It’s not clear why the program did not work, but it doesn’t bode well for efforts to help the two-thirds of Americans who are overweight or obese lose weight. Most studies looking at how to help people take off the pounds suggest such just such a personalized, lifestyle-changing approach.

Alyson Littman of the Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center and colleagues looked at the VA’s MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans. 

Out of all the VA patients, 76,599 were classified as candidates for the program, based on their records, height, and weight. “A total of 3,192 (4.2 percent) patients participated in MOVE!,” Littman’s team wrote in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention journal Preventing Chronic Disease.

About half of these only showed up for one session. Those who showed up more often lost more weight but the effects also didn’t last much longer than a few months, on average. “Participants lost approximately 1 to 2 pounds during 6 to 12 months of follow-up,” Littman’s team wrote.

The program was intense and carefully planned, using dietitians, physical and recreational therapists, social workers, and mental-health professionals. Each participant had a tailored diet, exercise, and counseling regime. But most people did not stick with the program, perhaps demonstrating just how difficult it is to change lifestyle to lose weight.

Obesity in the military and afterwards is a serious problem. “An estimated 70 percent of veterans are overweight or obese, with a body mass index (BMI, in kg/m²) of 25.0 or more, consistent with the prevalence of overweight and obesity among demographically similar nonveterans,” Littman’s team wrote.

Being obese raises the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and several types of cancer.

“Weight loss as small as 5 percent can reduce the risk of chronic conditions associated with obesity,” Littman’s team wrote—and some other programs have worked better. The MOVE! Program worked about as well as other “real world” studies, however, Littman pointed out.

“Evaluating the effectiveness of MOVE! is challenging because it is not clear that the program was implemented as intended. Sustained and intensive treatments are associated with better outcomes,” her team added.

National Journal will examine the issue of overweight military personnel in more detail on Wednesday.

Want to stay ahead of the curve? Sign up for National Journal’s AM PM Must Reads. News and analysis to ensure you don’t miss a thing.

Germantown, MD (PRWEB) May 17, 2012

SupplementsToWeight Loss LLC – PharmaCo Labs announces addition of PhenObestin 37.5 to their line of products. PhenObestin 37.5, a non-prescription weight loss pill from PharmaCo Labs, is proven to help people lose weight as quickly as Phentermine or Adipex. However, unlike Phentermine or Adipex, PhenObestin 37.5 has no side effects.

Unlike other diet drugs, PhenObestin 37.5 does not contain any controversial herbs such as hoodia which may cause harmful side effects. Instead, PhenObestin 37.5 contains only safe, pharmaceutical-grade ingredients, produced in a cGMP-FDA compliant laboratory based in Indianapolis, IN.

The secret to PhenObestin’s effectiveness is the mixture of ingredients. One key ingredient is Phenylethylamine, the feel-good chemical in chocolate that boosts your brain’s dopamine levels while reducing your appetite. It increases the level of activity in your brain, and may help to reduce the mood swings and depression caused by dieting.

Another key ingredient is Theobromine Anhydrous, also from the cocoa plant, which increases metabolism. In fact, it increases metabolism even more than Phentermine does! In addition, it helps to cleanse your system of toxins and fatty deposits by acting as a diuretic, flushing water through your body to rinse away impurities.

As you can see, both of these ingredients offer important benefits to dieters. But the magic happens with the correct combination of the two ingredients. This potent combination not only reduces hunger, but you feel happy and alert while the pounds melt away.

Finally, Yohimbine 99% HCL is included to increase blood circulation, allowing the other two ingredients to more easily travel throughout the body and be absorbed where they are needed. This extract of Yohimbine bark helps to break down fat and, working in conjunction with the other ingredients, stimulate adrenoreceptors. This powerful ingredient attacks the stubborn pockets of fat in the belly and around your vital organs.

Other ingredients also stimulate fat burning and provide you with additional energy and mental clarity to offset the foggy feeling and lethargy so common to dieters.

The effectiveness of PhenObestin 37.5 is not purely theoretical. It has been on the market since 2009, and used by over 1 million people in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. As an over-the-counter drug, it has been used by many regular people, but it has also been used by a number of doctors for themselves and their patients. All of these users report that they have achieved positive weight loss results quickly and easily with PhenObestin 37.5.

The results seen by any individual will, of course, depend on their particular circumstances. The highest amount of fat loss is seen by people who are eating nutrition-packed meals of fresh fruits and vegetables such as salads or green smoothies, as well as exercising to build muscle mass. While the scale may not indicate overall weight loss, you’ll see and feel the difference as your clothing fits better, your waistline shrinks, and you no longer have flabby arms or legs.

The more muscle mass you add, the more calories you’ll burn, even when you’re not actively working out. So, while it may take longer to see results on the scale, you can be sure that there is important change happening inside your body. Once you stop adding muscle mass, the pounds will fall away even faster than they would have otherwise, and you’ll quickly overtake the people who haven’t been exercising for total weight loss achieved. Plus, it will be healthy weight loss, rather than the dangerous loss of muscle caused by crash diets that results in yo-yo weight loss and gain as your metabolism spirals downward.

