Philadelphia Eagles Lineman Max Jean-Gilles

Bigger is not always better, even in pro football.  Just ask Philadelphia Eagles lineman Max Jean-Gilles.  Max has always been a big guy, even as a youth he was uncommonly large. However, his size allowed him to excel in football since he was quick on his feet as well.  

Fast forward some years later and his bigness continued to get bigger, and not in the best possible way.  After a successful career playing for the University of Georgia, Max was picked up by the NFL which landed him with the Philadelphia Eagles.  Unfortunately, he began to get injured, as a result of his weight.  He was continuing to put on more and more weight which was having it’s affects on his ability to play.

He had reached a pinnacle of 400 lbs and was quickly  being removed from any plan the Eagles originally had hoped for him.  In desperation, he knew he had to do something or risk losing his career altogether.  However, diets didn’t do it for him, no matter how much he tried he just couldn’t take off the additional weight.  Then one day his wife, Maggie, suggested that he look at surgical weight loss options.  This ended up saving his carreer and possibly his life.

Max chose a minimally invasive procedure using a gastric band.  An adjustable gastric band, also marketed under the name of  Lap-Band, is surgically inserted around the upper portion of the stomach which, when properly adjusted, restricts food intake helping people to curb their appetite and eventually lose weight.

According to Max, food had always been his weakness.  He would love to eat a whole bucket of chicken throughout the day.  Now after surgery he quickly fills up and has lost his ability to gorge himself.

Now three months later after surgery and 50 lbs lighter, he just completed Eagles summer training camp  surviving the cut and is ready for the new season.

The original article can be found here on Fanhouse.

Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy

Recently, surgeons performed a new minimally invasive weight loss procedure through the mouth of the patient.  This is the first time that bariatric surgeons have used this type of technique.  A medical team at USC, San Diego Medical Center operated , performing a vertical sleeve gastrectomy on a woman through the mouth.  They successfully removed 80% of the stomach without modifying the natural flow of the intestinal tract.  This has shown to be successful in helping patients lose the majority of their excess weight.

The vertical sleeve gastrectomy helps patients lose close to 2-4 pounds a week of excess weight.  This new form of surgery, for the vertical sleeve gastrectomy, incorporates two  minimally invasive procedures.  Both laproscopic surgery and natural orifice endoscopic surgery. The benefit being that both procedures are used to reduce scaring and increase recovery with less complications.

The process utilizes a small puncture type incisions in the abdomen for inserting laparoscopic instruments into the body cavity.  An endoscope is inserted into the mouth and down the throat to divide the stomach into it’s desired size.  With a smaller stomach size people will become satisfied quicker and end up eating less – resulting in less caloric intake and eventually weight loss.

This weight loss procedure through the mouth is less invasive than traditional gastric bypass surgery, however, some health risks still apply, including blood clots and leaking.

The number of weight loss surgery options continue to evolve leaving patients with reduce scaring, the total cost of recovery reduced and not feeling hungry.

This includes the following services:

• Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy
• Roux en-Y bypass
• Gastric Banding Procedures
• Program includes affordable prices for day surgeries
• Complete surgery education and coaching
• Same-day surgery with one to two week recovery time including further education and monitoring
• Post-surgery appointments scheduled for remote dialogue and training over five years.

For any additional questions about our out of town weight loss surgery program call the office at (877) 548-2424

Medical scientists have differentiated multiple kinds of fat which release hormone cytokines. These cytokines can cause inflammation in the body which can affect a woman’s memory. The accumulation of thigh fat has a high concentration of cytokines and may also contribute to the formation of plaque in the blood stream, which restricts blood flow to the brain, and be linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

The BMI continues to be the primary testing standard in most health agencies because it’s inexpensive and easy to do.

A recent study published by the Journal Pediatrics, suggests that a relatively easy and understandable measurement could be used in place of the BMI which uses the neck circumference as a determinate for total body fat.

More often than naught, a wide neck is often related with obesity type conditions like diabetes, sleep apnea and hypertension. It has also been studied for potential obesity related problems like heart disease as well.

The primary issue of the BMI method of testing for body fat is that it doesn’t properly measure the central fat. However, using the BMI method is a good start and then utilizing other methods to either backup or question it’s findings.

In a race to develop drug therapy treatments, several pharmaceutical companies are close to releasing versions of their weight loss pills for obese patients with diabetes. Orexigen Therapeutics Inc the makers of Contrave, Vivis Inc. the makers of Qnexa and Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. the makers of Lorcaserin, are all attempting to bring new obesity drug treatments to the market with a FDA regulatory decision expected in the fall of 2010 on the feasibility of approval.

Initial studies have proven to be promising with patients losing as much as 5% of their body fat during the initial studies. Besides losing weight, patients also received the benefit of reducing their blood glucose levels as compared to placebo test groups.

