extra calories sometimes sneak up on us over the winter holidays. They don’t always arrive in the form of large portions of calorie-laden food. Rather, they may tiptoe in through many tiny tastes throughout the day.

Let’s look at “Holly Day’s” food diary for one day and view how those “tiny tastes” can add up. Calories are approximate and will vary, depending on brand, recipe, exact serving size, etc.  

Taste 1

OOPS! I broke that cookie removing it from the baking sheet. I’ll just eat the half that didn’t get all crumbled up. I deserve it for getting up early to bake these cookies before heading to work.

Approximate Calories: 30 calories

Taste 2

Someone brought holiday candy to work today! I’ll just have one small piece of the peanut brittle.

Approximate Calories:  80 calories

Taste 3

It’s mid-afternoon and I still haven’t eaten lunch. I need to pick up a few things at the grocery store before I swing through a fast food place for a quick bite. The grocery store is offering food samples – I’ll just eat a little cracker with spread to tide me over until I get to lunch.

Approximate Calories: 40 calories

Taste 4

The fast food place is giving out 1/4 cup samples of its special flavored holiday coffee. I can’t pass that up!

Approximate Calories: 20 calories

Taste 5

Still a couple of hours to go at work before I head to that holiday dinner tonight. I think I’ll check out the break room to see if any more goodies have shown up. Some chocolate-covered cherries have appeared! Chocolate is good for you, right? I’ll just have one.

Approximately Calories:  60 calories

Taste 6

It’s a great dinner party, but maybe I shouldn’t stand near the snack table before the meal starts. I’m now dipping my third chip.

Approximate Calories: 75 calories

Taste 7

Who can pass up old-fashioned eggnog? I’ll just have a half cup.

Approximate Calories: 200 calories

Taste 8

There are just a couple of tablespoons of candied sweet potatoes left. Someone should enjoy them – it might as well be me!

Approximate Calories: 60 calories

Taste 9

The nice thing about helping dish up dessert is you can take a little “preview” taste — using a separate tasting spoon, of course! One heaping tablespoon of candy cane ice cream coming right up!

Approximate Calories: 70 calories

TOTAL TASTING CALORIES FOR THE DAY: 635

If comparable types of “tiny tastes” are continued throughout the holidays, it might be possible to gain as much as a pound a week! On average, an additional 3,500 calories above your body’s needs can lead to a weight gain of a pound.

Maybe that tiny taste isn’t so small after all …

Are you struggling with your weight? Join Dr. Keith McEwen of Riverview Bariatrics for a free information session about the Lap-Band System.

Information seminars are designed to give prospective patients the opportunity to learn more about obesity surgery options, such as the LAP-BAND® System, and speak with both clinical professionals and patients.

A free information session will be held on Wednesday, Nov 4  from 6 to 7pm at Riverview Rehab & Fitness, 14535 Hazel Dell Parkway, Carmel.

Space is limited. To register or for more information, call 705-4355. Visit riverview.org for future dates and times.

Obesity Fact Sheet

“Obesity itself has become a life-long disease, not a cosmetic issue, nor a moral judgment — and it is becoming a dangerous epidemic.” Robert H. Eckel, M.D., vice chairman of the American Heart Association’s Nutrition Committee

Definition
Obesity is now recognized by leading government health authorities, such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH), as a disease. This chronic disease is caused by any one or a combination of environmental (social and cultural), genetic, physiologic, metabolic, behavioral and psychological factors. ,

• The most common measurement for obesity is Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is calculated by dividing body weight (lb.) by height in inches squared (in2) and multiplying that amount by 704.5. The metric calculation for BMI is kg/m2. Weight-loss surgery is recommended as a treatment option for persons with obesity that have: 1) a BMI ≥ 40 or 2) a BMI of 35 to 39.9 with serious medical conditions.
• BMI 25 to 29.9 kg/m2 – Overweight
• BMI 30 to 34.9 kg/m2 – Obese
• BMI 35 to 39.9 kg/m2 – Severely Obese
• BMI 40 kg/m2 and up – Morbidly Obese

Prevalence
• Obesity is a growing national epidemic. From 1976 to 2004, the percent of adults (age 20 to 74 years) in the United States who were obese (BMI ≥ 30) more than doubled from 15 to 32.9 percent.
o For 2003-2004, 66.3 percent of adults ≥ 20 years were overweight or obese (BMI ≥ 25)
o For 2003-2004, 4.8 percent of adults ≥ 20 years were morbidly obese (BMI ≥ 40)5

Impact
• According to the Surgeon General’s “Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity” report, the estimated cost of obesity in the United States was $117 billion in 2000. This estimate includes the direct costs associated with obesity and its related co-morbidities, such as preventative, diagnostic and treatment services, as well as indirect costs including the value of income lost from decreased productivity or lost days of work.
• Obesity is considered the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States.
• Obesity appears to have a stronger association than smoking or problem drinking with chronic medical conditions, reduced health-related quality of life and increased health care and medication spending.
• People who are significantly overweight or obese often face serious health consequences including increased risk for premature death, risk for other serious health issues, such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and sleep apnea. ,
• According to a study published in Personnel Psychology, obese people are subject to job discrimination and frequently stereotyped as emotionally impaired, socially handicapped or possessing negative personality traits.