Since exercising is so important to successful weight loss, dieters appreciate the added energy and focus available with PhenObestin 37.5. Getting to the gym or taking a brisk walk around the block no longer becomes an effort of willpower, but an enjoyable use of your healthier body.

For more information, contact Georgiy Kharchenko at 800-935-6312.

Please remember that buying prescription phentermine without prescription is illegal.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prwebbuy-phentermine/adipex-online/prweb9515460.htm

Most people recognize their Devils fairly easily. But there’s one Devil that can lurk quietly and unobtrusively in the background, undermining your best efforts at weight loss. This Devil is emotional eating. Almost everyone who has struggled with weight has experienced episodes of emotional eating. In fact, it’s so common and destructive that I believe it’s the major, largely unrecognized, cause of weight gain.

How do you differentiate emotional eating from normal, healthy eating? Emotional eating is eating that’s not prompted by hunger or social pressure. Rather it’s eating that’s prompted by feelings: sadness, anger, frustration or stress, to name a few. Complications in relationships with spouses, family, friends, children and coworkers can all cause emotional eating. Many of my clients describe emotional eating as a sort of out-of-body experience. “I was so angry after the fight with my husband that I finished the whole pint of Ben Jerry’s. I don’t think I even tasted it,” said one woman. “I was so upset that I then tore into the bag of chips and finished it off.” It’s distracted, mindless eating and it’s utterly unsatisfying. When you’re physically hungry, you can delay a meal for a while and make a reasonable choice about what to eat. emotional eating, on the other hand, is compulsive and often focused on a particular food (Hello chips! Bring on the ice cream!). Healthy eating makes you feel satisfied; emotional eating makes you feel guilty.

Comfort foods are like crack for emotional eaters, and carbs are usually their food of choice. Because what’s really at the heart of most emotional eating is a search for comfort and a longing to be soothed. Unfortunately the price of soothing yourself with a casserole of mac ‘n’ cheese is high, and failing to recognize emotional eating can make reaching your weight loss goals extremely difficult.

Emotional eaters typically eat when they’re sad, depressed, angry, worried, frustrated, ashamed or guilty. But any kind of change can stimulate feelings that prompt emotional eating. Divorce, death of a loved one, health issues, a problem with a child, a move… these events throw us off kilter and for many of us the response is to self-medicate with food. I recently had a client who gained over 20 pounds when her husband was diagnosed with a critical illness. Up until his diagnosis, she had always been slim. But it doesn’t take a major life change like a life-threatening disease or divorce to prompt emotional eating. The stress of raising children, work, financial worries, an argument with a coworker, even holidays or planning a vacation can push us over the edge and into a bag of chips or a big tub of hummus.

Loss of control is this Devil’s best friend. Almost any situation that feels out of your control can prompt you to eat. Many of my clients have told me that the very fact of being overweight causes them so much anxiety that they overeat. How frustrating is that? Here’s how one of my longtime clients, Suzanne, describes it:

“When I first met with Heather and she began to discuss emotional eating with me it was all I could do not to cry. I’d been struggling with my weight for a few years and it’s almost impossible to describe how depressed it made me. When my clothes were tight or I had to shop for new clothes for an occasion, I got so upset that I’d wind up just having some ice cream or pizza. It was almost as if I ate so I wouldn’t cry. But once I could step back and recognize how emotions were making me eat, the picture in my head changed and I regained some control. Just naming this issue — emotional eating — made a huge difference. Finally I could tell myself that I wasn’t hungry and didn’t want to eat and that I was just feeling bad or anxious about something. Only then did I begin to lose.”

You do not have to be victimized by emotional eating. The key words here are recognition and control. I’m going to help you recognize what’s going on in your mind that’s making you eat more than you want. We’ll take a look at some issues that plague emotional eaters. And then I’m going to give you some foolproof strategies that will help you gain control of your situation so the pounds will begin to disappear.

What Emotional Eaters Need to Know

THE EMOTIONAL EATER’S FOOD JOURNAL If you haven’t completed a few weeks of a food journal, now’s the time to work on it. Follow the suggestions there: Write down everything you eat and the time of day. In addition, you should add two notes to your journal:

• Make sure you make a note of how you’re feeling when you eat. Were you angry when you had that snack? Depressed at dinner? Lonely at bedtime? Here’s a list of emotions you might want to refer to throughout your week when identifying feelings that make you eat:
  
  Sad
  Frustrated
  Guilty
  Lonely
  Angry
  Ashamed
  Fearful
  Stressed
  
  Scan through your journal to determine if there’s a connection between negative feelings and overeating. If you’re an emotional eater you’ll probably discover that your moods have a big effect on what and how much you eat.
• Don’t forget to note the triumphs in your food journal. Emotional eaters sometimes find it too easy to denigrate themselves. So pause and record anything you’ve done that’s been a positive step forward to your weight goal. This might be walking to the store instead of driving; passing up on the breadbasket while out to dinner or reaching your daily water goal. Give yourself a break and a pat on the back.

