Archive for December, 2009

Alarming US study on middle-aged, overweight women

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Research data has been gathered from more than 120,000 female nurses over a period of 34 years. The study showed that the maintenance of a healthy weight throughout adulthood may be vital to good health as we get older. In fact, women who put on weight as they approach middle-age stand an 80% less chance of enjoying a healthy old age. The researchers found that for every 1kg of weight gain from the age of 18, the odds of a healthy old age decreased by 5%.  Obese women with a BMI over 30 were 79% more likely to develop a chronic disease as they aged, compared to women with a BMI of 25 or less.

British Medical Journal

NOSC View

This study confirms what we have known all along. Control your weight and the chances are that you will live a fuller, healthier life. We all know how the excess pounds affect your quality of life and as we approach middle-age we start to develop aches and pains, joint problems and our general mobility starts to suffer. Life just isn’t as much fun as it used to be! We have found that many women use the gastric balloon at this point in their lives, to improve their lifestyle.

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Nursing Auxilliary from Scotland loses 12 stone

Monday, December 7th, 2009

When they realised her job was on the line, Elaine McLoughlin’s family clubbed together to pay for her gastric band surgery. At 25 stone and a size 38 she couldn’t even walk 100 yards. She was desperate to lose weight and had tried diets and slimming clubs, but as a comfort eater, she always regained the weight she had lost. She was so obese she was terrified she would die. Following her gastric band surgery Elaine lost over 12 stone and is now a size 14. She said “the love of my family has saved my life” 

NOSC View 

Thankfully, Elaine’s mother and sisters were able to give assistance with paying for her gastric band. This has turned Elaine’s life around. Scotland is one of NOSC’s busiest areas for the placement of gastric bands and gastric balloons and many of our patients have similar results to Elaine.

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Fad Diets Are Making Us Fat

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

Professor Chris Hawkey, president of The British Society of Gastroenterology  has warned that if we carry on as we are, nine out of ten adults will be obese by the year 2050.

Speaking at the Gastro 2009 conference, he suggested that  fad diets are making us fatter. He said “In the whole of human history there has never been anything quite like this. If current trends continue, obesity will be the main cause of death and the biggest cause of liver disease. Fad diets, such as high carbohydrate or high protein plans, can be extremely unhealthy and won’t work in the long term. Weight loss aids, such as appetite suppressants, may produce short term results but the weight soon creeps back on”.

Daily Express

NOSC View

NOSC patients are, without exception, yo-yo dieters. The majority have tried many different ‘diets’ over the years and they have all ended up much heavier than they were in the first place. It could be said that they have dieted their way up in weight. At the point in their lives where they choose the intervention of a gastric balloon or a gastric band, they have come to realise that the only way forward is to get off the diet bandwagon once and for all.

The vast majority of people who have a gastric balloon inserted or a gastric band fitted, embark on a life changing mission. They find that they can control their portion sizes, they can change their behaviour around food, they don’t have to starve themselves and they can gain control. As they lose their weight, they will follow a healthy, nutritional diet but will also learn how to enjoy ‘forbidden’ foods in moderation.

At last – no more diets!

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