FirstHealth Weight Loss

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A.M.A. Recognizes Obesity as a Disease

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Vitamin B12

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Diet and Nutrition for Bariatric Patients

After bariatric surgery it is important to adapt your diet significantly. Since you will be losing weight rapidly, proper nutrition is essential to maintain lean body mass, hydration, and skin elasticity.

Nutrient needs vary from person to person. The physicians and bariatric dietitian at FirstHealth will help find the right diet for you. The primary nutrition goals after surgery are as follows:

Learn proper eating habits that will promote weight-loss while maintaining health

Consume adequate amounts of protein

Take adequate amounts of fluid to maintain hydration

Obtain adequate nutrients through and nutrient-rich diet and utilize vitamin/mineral supplementation if needed. 

Protein is an important part of post -surgery life. Protein is needed for healing, to maintain lean body mass, and to keep your immune system healthy.  For bariatric patients, it is recommended to consume at least 80-100 grams of protein a day.  For the first two to four weeks after surgery, patients are on a liquid only diet. Some examples of fortified high protein liquids are:

high protein broth

Eight ounce of skim milk with 1/3 cup nonfat dry milk

high protein jello

Whey or egg protein

high protein drinks

After several weeks patients will be evaluated and transitioned to puree textured foods, then soft foods and then back on to a regular diet.

Hydration, vitamins and minerals are the other important nutrients post-bariatric surgery. Body cells need water to function. If you don’t consume enough fluids or you can become dehydrated. It is recommended to drink 80-100 ounces of water a day. As for vitamins and minerals, depending on your medical history and surgical procedure, it may be recommended that you take multivitamins, iron, or calcium.

FirstHealth Bariatric Program offers nutrition education to patients enrolled in the program. For more information or to meet with the bariatric dietitian, call [phone]. Or if you are not a bariatric patient but interested in one-on-one nutritional counseling, please call [phone].

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Obesity, Weight-loss Surgery and Pregnancy

Does a pregnant mom’s health affect her baby? Simply put, yes. And one of the most common health problems these days are obesity and obesity related diseases such as heart disease. New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that a mother’s obesity while pregnant may increase her baby’s risk of heart disease.

Not only did the research show effects of obesity, but also the effects weight-loss surgery had on the unborn baby.  Marie-Claude Vohl, a professor at Laval University in Quebec City, examined the genetic makeup of 50 children who were born to 20 mothers before and after they underwent gastric bypass surgery. Researchers suspected that the genes of children born after weight-loss surgery would act differently than those born before, and they were right. Children born to mothers before weight-loss surgery weighed more, had greater waist and hip girth and had poorer metabolic health compared to their siblings. Children born after weight-loss surgery had better fasting insulin levels and lower blood pressure. This research is not definitive but has sparked a lot of interest and opens the door toward greater understanding of genes and weight.

So if you are planning to start a family, start your child’s health out right by taking care of yours first. To learn more about possible weight-loss options attend a free weight-loss surgery information session hosted by FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital Bariatric Center on the first Thursday and the third Monday of the month.

FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospitals Bariatric Center offers weight-loss treatment and support to patients in the Pinehurst, Raeford, Sanford, Lumberton, Laurinburg, Troy, and Rockingham regions of North Carolina. 

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Weight-loss Surgery: Side Effects

Back in January, Al Roker admitted to having an “unfortunate” accident at the white house. In interviews following, it was established that the myriad of side effects of weight-loss surgery are often swept under the rug.  You frequently see the positives of weight-loss surgery discussed and the amazing transformations. But rarely do you hear about the side effects of such a drastic lifestyle change. When researching if bariatric surgery is the right choice for your weight-loss needs it’s important to see all sides.

Possible side effects of weight-loss surgery include, but are not limited to the following:

Nausea and Vomiting – Nausea, vomiting or abdominal discomfort are usually due to one or more of the following.