TAKE A STEP BACK What’s stressing you? What are you anxious about? Sometimes there’s nothing you can actually do about a stress but simply by recognizing it you’ll reduce the pressure. Take a minute right now and make a quick list of the things that are stressing you. One client came to me after she started a new job and within four months gained fi fteen pounds. She couldn’t figure out why this was happening, and her weight gain was making her feel more and more anxious and helpless. In the course of our conversation it quickly became apparent that she was an emotional eater who was overwhelmed by the demands of her new boss. She was snacking constantly and just couldn’t find a way to stop. She told me that her “willpower had evaporated.”

The first thing I helped her understand was that she wasn’t suffering from a failure of “willpower” but rather from unremitting stress that made her turn to food for distraction and comfort. It was a tremendous help for her to make the connection between her anxiety about her new position and her eating. She had come to feel that her life was completely out of control. By our second session she was taking active mea sures to change her eating habits and soon felt calmer and more positive. While she couldn’t control her boss, she could control her reaction to her situation and her food intake. As she began to lose weight she also began to think about switching to another position within the same company that would be less stressful. She told me at our third session that she’d made the job move and now could remind herself, “You don’t want to eat; you want to relax.” This helped her to redirect her energies and avoid the snacking that had been tempting her.

Whether or not you can change the sources of stress in your life, it’s important to keep in mind that the one thing you always have control over is what you eat. This should be your mantra when it comes to emotional eating: I can’t control everything in my life, but I can control what I put in my mouth.

SET A GOAL AND REACH IT Nothing makes you feel more in control than reaching a goal, even if it’s a simple one. I suggest that clients start each day with one or two — you might even jot them down in your food journal. It may be food related, such as, “Today I’m going to have my healthy snack at 4 p.m. and then nothing until dinner.” Or maybe it’s work related, like, “Today I’m going to spend an hour working on that report that’s due on Friday.” Or it could be a family goal: “Today I’ll spend an hour with my toddler at the park.” Plan to succeed. When you do, you’ll boost your sense of confidence and you’ll find that everything in your life will seem more achievable.

Excerpt adapted from Bread Is the Devil by Heather Bauer and Kathy Matthews

For more by Heather Bauer, RD, CDN, click here.

For more on weight loss, click here.

<!–

Books by this author

–>

This Blogger’s Books from

Follow Heather Bauer, RD, CDN on Twitter:

www.twitter.com/heatherbauer_rd

“I had to sit down and use my fingertips,” she recalled.

Eleven months later and 51 pounds lighter, the 44-year-old Maroa woman not only can not put her socks on standing up, she also ran the DMH Wellness Center’s fourth annual 5K race in less than 30 minutes — faster Saturday morning than any other female weight management member.

“Last year at this time, I would have never been able to do this,” she said. “My joints don’t ache, I have a lot more energy, and I feel fabulous.”

Conway, who lost weight on the center’s New Direction program, was one of about 150 people who went the distance Saturday to set a new event record for finishers.

“It seems like every year we get more and more participation,” said Mike Stewart, supervisor the facility’s fitness center. “What makes our race unique is most of the categories are based not on age but weight loss.”

Conway, for example, finished second in the 51 to 100 pounds lost category.

Allison Orwako, a registered dietitian and wellness program supervisor, said about 70 people are enrolled in one of the center’s three weight management programs, and the members who stick with their program and change their lifestyle the most experience the most results.

“Your success is driven by yourself,” Orwako said.

Nonmember award winners Saturday were Jake Morgan, with a time of 23 minutes, and Tami Colclasure, with a time of 24 minutes, 23 seconds.

The overall member award winner was Gordon Stewart, 30, of Mount Zion, with a time of 27 minutes.

Stewart, a lab technician, works 12-hour rotating shifts at Tate Lyle and used to grab whatever food was most convenient.

Now he and his family prepare food ahead of time so it’s easier to make healthy choices.

“People are always bringing something sweet to the break room at work, and I’ve broken the habit of going to that,” he said.

Stewart has lost 70 pounds since starting the center’s New Direction program in January.

Here are the first-, second- and third-place member winners by weight-loss category:

- 101-plus pounds lost: David Fields, Gregg Scott, Tom Nolan

- 51 to 100 pounds lost: Gordon Stewart, Susie Conway, Suzanne Truitt

- 0 to 50 pounds lost: Steve Voudrie, April Hoffart, Lou Hollon.

tchurchill@herald-review.com|421-7978

Miami Lakes, FL (PRWEB) May 20, 2012

Quick Weight Loss Centers is pleased to announce the Grand Opening of their new South Florida location, located in Miami Lakes, Florida.

The Miami Lakes Quick Weight Loss Center is located in the Home Depot Shopping Center on Red Road (NW 57th Street) just south of Palmetto Expressway (SR 826). The Quick Weight Loss Center is on the south side of the shopping center and is conveniently located to serve the following areas: Miami Lakes, Miami Gardens, Opa-locka, Carol City, Palm Springs North, Hialeah, North Miami, Norland, Pinewood, Andover, and Miramar.

The Grand Opening of the new Miami Lakes Center is Tuesday, May 29th, and all programs and products are 20% off during the Grand Opening Celebration. No appointment is necessary. For more details, please call the Miami Lakes Quick Weight Loss Center at (305) 622-7500.