These initial findings show the potential for drug therapy on obese patients to help control their weight as well as their blood sugar levels.

Eating breakfast
Exercise and Dieting
Wear a pedometer to make sure you are walking at least 10,000 steps a day
Getting a good nights rest

Learn more in this video.

Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery Cook Book

Berry Blend Sparkler

A Berry Blend Sparkler is a fruity tasting drink that is healthy, refreshing and a sure choice for any lunch or dinner beverage,.

Combine one packet of Berry Blend Drink Mix with your choice of either 8 ounces of diet 7-up soda or diet seltzer into a blender. Blend on low for 10 seconds, and then serve over ice. You may garnish the beverage with a fresh mint if you desire.

Nutritional Information for Berry Blend Sparkler

Calories: 100
Protein: 15g
Carbohydrates: 7g
Fat: 1.5g

Sweet Potato Fruit Patties

For a super sweet dish “Sweet Potato Fruit Patties” is a must. This dish is very delicious, it is also both diet-friendly and post-bariatric surgery friendly.

In a single dish, combine one package of Vanilla Creme Pudding with 1/2 cup of cooked sweet potato that has been mashed, (canned sweet potato’s work as well), with 1/2 of a mashed banana, two tablespoons of crushed pineapple, one teaspoon of cinnamon, and a 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg into a mixing bowl. Combine ingredients by mixing and then flatten batter into five patties. Over medium heat, cook each patty in a frying pan until golden brown and crisp. Top with artificial sweetener or sugar-free maple syrup, and serve.

Nutrition Information for Sweet Potato Fruit Patties:

(per serving)

Calories: 216
Protein: 14g
Carbohydrates: 38g
Fat: 3g

Creamy Spinach Chicken

This rich creamy chicken and garden vegetable combination is ideal for any lunch or dinner meal, and is both diet and post-bariatric surgery friendly.

Bringing four ounces of water to a boil and add in one package of Cream of Chicken Soup with Vegetables, add in either one cup precooked frozen leaf spinach or broccoli, and an 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder. Stir well and let thicken. Pour sauce mixture over two ounces of pre-cooked, boneless chicken breast.

Nutritional Information for Creamy Spinach Chicken

Calories: 202
Protein: 34g
Carbohydrates: 13g
Fat: 2.5g
Fiber: 5g

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

For a wonderfully delicious desert we start with one packet of Chocolate Pudding with Marshmallows and Chocolate Chips. Prepare the pudding according to the package directions. When finished, open up a package of Golden Butter Pretzels and proceed with dipping each pretzel into the prepared pudding and then placing it on a sheet of wax paper. Then, freeze your chocolate covered pretzels for 40 minutes, and serve.

Nutritional Information for Chocolate Covered Pretzels

(per recipe (15-20 pretzels per package)

Calories: 200
Protein: 24g
Carbohydrates: 16 g
Fat: 4 g
Fiber: 5 g

The study is in direct contradiction of the idea that in Europe, poverty results in starving people. This is in direct contrast to some African countries where the least expensive foods are also the least nourishing, lacking proper calorie intake – resulting in starvation. However, in Europe and other western cultures, the least expensive foods are also the most calorie dense so the impoverished are more at risk to becoming obese.

Healthier food, by contrast, are more expensive, and during the current global recession many of the poor have been forced to eating processed starches like pasta and rice as a common everyday staple – which once consumed is converted to sugar. A continual diet of starch causes the body to store fat and increases the desire to eat as well – perpetuating the rise in obesity.

The food choice of the poor, out of necessity, has also been responsible for an increase in Type 2 related diabetes. With the continual global increase in health care costs and a projected increase in obesity related illnesses, society needs to wake up and pay attention to this fact and look for alternatives ways to properly feed the poor or pay heavily later to treat the affects of obesity as it relates to their diets.

An astounding sixty six percent of patients studied were labeled obese due to a new measurement called dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry or DEXA for short. Before being measured only 20% of the study patients were categorized as obese using the BMI method.

These findings were presented at the American Association of Clinical Endocarinologists meeting in Boston, MA.

According to one researcher, who labeled the BMI as the “Baloney Mass Index,” stated, “It’s very likely that obesity is a much bigger epidemic than the 300 million people that are determined to be obese by the World Health Organization.” Right now roughly 23% of all Americans are considered obese by their Body Mass Index. If the ratios remain true, from the test subjects of over a 1000, the percentage could be as high as 60%.

The BMI method relies strictly on math to calculate a formation of excessive fat in the human body. The DEXA scans, however, use a direct measurement of the body fat percentage. The system can spot fat exactly in every part of the body.

This system is particularly effective for those that are considered thin but unfit. This condition is known as normal weight obesity, from which a persons BMI is fairly low but they have a high percentage of body fat compared with other body mass tissue like muscle.

This thin but unfit condition produces higher risk of cholesterol problems, including hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.