                       Eating too quickly

                       Taking too large of bites

                       Not chewing enough before swallowing

                       Consuming too large a volume at one time

                        Eating foods that are two dry or tough

Dehydration – It’s important to drink two liters of water a day. It may be difficult the first few weeks but dehydration can lead to nausea and vomiting. Also, vomiting can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.

Food Intolerance – Patients may be intolerant to some foods after gastric bypass surgery. Foods that are dry, sticky, gummy or stringy present the biggest problems.

Dumping Syndrome – Dumping syndrome is a condition that can occur as the result of rapid emptying of the stomach contents into the small intestine. This is triggered when too much sugar or very greasy foods are consumed.

Changed Bowel Habits – Patients post-surgery may have smaller and fewer bowel movements, and constipation is quite common.

Cold Intolerance - Many patients feel “cold” after they begin losing weight. This is due to a change in metabolism and a loss of insulation body fat.

Vitamin Deficiency

The severity of side effects depends on the type of surgery, so it is best to speak with your doctor before committing to any particular procedure. Understanding more about the surgery, the positives and negatives, and talking to your bariatric surgeon will help you to effectively manage any weight-loss surgery side effects.

Bariatric Surgery Centers, such as the FirstHealth Bariatric Center in Pinehurst, NC, offer weight-loss surgery information sessions as a source of knowledge for people who are interested in bariatric surgery. These information sessions provide an opportunity for future patients to ask questions, talk to the physician and hear bariatric surgery success stories. This is a good opportunity to discuss the possible side effects.

FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital’s Bariatric Center offers weight-loss treatments and support to patients in the Pinehurst, Raeford, Sanford, Lumberton, Laurinburg, Rockingham, and Troy regions of North Carolina and beyond. 

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The staff at the FirstHealth Bariatric Center in Pinehurst, NC have been working hard and changing people’s lives through bariatric surgery. Weight-loss surgery has become a life altering event, more than just losing weight. Bariatric surgery has been proven to treat diabetes, which is affecting 20 million Americans, as well as other obesity comorbidities such as sleep apnea and heart disease. Moreover, weight-loss surgery gives people a second chance at life.

 However, weight-loss surgery is not for everyone. Weight-loss surgery is only a suitable weight-loss option for people who meet the following qualifications:

·         Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 40 or higher

o   Which is 100 pounds overweight for men and about 80 pounds for women

OR

·         Your BMI is between 35-40 and you have obesity co-morbidities, such as high blood pressure, severe sleep apnea or diabetes

AND

·         You are between the ages of 18-60

·         Have a history of failure to control weight through other methods such as diet and exercise.

*See if you qualify by checking your BMI*

If you qualify and would like to learn more about the weight-loss surgery options the FirstHealth Bariatric Center offers, you can attend a free weight-loss information session held on the first Thursday and third Monday of every month. You will get the opportunity to meet the physician, learn about the benefits of having bariatric surgery and hear success stories from bariatric surgery patients.

FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital offers weight-loss options and support to patients in the Pinehurst, Raeford, Sanford, Lumberton, Laurinburg, Rockingham, and Troy regions of North Carolina and beyond. 

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New Bacteria Found After Weight-loss Surgery Could Keep Obesity Away

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is one of the most drastic weight-loss surgeries in regards to rapid initial weight-loss. The logic behind gastric bypass is simple: rearrange the digestive tract so the stomach holds less and the food ‘bypasses’ part of the small intestine, allowing fewer calories to be absorbed. 

For many obese patients, especially ones with type 2 diabetes, gastric bypass has been the most successful surgery in regards to significant weight-loss and curing co-morbidities. Severely obese patients can lose up to 75 percent of their excess weight and live the rest of their lives diabetes free. However, the diabetes remission often occurs before the significant weight-loss. This has weight-loss experts and surgeons thinking that Roux-en-Y not only changes the anatomy but also metabolism or the endocrine system.