Miami Lakes Quick Weight Loss Center Contact Information:

Quick Weight Loss Centers

5612 NW 167th Street,

Miami Gardens, FL 33014

(305) 622-7500    

Since 2001, Quick Weight Loss Centers has been helping people in South Florida lose weight quickly and safely. Quick Weight Loss Center programs are individually supervised for the safest results, and nutritionally designed to develop proper eating habits for long term success.

Quick Weight Loss Centers‘ unique weight loss program is doctor recommended. Clients lose 3-7 pounds per week eating regular foods. Quick Weight Loss results are guaranteed in writing and a free consultation is offered to determine individual needs.

About Quick Weight Loss Centers

Quick Weight Loss Centers was founded in 2001 and, with 17 Quick Weight Loss Centers in Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and the Treasure Coast, has helped thousands of people in South Florida get to their goal weight. The personalized nutritional, quick weight loss programs provide up to 1,800 calories a day and ensure that members are satisfied while achieving optimum results. Quick Weight Loss Center results can range from 10 pounds to over 100 pounds with no amount of weight too small or too large. Visit http://www.quickweightloss.net for a free consultation. Or you can call their toll-free number at 1-877-977-THIN to reach the office nearest you.

Lynn Allen
Quick Weight Loss Centers
(954) 316-2151
Email Information

The fact that people are willing to try it — whether it’s a staple in the ear or a tube up the nose — underscores the seriousness of America’s long struggle with weight. After all, fad diets and trendy weight-loss programs have long been a national obsession. We don’t seem any closer to winning the battle, either.

According to a new study by theU.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States will continue packing on the pounds in the decades ahead, becoming a nation where 42 percent will be obese by 2030, up from 34 percent today.

Steve Siebold, a mental toughness coach and author from Boynton Beach, thinks America’s obesity problem has everything to do with its refusal to do the work necessary to lose weight.

“None of the [fad diets] work. None of them are going to work, because it doesn’t address the problem, and that’s self-discipline,” said Siebold, who trains Fortune 500 companies and their employees to diet through self-discipline. “There’s no logic to it. It’s just crazy, and it isn’t getting better.”

El Sanadi agrees that there’s only one real formula that works to lose weight and keep it off. “Eat less and be physically active,” he said. “It’s that simple.”

But dieters like Palm Beach Gardens‘ Lanell Fagan, who lost 14 pounds on the 10-day feeding tube diet, then two more a week later, say diet and exercise alone aren’t enough for many people.

Sometimes, it takes an extreme measure to kick-start the body’s metabolism and put someone on the path to a healthier lifestyle. That’s what Fagan said she’s found in the K-E diet, and she’s persuaded her assistant to try it, too.

“I think some people need the psychological benefits of looking in the mirror and seeing themselves thinner,” said Fagan, a former makeup artist who runs her own sandal company.

Here’s a glimpse at a few diets grabbing South Floridians’ attention.

K-E Diet

What it is: Developed in Italy more than six years ago but available in the United States so far only through Miami Dr. Oliver Di Pietro, this low-calorie formula of protein-rich, sugar- and carb-free ingredients is delivered through a feeding tube inserted in the nose continuously for 10 days. Dubbed the feeding tube diet, it is based on the low-carb, high-protein principles of the Atkins and South Beach diets. The K-E formula is designed to initiate a fat-burning process called ketosis. Dieters must carry the formula in a pouch and wear the feeding tube at all times throughout the 10 days and can only drink water, black coffee and unsweetened tea.

Here are some balanced diet plans and their recipes which can make you lose weight while having a flat tummy. You’ll be surprised with these delightful snacks too!

Chicken With Lemon or lime Grape Salsa

Healthy diet plans can be frustrating with this formula around. Try making the meal and see how fast and delightful weight-loss can be. Planning time is only around 19 moments.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skin free hen cut into sections (about 6 oz each)
1 dark red red grapefruit
1 cup sliced avocado (medium-sized)
4 radishes, very finely sliced
1⁄4 cup sliced clean tulsi leaves
1⁄8 tsp. salt
4 results in of green or red foliage lettuce (optional)

In a huge soup pot, place hen with 4 glasses salted water. Bring to a steam. Put off the warm, cover and set aside for 15 moments until the temperature reaches 160°F.

Peel the grape fruit and catch the veggie juice using a dish. Cut the grape fruit into sections and drop them in the dish. Add the radish, tulsi, salt and avocado. Mix carefully to avoid smashing the avocado parts.

Discard the liquid while depleting the hen. Cut crosswise in ½ inch parts. The grape fruit is cut into four sections and add a quarter of hen to each. Drop the veggie juice on top of the hen parts. Take with extra tulsi and offer with lettuce results in as preferred.

This formula assists four individuals and has 269 calorie consumption each. You may also eat the salsa with a cup of brown grain for an extra 108 calorie consumption.

Vietnamese Meat Salad

Protein makes up diet program because it keeps you from hungry. Rice can also be overlooked when consuming foods rich in aminoacids such as beef. The beef content in this formula has to be marinated. Overall, the preparation time is Half an hour plus the marinating of the beef component.

