years of practice as an laparoscopic surgeon to his credit, Dr. Adam Smith is experienced, having performed more than 2,000 procedures.
Dr. Smith is Associate Clinical Professor in bariatrics at the University of North Texas, and is a member of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons, the Texas Osteopathic Medical Association, the Texas Medical Association, the Tarrant County Medical Society, and many other professional organizations. As a successful Lap-Band patient himself, Dr. Smith is highly committed to the total treatment of the bariatric patient and is a strong proponent of ongoing post-operative care.
Yvonne McCarthy, known by many as “Bariatric Girl”, is a public speaker, co-founder of RYD Obesity, and an active member of the WLS community. She joins the Weight Loss Surgery Channel as host of the talkshow WLS Journeys, speaking from the heart to guests who share how bariatric surgery has changed their life. Yvonne’s mission is to bring a message of hope to the millions of people who struggle with their weight, having experienced the challenges firsthand since childhood. Although merely “stocky” in her teens, Yvonne gained close to 30 pounds while in college, and another 60 pounds several years later after a bitter divorce. She continued to battle the scale for close to two decades, losing hundreds of pounds through diet and exercise, only to gain back the weight and more. When her mother died of cancer in 2000, Yvonne gave up the fight. But, the following year, she discovered new hope when she underwent Roux en-Y gastric bypass surgery and lost 130 pounds. Today, Yvonne is living the life she always envisioned. She is married to Texas radio personality Kevin McCarthy, her husband of six years and host of the Car Guy Show on WBAP News/Talk 820, and is happily pursuing her passions for animals, music and photography.