Studies published in March 2013 conclude that Roux-en-Y gastric bypass not only helps weight-loss by re-routing the digestive tract but also by changing the bacteria in the gut. The microscopic organisms, microbiota, in the gut are different in lean and obese people. But the mix of microbes changes after an obese patient undergoes gastric bypass and becomes more like the microbiota in lean people. Researchers did not know whether this microbial change, change caused by or involving microscopic organisms, was the cause or the effect of post-bypass weight-loss.

A new study conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University set out to find that answer. They did this by performing various surgeries on mice and testing whether it’s the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, surgery in general, or the microbiota that causes weight-loss. First they performed Roux-en-Y on obese mice. As expected they slimmed quickly losing 29 percent of their weight. Next they performed “fake” Roux-en-Y on other obese mice. The researchers made incisions as if they were going to do a gastric bypass, but instead connected everything up as usual. Lastly, the researchers transferred the gut microbiota from the Roux-en-Y mice to microbe-free obese mice. Results: the recipient mice lost weight and fat with undergoing surgery. However, obese mice that received gut microbes from mice that had “sham” Roux-en-Y did not slim down.

 This was the first experimental evidence that proves changes in the gut microbiota cause the weight-loss after gastric bypass, and that the new post-bypass mix of microbes can cause weight-loss in animals that have not undergone surgery.

“The effects of gastric bypass are not just anatomical, as we thought.” Said Dr. Lee Kaplan, senior author of the study and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “They’re also physiological. Now we need to learn more about how the microbiota exert their effects.”

This new discovery could open doors to the future of weight-loss surgery. Until then, this new “slimming bacteria” could be added to the benefits list for gastric bypass.

FirstHealth’s Bariatric Center offers Roux-en-Y gastric bypass as well as the adjustable gastric band and gastric sleeve procedures. You can learn about the benefits of each procedures by attending a free weight-loss surgery information session on the first Thursday or third Monday of every month. For more information call [phone].

FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital offers weight-loss treatments and support to patients in the Pinehurst, Raeford, Sanford, Lumberton, Laurinburg, Rockingham, and Troy regions of North Carolina and beyond. 

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Obesity: Causes and Cures

There is a new word consistently tied with the word obesity and it is epidemic. The United States has been encountering an obesity epidemic over the last few decades. The U.S. obesity rates have almost doubled since 1997 and are currently sitting at 35.7 percent with a projection of reaching 44 percent by 2030. Anywhere between 100,000 and 400,000 deaths per year are caused by obesity and obesity related diseases. Unlike other severe disease, we know the causes and the cures. 

Causes:

Though there is no one specific cause of obesity there are many behaviors that are strongly associated with weight gain. For example, according to the Cleveland Clinic, cultural, social and environmental factors affect eating behaviors in the U.S. Our culture could be considered social eaters. Sidney Mintz, professor of anthropology at John Hopkins University said, “Interaction over food is the most important feature of socializing.” Business deals over dinner, parties with hors d’oeuvres, sporting events with food stands; food is everywhere people are. Another recent change in our culture is lack of family meals. A lot of families have become so absorb with other activities, formal meal time has diminished, being replaced by increased snacking, which is linked to gaining weight. Other evolving behaviors include an increase of all our labor-saving devices. Our caloric intake remains the same but our physical demands have decreased making it very easy to gain weight.

On top of changes in our behavior as a society, the foods and drinks we love to consume are less than nutritious. Burgers, fries, sodas, just to name a few, are all high in fat, carbs, or sugar and are easy and attainable. Three different studies in the United States show a link between soda and fruit drinks to obesity.

Since the causes of obesity are well known, what is being done to fix or prevent a continued increase in obesity?

Cures:

The cure or prevention for obesity has been developing slowly because weight-loss efforts are situational. Depending on how overweight or obese someone is, depends on the type of method that will work best in helping them beat obesity.