Ingredients

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1⁄4 cup fresh packed calcium juice
1⁄4 cup water
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoons machined garlic
2 tsp chile paste
1⁄2 weight of flank meat, fresh
6 glasses combined greens
1 cup clean tulsi leaves
1 cup clean cilantro leaves
1 huge red red onion, very finely sliced
2 huge seedless cucumbers, peeled and julienned
4 medium-sized green beans, julienned
1⁄2 cup sliced dry-roasted nuts (unsalted)

In a dish, combine water, glucose, calcium veggie juice, soy marinade, chile insert and garlic oil. Take the substances and add 3 Tbsps. into a “ziplock”. Chill the staying marinade. Add meat to the re-sealable plastic bag and convert to coat. Marinate for about Half an hour and set aside.

Heat the broiler and bbq grill meat for about 8 to 10 moments. Turn once and cook as preferred. Rest for 5 moments and piece the meat into slim parts.

Add tulsi, cilantro, and combined veggies into a huge dish. Spread the cucumber, green beans, and red onion. Top the cut up meat with the greens and drizzle with wearing. Serve with nuts for more taste.

This formula assists four individuals. Each offering has about 323 calorie consumption. You can offer this with a cup of seedless fruit for an extra count of 60 calorie consumption.see more healthy recipes http://www.dietsweightlossplanstips.com/beauty/healthy-me… also see http://www.allbizreviews.com

Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/11879428/1

Wouldn’t it be great if exercise were fun? Discover Zumba, an exciting dance-fitness program that’s more of a party than a workout.

Enjoy Latin-inspired music as you pump your legs, swing your hips, clap your hands and achieve a blended balance of cardio-and muscle-toning benefits in the process. Best of all, you can enjoy the Zumba experience even if you don’t know how to dance. Get fit. Have fun!

This four-week class will be offered at Christ Episcopal Church on Thursdays beginning June 7 at 10 a.m. Cost is $16, due at the first class (cash or check made out to “Friends of the Needham Elderly” or F.O.N.E.). Registration is required; to sign up, call 781-455-7555.

Instructor Louise Carbone has taught at the Newton and Waltham senior centers, the West Newton YMCA and Lesley. In addition to her certification in Zumba, Carbone has a triple black belt in Kenpo karate.

Students have said: “Our Zumba class with Louise was great. She realized most of us were new to Zumba so she took it real slow, introducing us to new, basic dance moves yet making it challenging enough so we got a great workout and also had fun.”

Please note: Depending on interest, this class will be offered on an ongoing basis.

THIS WEEK AND COMING UP

These programs are going on this week at the Stephen Palmer Senior Center or require registration this week. To sign up, call the Senior Center at 781-455-7555.

• Weekly Flicks—Watch “Singin’ in the Rain” (1952) on Friday, May 25 and “The Purple Rose of Cairo” (1985) on Friday, June 1 at 1 p.m. at the Senior Center. Friday Flicks are free, and there is no sign-up required. 
• Monday’s Lunch Bunch—Try someplace new, socialize and enjoy a good meal with Monday’s Lunch Bunch. The group meets at the Senior Center at 11:30 a.m. to board a van to the lunch destination. Coming up: A trip to Bamboo in Dedham on Monday, June 4 and a trip to Corrib Pub in West Roxbury on Monday, June 11. A suggested donation of $5 will be collected on the van. Participants also pay the cost of their meals.
• Book Review with Gail Rice—Monday, May 21, 1 p.m. Come discuss the book, “Clara and Mr. Tiffany,” by Susan Vreeland. This novel is based on the letters of Clara Driscoll, the leading light of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s women’s studio. There is no sign-up or fee for this event.
• Shred-A-Thon by Appointment—Looking to get rid of old papers but don’t just want to toss them in the trash? The Senior Center will host a shred-a-thon in the parking lot on Thursday, May 24 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Call to schedule a drop-off appointment. The first box of paper to be shredded is free; each additional box costs $5.
• State Rep. Denise Garlick Office Hours—Come talk with State Representative Denise Garlick about any questions or concerns on Monday, June 4 from 10:45-11:45 a.m. at the Senior Center. There is no need to sign up.
• It’s Friday Entertainment Live with Miyuki Otani—Friday, June 8, 1:30 p.m. Ms. Miyuki Otani, classical pianist, will present a concert of Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus, Claude Debussy and Alexander Scriabin. Otani was born in Japan where she began playing the piano at the age of three. She earned her Master’s of Music at the Boston Conservatory, winning the Concerto Competition award. She also performed as a soloist with the Boston Conservatory Orchestra at Faneuil Hall. She was featured live on Boston’s Fox Channel 25 morning news with renowned tenor, Carl Tucker. Currently, Otani’s primary residence is in San Jose, CA where she lives with her husband and to-year-old daughter Karen. Sign-up is required. There is no fee for this program.

FRIENDS’ JUNE TRIP: GARDNER MUSEUM AND LUNCH

By popular request: Come join the Friends of the Needham Elderly to see the new multi-million dollar expansion of the Isabella Stewart Gardner by Renzo Piano on Wednesday, June 20. The guided tour will include the Gardner Museum and the beloved Landscape, featuring the historic courtyard and the beautiful landscaping of the new wing. On site also will be three floors of galleries filled with paintings, sculpture, tapestries, furniture and decorative arts, all surrounding a blooming courtyard designed for all seasons. Cost is $65 (includes all tips).

