CNN report on obese people who live in Alabama who are penalized on insurance premiums for being overweight. This plan was implemented as a means to motivate people to lose weight. However, some feel that this is nothing more than a fat tax.
This video is a rebroadcast of this report.
Bod Pod
For years now nutritionists and health care providers have relied heavily on using a technique that determined a person’s body fat based on height and weight. This system applied to both men and women. Unfortunately for many this system is not entirely accurate. It is equally important to know what kind of weight people carry as well. Are they a lean 225 lb or a flabby 180 lb or someone who is very thin and weighs 100 lb.
Body density testing really identifies how much a person is made up of actual fat and how much is lean mass, which includes muscle and bone. Many pro football players, if tested using the standard method for BMI, would show up as being obese or extremely overweight. We know of course this is not the case. So how do you accurately measure a person’s body composition? Some have used skin calipers to measure subcutaneous fat on specific spot of the body. Others have used hydrostatic weighing which is very hard to do.
One new method seems to offer the most accurate measurement of body composition which uses air displacement plethysmograph. This system developed by Life Measurement, Inc. is proving to be extremely accurate and easy to do. They call it the Bod Pod.
Some of the things this new device can measure are:
Accurate whole-body density measurement
Accurate measure for Thoracic Gas Volume (TGV)
Accurate measurement on fat and fat-free mass, Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), and Total Energy Expenditures (TEE).
This test can be safely tested repeatably.
Is safe and non invasive.
Simple to use for the subject and operator, requires no special licenses.
It can be used with any subject type, including children, elderly, the obese and those with physical disabilities.
To learn more about Obesity and Body Mass Index Testing contact Puget Sound Surgical Center today.
Hello everyone,
We hope the new website and blog will create greater communication and community for those who are in our program. If you have a question that you want me to answer, you are welcome to use this site or send me an email. Our other staff are also open to questions, so don’t be afraid to ask.
Most of you who have been with us for the past 2 years have seen the tremendous growth to the program. As the program grows we want to maintain that personal touch that you have seen. We are open to hear any concerns you may have and if you have ideas for solutions, that would be appreciated as well. Periodically, you will be receiving updates regarding new services at PSSC. This site will be an opportunity to exchange ideas and hear about upcoming events/news.
Many of you know we have an office and program in Bellingham. Our office is located next to the Bellwether Hotel at the Harbor in Bellingham. It has many of the components that you see in our Edmonds office. Cincy Tobiason, RN is our nurse coordinator there. We also provide dietary and psychological support locally and of course provide a place to have gastric band adjustments. We are doing our surgeries at Pacific Rim Outpatient Surgery Center next to St Joseph Hospital. If you know people in B’ham who are wanting weight loss surgery, I hope they would consider coming to PSSC.
I want to let you know about the Walk from Obesity march this September. This is to help create awareness about obesity by raising support for education and research. You can go to the website at walkfromobesity.com to learn more. We will need lots of volunteers to make this successful and those who are interested in helping will need to let us know soon. We are putting together a committee in May.
I hope to hear from many of you soon. It has been a wonderful experience seeing you get your life back. I never imagined that with one operation that we could treat so many diseases. More importantly many of you are doing things that you never could imagine doing. I am glad to be a participant with you in that.
Take care,
Peter Billing MD