For example, people who are moderately overweight prevention goes hand-in-hand with education. Strong anti-obesity efforts have been made by educational systems and state legislators by banning soft drinks and machine-dispensed snacks in certain school systems. Anti-obesity organizations have been popping up encouraging people to eat healthy and move more, such as Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign. Even local hospitals, like FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, have begun offering nutrition classes for better basic health.

If education and preventative steps aren’t working, weight-loss camps could be an option. Weight-loss camps or retreats, such as the FirstHealth Weight-loss Retreat, are commonly visited by people who are 30-50 pounds overweight, have struggled on their own and are ready to make a change. It is a two week long weight-loss camp where participants learn how to change their lifestyle to lose weight in a healthy way.  

As for people who obese to morbidly obese, weight-loss surgery is a safe way to lose extra weight. Obese to morbidly obese would be considered 100 pounds or more over your ideal weight. Weight-loss surgery has helped hundreds of thousands of people a year jump start their healthy lifestyle. It has also been suggested to help reduce or cure obesity comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension and high blood pressure. To learn more about weight-loss surgery options and see which one is the best fit for you, FirstHealth’s Bariatric Center hosts a free weight-loss surgery information session the first Thursday and the third Monday of every month.

Obesity has become a serious issue in our country. There are many different weight-loss options out there to help someone who is 30 pounds or 230 pounds overweight. FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital offers weight-loss options and support for people who live in the Pinehurst, Raeford, Sanford, Lumberton, Laurinburg, Rockingham, and Troy regions of North Carolina and beyond.

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Weight-loss Surgery Increases Pancreatic Function

Affecting 25.8 million people in the U.S. Type 2 diabetes is becoming an increasingly common disease. Diabetes is a disease in which one has high blood sugar. Diabetes can occur for three different reasons. One, the body does not produce enough insulin. Two, the cells aren’t responding to the insulin, or three, a mix of both. Insulin is a hormone in the body that helps store and use sugar. It is produced by cells in the pancreas called beta-cells.  With the body not being able to handle sugar to fuel the body, patients with diabetes can get very sick without treatment.  

                                  Recent studies show that weight-loss surgery is more effective in helping cure diabetes compared to medication only based solutions. Striking metabolic changes have been observed in the recent study conducted by Cleveland Clinic researcher Sangeeta Kashyap, M.D. an endocrinologist at Cleveland Clinic’s Endocrinology & Metabolism Institute and her colleagues. 

The Study

In a sub-study of the STAMPEDE (Surgical Therapy and Medications Potentially Eradicate Diabetes Efficiently) trial, researchers evaluated the effects of bariatric surgery and intensive medical therapy on bloods levels, body composition and pancreatic beta-cell function.

There were sixty patients in the study divided into three groups of twenty: patients who received medical therapy for diabetes, patients who received medical therapy for diabetes and gastric bypass surgery, and patients that received medical therapy for diabetes and sleeve gastrectomy. The patients had their metabolic parameters measured at baseline, at 12 and 24 months.

After 24 months, the study showed the group that underwent medical therapy for diabetes and gastric bypass surgery had the greatest increases in pancreatic function. 41 percent of patients who underwent gastric bypass saw their blood sugar return to near normal. Only 10 percent of patients who underwent gastric sleeve and 6 percent who received intensive medical therapy saw the same results.

“The sub-study results extended the findings from our initial 12 month report that showed bariatric surgery can eliminate the need for diabetes medication in many obese patients with uncontrolled diabetes.” Said lead investigator Sangeeta Kashyap, M.D. “Furthermore, we observed that gastric bypass can resurrect a failing pancreas.”

Moreover, researchers saw that patients who underwent gastric bypass saw a greater reduction in belly fat compared to patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy. Results indicate a correlation between a decrease in belly fat and the ability of the pancreas to start working again. The sub-study results show that gastric bypass is a viable option for the treatment of uncontrolled type 2 diabetes in moderately obese patients.