Lunch will be included first at the popular Venezia on the Waterfront Restaurant. Choose from delicious Haddock, Chicken Parmigiana or Steak Tips. Coach departs at 10:30 a.m. from Linden Chambers, Linden St., Needham and 10:45 a.m. from the Senior Center. Coach returns at about 4:15-4:45 p.m. 

For reservations, call the Trip Desk at 781-455-7555, ext. 209, (full payment upon reservation). Please specify lunch choice and make checks payable to “FONE” and mail to Needham Senior Center, 83 Pickering St., Needham, MA 02492. (No refunds if cancellation is received within 10 days prior to departure, unless a replacement can be found.)

The group needs 30 passengers to operate, so sign up now to avoid disappointment!

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT SUPPORT GROUP

Are you fed up with your increasing weight? Do you reach for food when you’re bored, tired, stressed, or anxious, instead of when you’re hungry? This program will teach you how to make doable lifestyle changes to achieve your weight-loss goals. The five-week support group will be led by Pearl Pressman, a Certified Weight Management Consultant, who has lost more than 100 pounds. Pressman is a member of the National Weight Loss Registry and has worked as a Weight Watchers group leader. Sessions will be held on Mondays beginning May 21 from 12:45-1:45 p.m. Cost is $20, due at the first class. To sign up, call the Needham Senior Center at 781-455-7555.

LEARN SOMETHING NEW

• Lunch and Learn Lecture “Meditation Techniques for Beginners”—Wednesday, May 30, noon, at the Senior Center. Mary Jo Ricketson, BS, MS, will lead this lecture in honor of National Meditation Month. Learn how to begin and sustain a meditation practice that will allow you to experience many benefits including deep restful sleep, reduced stress, increased energy, decreased heart rate, breathing rate, muscle tension, and blood pressure. There is no fee for this program. Sign-up is required. Call 781-455-7555.
• Art Class for All Levels—Mondays, June 4 and 25, 9-10:30 a.m. at the Senior Center. Students should bring their own materials and ideas for projects. Each student will work on projects of their own choosing with guidance and suggestions from the instructor, Ramune Jauniskis. All levels are welcome. To sign up, contact Sherry at 781-455-7555. Fee is $8 for both classes.
• Art History: The Art of Illusions and M.C. Escher—Wednesday, June 6, 10:30 a.m. at Avery Crossings. The hand is quicker than the eye. Come take a look at the tricks of the art world from Da Vinci and Anamorphic art to Op art and the Magic Eye. This program will take a special look at the work of M.C. Escher, a Dutch graphic artist who was a master of the paradox, the tessellation, the dodecahedron, and grand manipulator of the basic laws of nature. There is no fee or sign-up required for this program.
• Lunch and Learn Lecture: “Pain Management in the Older Adult”—Wednesday, June 6, 11:30 a.m. at the Needham Senior Center. What causes pain and why do I have to experience it? Is it just an unpleasant part of aging? Am I the only one experiencing it? What can I do to stop it? (Hint: the answer to 3 is No!) The answer to these, and more will be shared in this presentation including: the definition of pain, myths debunked, what modern and alternative medicine can do to treat it, and how to be proactive about your own pain. There is no fee for this program. Sign-up is required; call 781-455-7555.

DANCE AND EXERCISE CLASSES

Get fit and learn something new with Council on Aging dance and exercise classes. Sign up in advance by calling 781-455-7555. Payment is due at the first class.

• Line Dancing Class—This five-week course will be held on Mondays, beginning May 21, from 12-1 p.m. at The First Baptist Church. Cost is $20. Instructor is Manny Correia.
• Senior Strength Exercise Class—This five-week course will be held on Mondays, beginning May 21, at 10:15 a.m. at the Senior Center. Cost is $20. Instructor is Pearl Pressman.
• Ballroom Dancing: “Swing”—This four-week class will be held on Tuesdays, beginning June 5, at 2 p.m. at the YMCA on Chestnut Street. Cost is $16. Instructor is Betty Hood.Please wear shoes that allow movement on a wood floor—not rubber soles.
• The Walking Club—If you walk two to four miles, a couple of days a week, then this walking club is for you. The walks are designed to offer variety. Participants will have an opportunity to walk with other walking clubs and explore trails outside the local area, with transportation provided. Upcoming walks include: Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Friday, May 25 and Wellesley College’s path around the pond on Friday, June 1.

DIABETES 101

• Diabetes Self-Management: An Evidence-Based Program—Thursday, June 7 at 1 p.m. at the Senior Center. This is an informational session to give individuals the details about an upcoming six-week workshop that will begin the following week in June. This is a chance to have questions answered. Individuals will also have an opportunity to register for the class at this session. Sign-up is required. There is no fee for this program.
• Diabetes Self-Management Workshop—Six-week workshop begins June 14 at 1 p.m. This program is grant-funded and there is no fee required. This workshop is for people with diabetes, pre-diabetes, or for people living with or caring for someone with diabetes. Participants will learn how to care for themselves and to prevent or delay the complications of diabetes. The emphasis is on healthy eating, meal planning, and physical exercise. Other topics include blood sugar monitoring and dealing with low blood sugar, foot care, how to deal with difficult emotions, stress, and depression, relaxation techniques, how to communicate better with your doctor, family and friends, keeping track of medications, and planning for the future. Participants will receive a copy of the book, “Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions.”

