Obesity Expert Dr. Jeffrey Heit shares Obesity management news and commentary at ObesityHelpConnection.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116 http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116 http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/57322/weight-revisited Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:59:00 -0500 Dr. Jeffrey Heit About a year ago, I wrote a two part blog regarding whether or not there was a "magic pill" for people who suffer from obesity. I went down a laundry list of medications that have been approved for use to help people lose weight. Toward the end of the piece, I promised to keep readers updated about new drugs or interventions that appeared promising. There is some exciting research continuing in the obesity area. The most promising drug in at... http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/57322/weight-revisited http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/56522/sleep-deprivation Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:45:00 -0500 Dr. Jeffrey Heit A recent study showed that at least a third of Americans do not get enough sleep. What's enough sleep? While everyone is a little different, eight to nine hours nightly seems to be the most widely accepted amount. The obvious concern is that a third of us may be walking around sleepy, fatigued, irritable and stressed. A more insidious result of sleep deprivation, however, may be that it is contributing to the obesity epidemic.   Recent... http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/56522/sleep-deprivation http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/54504/obesity-conditions Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:21:00 -0500 Dr. Jeffrey Heit Many of you, who regularly read my blog, know that I encourage frequent visits to primary care providers to make sure your health is good and you have nothing that requires urgent medical attention. That said, many complain that "no matter what [they] do, [they] cannot seem to lose weight." While most of the time this represents failure of taking in fewer calories than are burned, there are rare instances where there is something wrong and... http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/54504/obesity-conditions http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/53937/types-obesity Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:17:26 -0500 Dr. Jeffrey Heit It's hard to believe that we live in such a super specialized society, that there are actually different types of obesity to characterize. Isn't fat just fat? Well, the quick answer to that question is- not really.   Different people have different body types. Similarly, different people can become obese in unique ways. How one person stores his or her excess fat may be different from how another does. It used to be that being heavy was... http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/53937/types-obesity http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/50971/stress-affect Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:22:39 -0500 Dr. Jeffrey Heit If you have a pulse, you breathe, and you live in the United States of America in 2008, there is no doubt that you have been stressed at one time or another. Some of us are stressed more often than others, and some are stressed more easily than others. Stress can have many effects on our bodies. Most notably, it increases the secretion of cortisol from our adrenal glands. Cortisol is also known as the "stress hormone." Among other things, it... http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/50971/stress-affect http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/49588/obesity-united Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:20:33 -0500 Dr. Jeffrey Heit With a historic presidential election now behind us, having elected the first African American to the White House, one would hope that disparities regarding race will slowly become a thing of the past. One area where there is an alarming disparity in the U.S. is the obesity epidemic, especially among women.   By some estimates, over half of all African American women are considered overweight and a full 37% of them qualify as being... http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/49588/obesity-united http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/44309/kids-obese Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:42:00 -0400 Dr. Jeffrey Heit Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past several years, you are well aware that there is an obesity epidemic in our country. Perhaps the most frightening aspect of the obesity epidemic is the prevalence of obesity in children. Studies have shown that childhood obesity has been linked to adult onset diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The obvious question is "why is this happening?"   Like most issues, there are many... http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/44309/kids-obese http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/44308/simplest-diet Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:41:00 -0400 Dr. Jeffrey Heit Many of us who are trying to lose weight and deciding which diet to try often overlook a painfully obvious source of calories- portions!! Our country has been inundated with large portions of just about everything, from "Super size" French fries to "Big Gulp" drinks that could supply a medium sized family for weeks. Often though, it's not as plain as that. It's a more subtle trap people tend to fall into.   Take the following examples.... http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/44308/simplest-diet http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/41835/obesity-genetic Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:12:11 -0400 Dr. Jeffrey Heit If our parents are overweight, is it more likely that we are destined to be overweight too? It sure seems that way sometimes. However, like most other health phenomena, it's much more complicated than that.   Let's go back in time about ten thousand years. When human beings were basically hunters and gatherers, it would not be uncommon to go long periods without eating. Even way past that era, when man relied on farming and was a more... http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/41835/obesity-genetic http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/41417/quitting-smoking Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:00:14 -0400 Dr. Jeffrey Heit Many patients I have had who are smokers lament about the "inevitable" weight gain that accompanies smoking cessation. Certainly, patients who are already overweight are concerned about more weight gain. The truth is, it is not uncommon to gain 5-15 lbs. once smoking has stopped- but is the weight gain truly inevitable? And, if so, what can you do about it?   First, we must understand why people tend to gain weight once they stop... http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/45116/41417/quitting-smoking