It is important to keep diabetes under control whether it’s through diet and exercise, medication, or gastric bypass. FirstHealth of the Carolinas offers a Diabetes Self-Management program that offers one-on-one counseling and group classes to help patients understand the disease. To learn more about gastric bypass surgery and other weight-loss surgeries to see if there is a viable option for you, please visit ncweightlosssurgery.org or attend a free weight-loss surgery information session on the first Thursday or the third Wednesday of every month.

FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital offers weight-loss treatments and support to patients in the Pinehurst, Raeford, Sanford, Lumberton, Laurinburg, Rockingham, and Troy regions of North Carolina and beyond. 

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Weight-loss Surgery: Gastric Sleeve

Located in the heart of North Carolina, FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital’s Bariatric team specializes in three types weight-loss surgeries. In previous blog posts, we have discussed the Gastric Bypass and Adjustable Gastric Banding procedures, today we will dive deeper into the Gastric Sleeve. 

What is it? A sleeve gastrectomy, also referred to as the gastric sleeve procedure, is restrictive surgery that removes 85% of the stomach. This procedure is helpful for patients who have health conditions that make restrictive/malabsorptive surgeries, such as gastric bypass, unsafe.

Like all bariatric surgeries there are certain requirements. The gastric sleeve weight-loss surgery requirements are:

Must be between the ages of 18 and 60

Must have a Body Mass Index of 40 or higher

Or

Must have a Body Mass Index of 35 with other obesity related conditions such has diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea etc.

Are you a candidate for weight-loss surgery? Check your BMI*

Procedure Note: Before deciding to have weight-loss surgery, you should discuss your medical conditions and any medication you are currently taking with your doctor.

The gastric sleeve procedure is a laparoscopic procedure where surgeons use staples to divide the stomach. The majority of the stomach is removed leaving a small sleeve shaped “new stomach”. There is no malabsorption or risk of dumping syndrome since the procedure does not reroute your digestive system. Within a year after the procedure it is common to have seen 30-60 percentage of excess weight lost.  After initial weight-loss the procedure way be followed by gastric bypass for greater results for extremely obese patients.

After the Procedure The hospital stay after a gastric sleeve procedure is commonly 1 day. Once you return home it is important to live an adjusted lifestyle that includes regular exercise and a restricted diet. For the first three days after surgery, patients cannot eat any solid food as they need time for the digestive track to heal. After the first few days, patients can transfer to soft foods for a few weeks and eventually to solid foods. Full recovery will happen within six weeks.

Risk Factors All weight-loss surgery options involve some type of risk and it is important to learn and understand all risks before deciding procedure is right for you. The risks for a gastric sleeve procedure include the following:

Stretching of pouch

Nausea

Hair loss

Constipation

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Leakage may occur at the site of stapling

If you are experience any of these complications you should speak with your doctor right away.

FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in partnership with Pinehurst Surgical offers treatment, support, and weight-loss tools to patients in the Pinehurst, Raeford, Sanford, Lumberton, Laurinburg, Rockingham, and Troy regions of North Carolina and beyond.  No weight-loss surgery is a quick fix. All procedures require a lifestyle change in order to be successful. 

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FirstHealth Center for Health & Fitness: Benefits of Exercise

There are major benefits to exercise and according to the Mayo Clinic they are weight control, combats health conditions and diseases, improves mood, boosts energy, promotes better sleep, and can improve your quality of life.

For bariatric surgery patients, exercise provides more benefit than those listed. Depending on which stage of surgery you are in, pre-operative, in hospital or post-operative, stage appropriate exercises can prepare the body for surgery, provide blood clot prevention, aid recovery, and increase fat breakdown and muscle mass.

Knowledge of how to work out properly and a lack of motivation are common road blocks people encounter on the road to becoming healthy. Luckily for you, FirstHealth offers the help you need to ensure optimal weight-loss after surgery, the FirstHealth Center for Health & Fitness.