NEW GROUPS FORMING

• Singers wanted—If you can read music or can carry a tune, join this new group meeting on Tuesday afternoons from 12:45-1:45 p.m. at the Senior Center. Fred Shaw will lead the group in song and will provide the lyrics to songs old and new. Shaw said that his interest in music sprang from listening to barbershop and leaning to harmonize certain tunes. Shaw has performed for a wide variety of locations and audiences; however, he may be best known for his role as “Ring Master” of the mid-1960s television show “Bozo the Clown.” No audition required. Sign up is appreciated in order to have enough song sheets for all to participate. Call the Senior Center at 781-455-7555 to sign up.
• Low-Vision Support Group—The Low-Vision Support Group meets at the Senior Center on the third Friday of every month. The group provides an opportunity for newly blind and visually impaired persons to come together to discuss issues relating to their vision loss. The group addresses topics about how to use specialized equipment in the home or on the job; how to maintain independence, aging and vision loss, or the effects of vision loss on family and friends. If you need a ride, call the Senior Center at 781-455-7555

TRY SOMETHING NEW

• Computer Lessons—The Council on Aging offers computer lessons on Thursday afternoons by appointment. Those who would like to learn about computers in a one-on-one session with an instructor are invited to these classes. Lessons are offered on Thursdays from noon to 3 p.m. (by appointment). There is no fee for this class. To make a 45-minute appointment, call the COA at 781-455-7555.
• Creative Writing Group—The COA writing group meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Senior Center. All are welcome, and sign-up is not required. This writing group is for all levels. The class is not about using proper grammar. It is about capturing memories or stories on paper and most of all having fun. The class is facilitated by a published writer.

But in his only interview with a local newspaper, Dr. Oliver Di Pietro, the South Florida doctor who introduced America to what’s been dubbed the “feeding tube diet,” said the skeptics would get over their collective revulsion if they knew more about the proven science involved.

The diet’s signature staple: a tube that snakes up a person’s nose, delivering an 800-calorie-a-day, liquid-only diet of proteins and vitamins contained in a pouch that must be carried at all times, over a 10-day period. Nothing else can be ingested, except water, black coffee and unsweetened tea.

• Related

• 

  South Floridians fight battle of bulge in creative ways

• 

  10 major diet trends of the past couple decades

• Topics
• 
  
  Human Body
  
• 
  
  Weight
  
• 
  
  Science
  
• See more topics »

The typical patient will lose 10 percent of his or her body weight in that time, and keep it off by continuing a low-carb, high-protein diet, Di Pietro said.

The K-E Diet may be new to the United States, he said, but it has helped more than 57,000 patients in Europe lose weight and keep it off for six years now — “without a single incident of infection, bleeding or broken tube.”

Developed by an Italian surgeon who is also a University of Rome professor, the K-E Diet (which stands for Ketogenic Enteral Nutrition) is based on the same principles that have made the South Beach and Atkins diets such a hit: the use of a low-carb, high-protein regimen to send the body into the rapid weight-loss state of ketosis, where it burns fat but not muscle.

“It seems like a fad,” said Dr. Nabil El Sanadi, chief of emergency medicine for Broward Health, adding to the chorus of skeptics that have responded to the diet with doubts and derision. “In Italy somewhere, it must be very cool to walk around with a tube in your nose … but I can’t even imagine saying, ‘Oh, I want to try that.’ “

Plenty of South Floridians, though, are saying just that. Di Pietro said he has 10 to 15 patients a week on the diet, despite its $1,500 cost.

Lanell Fagan, who runs a high-end sandal design company, is one of the K-E Diet’s converts.

Throughout the 10-day diet, she strutted around Palm Beach County with her K-E pouch tucked into a Gucci bag, ignoring the stares at the tube in her nose and confident she was giving her body not just the nutrients it needed but the “reboot” it had long required. To the critics, she says: “I’ve never felt better in my life.”

After shedding 14 pounds in 10 days, Fagan said she dropped two more in the two weeks since, even while on a three-day cruise.

“I don’t crave carbs, I don’t crave alcohol, I don’t crave wine, and those were all staples in my life,” said Fagan, who had been trying for three years to lose the 30 pounds she gained after knee surgery. “This could become the best diet you’ve ever come across.”

But is it safe?

El Sanadi has his doubts. Using a feeding tube in such unorthodox fashion — not to feed sick people but to restrict someone’s diet — carries significant risks, he said. Typically, intubated patients are monitored in a hospital setting around the clock, allowing medical professionals to quickly adjust if the patient displays any negative effects, such as dizziness or irregular heartbeat.

“If it’s a one-size-fits-all [formula], the danger definitely exists” for complications such as bleeding, irregular heartbeat or possible kidney or liver failure, he said, adding that wearing a tube for 10 full days could cause the tissue of the nasal and esophageal passages to erode, leading to inflammation, sores and infection. Studies on the effects of feeding tubes also have noted the occasional risk of choking, since the tube prevents the esophageal sphincter from closing, allowing debris and acidic fluid to seep into the throat.

