Wednesday, June 30 at 6:30 PM
Join us on June 30 to replenish your closets at Barker Bariatric’s Clothing Exchange! No matter what stage you’re at in your weight loss journey, this event is designed to fill in the wardrobe gaps as you’re losing weight.
Ready to help others through their weight loss transition? Bring your gently used clothing to Barker Bariatric by tomorrow. Patients participating or donating items are free to shop around for their own clothing needs.
It’s free to attend the Clothing Exchange, and all donated items are available free of charge, as well!
It’s no secret that adolescents–both middle school and high school age–sacrifice sleep for studying and socializing. However, researchers are now discovering that this lack of proper sleep may be playing a role in teen weight gain–especially among males.
The study, conducted by scientists at the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children’s Research Institute, sampled over 700 teens. Findings indicated that the less sleep teen boys get, the more likely they are to be obese. The study also indicated that the sleep/weight gain relationship is even stronger for middle-school students than for high-school students.
Why is sleep so important? More research is needed, but scientists believe that lack of sleep leads to more environmental stress–which impacts the body’s metabolic system. When the metabolic system is out of order, weight gain can occur more easily. Researchers also hypothesize that young women manage environmental stress better, overall, so they’re less impacted by the sleep factor.
“We know that our kids need to brush their teeth and wear their seatbelts and be more active,” said study researcher Leslie Lytle. “I think research on sleep is now also showing that sleep is an incredibly important health behavior that has many implications beyond just being tired.”
For more information on the teen sleep/obesity connection, visit LiveScience.com.
Here at Barker Bariatric, we’re proud of our patients’ success. We also realize the critical role that family and friends play in supporting their surgical recoveries and lifestyle changes. To celebrate the opportunity we have to partner with hundreds of patients during their weight loss journey, we’re hosting an upcoming picnic and afternoon celebration at White Rock Lake. The gathering is a great opportunity to make new friends, hear inspiring stories and meet the Barker Bariatric team.
Details:
Join us on Saturday, June 5 at 11:45 a.m. We’ll gather at the Stone Table (near Barker Bariatric’s Lake Highlands Drive location) for barbecuing, outdoor games, prize raffles and more.
Call 1-888-One-DrBarker to RSVP–or email dawn@drwbarker.com. We can’t wait to see you there!
It’s no secret that attitude plays a significant role in our success–and weight loss success is no exception. According to Isabelle Berard, fitness and health enthusiast, “There is a difference between just being interested in doing something and engaging yourself towards it. It’s about your attitude!” Adopting this “can-do” attitude helped Isabelle lose 52 pounds in 5 months, and it can go a long way toward helping you achieve your goals, as well.
How can you maintain a healthy, proactive attitude in the midst of weight loss frustration? It’s not easy, but here are a few tips to consider.
- Write down your specific goals. Remember, instead of, “My goal is to not gain as much weight as I always do during the holidays,” word your goal in more positive terms. “My goal is to lose X pounds because I will be more healthy and can participate in new activities.”
- Select a fun event, like a family triathlon or an charity-sponsored walk. Plan to participate with a friend, and create a training schedule for the event.
- Many times, we say, “There’s no way I can lose all of this weight. I’ll never be able to change.” This time, make the decision to create your own outcome. Tell yourself, “There’s no reason why I can’t achieve my goal if I make good choices and enlist the help of qualified individuals, family members and friends. “
Finally, as you embrace your new attitude for success, here is something to keep in mind:
“Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.” ~Francesca Reigler
We all know that weight loss isn’t easy, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers against a gimmick designed to “inject” the fat away. Lipodissolve (also called lipolysis, lipozap and liptherapy), is an injection intended to permanently remove pockets of fat from the body.
Offered by medical spas around the country, lipodissolve is composed of drugs like phosphatidylcholine (PC) and deolycholate (DC), along with variations of herbal extracts and vitamins/minerals. According to the FDA, the medical spas offering these procedures are making “false and misleading claims” to consumers, since the product ingredients have not been proven effective in the dissolution of fat from the body. In addition, they have not been proven safe.
“We are concerned that these companies are misleading consumers,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “It is important for anyone who is considering this voluntary procedure to understand that the products used to perform lipodissolve procedures are not approved by FDA for fat removal.”
Some patients have also reported side effects after undergoing lipodissolve injections–ranging from skin scarring to painful, subcutaneous knots. Participating medical spas have received warning letters from the FDA (as of Apr. 7, 2010) for making false and misleading statements about their lipodissolve services/products, and consumers are urged to avoid these unproven procedures. You can find out the full story at the Consumer Affairs website.
Unlike “quick fixes” like lipodissolve, bariatric surgery is an FDA-approved way to lose weight. Barker Bariatric can help you determine the procedure that’s best for your body when you call 1-888-OneDrBarker today to schedule your comprehensive consultation.