With 63,000 square feet the FirstHealth Center for Health & Fitness – Pinehurst is more than just a gym. It not only offers the region’s largest free-weight area, innovative group exercise classes, aquatic center, swimming lessons, children programs, nutrition services and an on-site spa. But it is also staffed with personal trainers, fitness coaches and a licensed dietitian, to help you become a healthier and stronger version of you.

Post-operative patients from the FirstHealth Bariatric Center are entered into the FirstHealth Center for Health & Fitness’s Exercise is Medicine program where they receive a two-week pass to the Health & Fitness center to learn and work with exercise professionals.

To learn more about the services the FirstHealth Center for Health & Fitness please call [phone]. FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital offers weight-loss services and support to patients in the Pinehurst, Raeford, Lumberton, Sanford, Laurinburg, Rockingham, and Troy regions of North Carolina and beyond.

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Pros and Cons of Weight-loss Surgery

A lot of research is required to decipher whether or not weight-loss surgery is the right choice for you, let alone what type of weight-loss surgery is best for you.  There are many types of weight-loss surgeries and FirstHealth Bariatric Center offers three:

Roux-en-Y Divided Gastric Bypass

Adjustable Gastric Band

Gastric Sleeve

Each surgery has its own list of pros and cons that each individual considering weight-loss surgery should understand.

To learn more about which surgery is right for you, register for our free weight-loss surgery seminar.

The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass was named after the surgeon who first described the procedure, Cesar Roux. The procedure reconfigures parts of the stomach and intestine to resemble a stick Y-shape. The surgery reduces the capacity of the stomach so it only holds one ounce of food.

Pros:

Rapid initial weight-loss

Minimally invasive

Used successfully in the U.S. for many years

Minimal diet restrictions

No device implanted

Improves certain pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes

Cons:

Bypassed portion of digestive track leads to reduced absorption of essential nutrients

Lifelong nutritional supplements required

Not adjustable

Difficult to reverse

Higher mortality rate than other procedures

The adjustable gastric band is the only adjustable surgical treatment for morbid obesity. The procedure reduces the size of the stomach by placing a silicone band around the upper part of the stomach, which restricts the amount of food that can be consumed.

Pros:

Adjustable

Less invasive option

No stomach stapling, cutting or intestinal re-routing

Few problems with vitamin deficiencies than gastric bypass

Low malnutrition risk

Reduces hunger sensation

Short procedure time

Overnight hospital stay

No leaks/low complication rate

Cons:

Slower initial weight loss than bypass

Regular follow-up critical for best results

Not recommended for all patients

Device implanted

More frequent follow-up may be required

The gastric sleeve procedure has become an increasingly popular surgical option for weight-loss. “The Sleeve” is a restrictive surgery that permanently removes 85% of the stomach. This procedure is very common among people who have other existing health conditions that make restrictive/malabsorptive surgery less safe. The surgeon divides the stomach into two parts with staples. They will make one side into a narrow tube and the other will remain unused. When you eat, the food will travel through the narrow tube and since the tube can only hold a few ounces of food, it will make you feel full sooner.

Pros:

Overnight hospital stay

No re-routing of the intestinal track

Lifelong supplements not needed

Low complication rate

No risk of marginal ulcer, internal hernia

Fewer vitamin deficiencies than gastric bypass

Cons:

Not reversible

85% of stomach removed

Complications include staple line leak, staple line bleeding, stricture

It is important to do your research and meet with a doctor to determine which type of weight-loss surgery would be best for you. To learn more about the weight-loss surgery options offered by FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital attend one of our FREE weight-loss surgery seminars the first Thursday and third Monday of every month.

FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in partnership with Pinehurst Surgical offers weight-loss treatment to patients in the Pinehurst, Raeford, Sanford, Lumberton, Laurinburg, Rockingham, and Troy regions of North Carolina and beyond.

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