Di Pietro has heard it all before.

“When I first heard about this from my wife, who is Italian, I thought it was baloney, too,” said Di Pietro, a fellow of the American College of Physicians who is trained and certified in the fields of internal medicine, anesthesiology and family medicine.

But after he went to Italy, studied Dr. Gianfranco Cappello’s diet closely, then lost weight on it, “I knew I had to bring it to my patients,” Di Pietro said. “I promise you I would not bring this to my patients if it were not safe and doctor-monitored.”

Two weeks ago, Cappello presented his first study on the diet at an obesity conference in France, reporting that 15,444 of his patients kept off 85 percent of the weight they had lost on the K-E diet for at least one year. Because the study is so new, it has not been published or peer-reviewed, but Di Pietro calls it “very compelling data that cannot be ignored.”

Insisting the diet is “not a one-size-fits-all,” Di Pietro said the formula is adjusted to the needs of each dieter, and he monitors his K-E patients every three days. None have exhibited complications from the feeding tube, he said. And all patients are medically screened ahead of time; those with kidney disease, heart problems or serious health or mental illnesses are not candidates.

“We have an obesity epidemic in this country, and doctors need every safe tool available to help their patients lose weight,” the doctor said, adding that the K-E Diet is safer than other more socially acceptable yet invasive procedures like bariatric surgery. “Being overweight is a deeply emotional and painful issue for millions of people. People feel like they are failures because they cannot control their weight or stick to a plan. This helps them get a serious jumpstart that they find very motivating.”

Paolo Cometto, 50, of Miami, went to Di Pietro last year with circulation problems, high blood pressure and borderline diabetes, tipping the scales at 260 pounds. He just completed his second round of the K-E DIET, losing a total of 41 pounds and six pant sizes. He’s stayed on a low-carb, high-protein diet, and reports that his health and energy have returned and he doesn’t have the appetite for the gluttonous meals he once favored.

“Before, if you gave me a whole bowl of pasta, I’d eat the whole bowl. Now I can only eat a few bites,” Cometto said. “It’s stimulated my metabolism in a new way.”

Di Pietro said the diet works for both biological and psychological reasons. It shrinks the stomach and kickstarts a faster metabolism, and seeing a slimmer figure in the mirror is strong motivation to pursue a healthier, more active lifestyle.

“When you shove something down your nose and you’re wearing this thing for 10 days, those are massive commitments,” Fagan said. “This isn’t a quick fix. It’s a reboot to your lifestyle.”

Di Pietro is confident the critics will lose their steam once they learn more about a diet he says is saving his patients from the anguish of excess weight.

“When Botox was introduced, people couldn’t believe a toxin was being injected into a patient’s face,” he said. “It’s about acceptance, and you will see that the medical community will grow to accept this as it has in Europe.”

nbrochu@tribune.com

The fact that people are willing to try it — whether it’s a staple in the ear or a tube up the nose — underscores the seriousness of America’s long struggle with weight. After all, fad diets and trendy weight-loss programs have long been a national obsession. We don’t seem any closer to winning the battle, either.

According to a new study by theU.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States will continue packing on the pounds in the decades ahead, becoming a nation where 42 percent will be obese by 2030, up from 34 percent today.

Steve Siebold, a mental toughness coach and author from Boynton Beach, thinks America’s obesity problem has everything to do with its refusal to do the work necessary to lose weight.

“None of the [fad diets] work. None of them are going to work, because it doesn’t address the problem, and that’s self-discipline,” said Siebold, who trains Fortune 500 companies and their employees to diet through self-discipline. “There’s no logic to it. It’s just crazy, and it isn’t getting better.”

El Sanadi agrees that there’s only one real formula that works to lose weight and keep it off. “Eat less and be physically active,” he said. “It’s that simple.”

But dieters like Palm Beach Gardens’ Lanell Fagan, who lost 14 pounds on the 10-day feeding tube diet, then two more a week later, say diet and exercise alone aren’t enough for many people.

Sometimes, it takes an extreme measure to kick-start the body’s metabolism and put someone on the path to a healthier lifestyle. That’s what Fagan said she’s found in the K-E diet, and she’s persuaded her assistant to try it, too.

“I think some people need the psychological benefits of looking in the mirror and seeing themselves thinner,” said Fagan, a former makeup artist who runs her own sandal company.

Here’s a glimpse at a few diets grabbing South Floridians’ attention.

K-E Diet

What it is: Developed in Italy more than six years ago but available in the United States so far only through Miami Dr. Oliver Di Pietro, this low-calorie formula of protein-rich, sugar- and carb-free ingredients is delivered through a feeding tube inserted in the nose continuously for 10 days. Dubbed the feeding tube diet, it is based on the low-carb, high-protein principles of the Atkins and South Beach diets. The K-E formula is designed to initiate a fat-burning process called ketosis. Dieters must carry the formula in a pouch and wear the feeding tube at all times throughout the 10 days and can only drink water, black coffee and unsweetened tea.