What can you do if you suffer from acid reflux? Dr. Gregg Jossart says that the weight loss following bariatric surgery improves the symptoms of heart burn. Other than losing weight, some of the recommendations to improve symptoms of acid reflux are: try not to eat within 3 hours of bedtime, consume smaller meals more frequently and don’t overeat. Additionally, acid reflux sufferers should try to pinpoint personal triggers – perhaps chocolate, caffeine, or high-fat food–and avoid them. Smoking and consuming alcohol can also trigger symptoms and should be reduced or eliminated.

Obesity is a risk factor for many diseases and health conditions. You can visit our website to learn more about Oregon Weight Loss Surgery’s surgical weight loss program.

According to a statement from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), Gastric Plication  be should be considered an investigational weight loss procedure because there’s currently not enough data available on its safety and efficacy. However, some clinical studies have shown that patients lose 40-70% of their excess body weight in the year after Gastric Plication surgery and comorbidities may improve or resolve. We will continue to update you as there is additional information available about this new, investigational procedure.

The findings indicated that men typically gain 3.4 pounds in their first year of college and women gain an average of 2.4 pounds. Only 10 percent of college freshmen put on 15 pounds, so the vast majority did not experience the “Freshman 15.” The data also showed that compared to same-age peers that did not attend college, the typical freshman gains only a half-pound more. The researchers found that instead of a spike in weight during the freshman year, college students experienced moderate but steady weight gain during and after college, with women putting on an average of seven to nine pounds, over the course of their studies and men on average 12 to 13 pounds. The study authors concluded that while we do gain weight as we get older, it is not the college environment in itself that leads to weight gain – it is becoming a young adult.

While it is typical to gain weight as we age, it is important to maintain a healthy body weight. Millions of people worldwide are overweight or obese. Being obese puts you at risk for several diseases and conditions, such as high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes. Learn more here about obesity and treatments such as weight loss surgery.

Dr. Kaplan concluded his presentation by revisiting what is already known about obesity: that it has a negative impact on health and that bariatric surgery is an effective therapy for obesity, diabetes and other comorbidities. However, many severely obese people are not receiving surgery, so it is important to develop additional therapies. You can read more about the course, including details on the four main drivers of obesity,  here.

Participation in courses like those at the ASMBS Fall Event is so important to bariatric surgeons who want to stay on the cutting edge of research, and have an opportunity to collaborate with other leading surgeons.

We are very proud to announce that Dr. Emma Patterson was named in a recent Newsweek issue as one of the Top 15 Bariatric Surgeons in the United States, and the only one named from Oregon.  Among some of the criteria that Newsweek considered when choosing the surgeon’s for this list was: board-certified, recognized center of excellence, and recognized leader in the field of bariatric surgery.

With over 11 years of experience and having performed over 2200 laparoscopic weight loss operations, Dr. Patterson is a highly respected and experienced surgeon.  She is passionate about helping her patients achieve a healthier, more active lifestyle with nutritional counseling, fitness evaluations, medically supervised weight loss, surgery and on-going follow up care.

Dr. Patterson contributes to research such as the National Institutes of Health funded LABS consortium (Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery).  She is involved in developing and evaluating new technology and techniques available to patients, and was recently the first in the world to perform a micro laparoscopic gastric banding procedure with tiny instruments through incisions the size of freckles.

Dr. Patterson is available for consultation at the Oregon Weight Loss Surgery Portland location by calling 503-227-5050.

Dr. Rubenstein’s show, New Reflections, starts at 9am Pacific Time and features a variety of all things aesthetic. From skin care products to treatments with injections to surgical options we’ll discuss anything and everything in the world of aesthetics, health and beauty.

Please tune in to hear what is new in weight loss surgery! Here is the link for your convenience: http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1832/new-reflections . 

We will post a copy of the interview after it has been aired, so stay tuned for more information!

What can be done to prevent the extra pounds from packing on at such a young age?

Research has shown that in order to give children the healthiest start possible, all babies should be breastfed. Breastfed babies are less likely to be overweight or obese during childhood and are less likely to suffer from respiratory and ear infections, type 2 diabetes, and even Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, and many other health organizations recommend that babies are breastfed for the first year of life; however, very few are breastfed at the year mark. In fact, according to a comprehensive report about obesity released last month, only about 13 percent of mothers in the United States are breastfeeding exclusively at six months. With the continuing findings highlighting the importance of breastfeeding and its relationship to body weight, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s has outlined steps for care-givers and hospitals to encourage successful Breastfeeding.

The Baby-Friendly Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding

1. Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
2. Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy.
3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
4. Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth.
5. Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they are separated from their infants.
6. Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breast milk, unless medically indicated.
7. Practice ‘rooming in’ to allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.
8. Encourage breastfeeding on demand.
9. Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants.
10. Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic.

Here’s how hospitals have done on those suggestions between 2007 and 2009.

Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future and motivation to turn your vision into reality – you are in control.

A useful way of making goals more powerful is to use the SMART mnemonic (always write goals down!):

S – Specific(or Significant)
M – Measurable (or Meaningful)
A – Attainable (or Action-Oriented)
R – Relevant(or Rewarding)
T – Time-bound (or Trackable)

Keep operational goals small - Keep the low-level goals you’re working towards small and achievable. If a goal is too large, it can seem that you are not making progress towards it.

Set realistic goals - It’s important to set goals that you can achieve. All sorts of people (for example, employers, parents, media, or society) can set unrealistic goals for you. They will often do this in ignorance of your own desires and ambitions.

Be precise - Set precise goals, using dates, times and amounts so that you can measure achievement. If you do this, you’ll know exactly when you have achieved the goal, and can take complete satisfaction from having achieved it.

Set performance goals, not outcome goals - Take care to set goals over which you have as much control as possible. It can be quite dispiriting to fail to achieve a goal for reasons beyond your control!

If you base your goals on personal performance, then you can keep control over the achievement of your goals, and draw satisfaction from them.

Set priorities - When you have several goals, give each a priority. This helps you to avoid feeling overwhelmed by having too many goals, and helps to direct your attention to the most important ones.

State each goal as a POSITIVE statement - Express your goals positively – “Execute this technique well” is a much better goal than “Don’t make this stupid mistake.”

For more information visit www.mindtools.com

Because of positive and sustainable weight loss results seen with bariatric surgery, researchers decided to investigate how exactly surgery works in relation to the hormones that control appetite and regulate body weight. The researchers found that the gut hormone ghrelin acts differently in response to weight loss from surgery versus pounds shed through dieting. When one diets, ghrelin levels rise, leading to feelings of hunger. Even if weight loss is achieved through diet, ghrelin levels remain high, and feelings of hunger continue, even after eating. After gastric bypass surgery, on the other hand, ghrelin levels fall significantly.

Dr. Patterson explained that this decrease in ghrelin is not seen after all types of weight loss surgery, saying “unlike the drop in ghrelin seen after gastric bypass, those who undergo gastric banding experience a drop in their hunger, but not in ghrelin. This may be because ghrelin communicates with the brain differently after this surgery.” She added that if we can understand how these surgeries work, we may be able to put whatever that ‘thing’ is in a pill, replicating the results of the surgery using drugs.

Also interviewed for this article was Dr. Sunil Bhoyrul, who concluded that “as a result of weight loss surgery, we finally are beginning to understand the physiology of weight loss better than we’ve ever understood it before.”