Relevant Data
• According to a report published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, data strongly supports surgical treatment as a superior option to pharmaceutical or diet options for weight loss and to help control co-morbidities associated with excess weight like Type 2 diabetes and hypertension in morbidly obese patients. ,
• The National Institutes of Health reported that people who remain in weight-loss programs usually lose about 10 percent of their body weight, but regain as much as two-thirds of it in one year and almost all of it within five years.
• According to the Diabetes Prevention Program, Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed by managing weight through diet and exercise.
• Intentional weight loss and physical activity in obese patients can improve or prevent many of the obesity-related risk factors for coronary heart disease according to the American Heart Association.
• More than three-quarters of obese Americans say they have healthy eating habits and about half say they exercise three or more times a week, according to a survey conducted by Thomson Medstat, a Michigan-based health care research firm.
• According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly two-thirds (62%) of American adults report they never engage in any leisure-time periods of vigorous activity lasting 10 minutes or more per week.

The LAP-BAND TOTAL CARE™ Program represents a standard of excellence in the assessment, treatment and ongoing care of adjustable gastric banding patients. If you are interested in this life-changing procedure, you can be sure that LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System surgeons and their teams are highly trained in weight loss (bariatric) surgery. And, they are all dedicated to successfully treating your unique needs and concerns with respect and dignity.

The LAP-BAND TOTAL CARE™ Program, developed by Allergan based on the worldwide experience with the LAP-BAND® System, is a comprehensive set of clinical and operational “best practices”. What does this mean for you, the patient? It means that your LAP-BAND® System Bariatric team can access the LAP-BAND TOTAL CARE™ tools they need to give you the best care, information and support possible, anywhere. These tools are designed to support surgeons and patients throughout the lifestyle and body image transformation, from your first contact with the front desk to your day in the operating room and ultimately to your long-term weight loss success.

Dr Keith McEwen will be selecting patients with lower BMI for a short study on Single Incision Surgery for Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding. Candidates must meet all program requirements and agree to intense follow up with the Lap Band System for Weight Loss. For More information log on to: www.lapbandindiana.com

WEIGHT LOSS SEMINAR ON JULY 9 AT 6PM. CARMEL INDIANA WEIGHT LOSS.
ENROLL WITH CCONWELL@ECOMMUNITY.COM OR CCONWELL@RIVERVIEW.ORG

Dr. Keith McEwen, medical director of Riverview Bariatrics, is approaching his 18 year of service to patients.  Since beginning the LapBand System and adjustable gastric banding procedures, he has assisted over 400 patients lose weight, regain hope, and improve their health.  After leaving Community Bariatrics, Dr McEwen began his own private program, Indiana Obesity Center, to focus completely on adjustable gastric banding for safer weight loss options.  The weight loss results speak for themselves.  Visit lapbandindiana.ning.com to meet patients of Lap Band Indiana.

Dr Keith McEwen performed the first laparoscopic adjustable gastric band at Riverview Surgery Center in Noblesville. Dr McEwen has worked diligently for months with a hand chosen team of nurses and staff to provide optimal patient care and services. Dr McEwen was confident that under his tutelage, a specialized Bariatric Team could be designed. Our first patient is doing well since surgey on March 5. If you would like to learn more about Indiana Obesity Center or lapbandindiana, please log onto lapbandindiana.ning.com to speak to LapBand System patients!

On May 5, 2009, Dr Keith McEwen is scheduled to perform the first outpatient laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding procedure at Riverview Hospital.  The procedure will be the LapBand System designed for a safer surgical solution for obesity.  Dr McEwen has been working intently with the specialized Bariatric Team at Riverview.  Please log onto http://www.riverview.org  to learn more about the program to aid residents in Indiana to achieve better health through weight loss. 

Dr. McEwen is a proctor for Allergan, maker of the LapBand System.  He is very excited to provide the Lap Band System through Riverview Hospital.  Riverview Hospital will provide a resource for patients who are in need of in patient care or if insurance carriers deem that the procedure must take place in an inpatient setting.  Dr. McEwen has been performing Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding in the Ambulatory Surgery Center, Indiana Surgery Center Noblesville since June of 2006.   He originally began his bariatric program at Community Hospital North and was the first surgeon to perform LapBand System surgery at both Community Hospital Bariatrics and Indiana Surgery Center Noblesville.  He has been on the forefront of bariatric adjustable gastric banding with his expertise in laparoscopy.  Indiana Obesity Center is the only LapBand Total Care Program in Indiana which is disguished on patient outcomes.

Scott Viera has joined the office of Dr Keith McEwen as Bariatric Team Coordinator.  Scott will be assisting patients through their weight loss journey.  Scott has a vast knowledge of insurance and will be an assett to those bariatric patients who are pursuing insurance payment for their weight loss surgery. 

Indiana Obesity Center has also enlisted the resources of the Professionals at Riverview Health and Fitness Center to assist us in optimizing patient’s weight loss success with exercise.  The Riverview Fitness Professionals have a variety of techniques and resources to provide a safe start for Bariatric Patients to begin to improve their cardiovascular health prior to surgery.

Please log onto www.lapbandindiana.com to learn more about our program, Dr Keith McEwen, and Indiana Obesity Center.