Florida Hospital Best in Care: Women and Children - Fall 2011 - (Page 6)

Not only did Mark Beck lose 166 pounds through weight loss surgery, but he also improved his overall health. EVENT OCT IS WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY FOR YOU? Join us at 5:30 pm, October 25, for a FREE presentation at Florida Hospital Celebration Health. Cynthia Buﬃngton, PhD, explains how surgery can help treat obesity, reverse diabetes and lower blood pressure. Reserve your seat by calling (407) 303-BEST (2378). Healthy refreshments provided. insulin shots. Now, he sleeps through the night and is a healthy 234 pounds. Unexpected Surgery helped Mark Beck say goodbye to excess weight — and diabetes. Gain Mark Beck has been an electrician since graduating from high school in Astatula in Lake County. When the economy dried up, his boss brought him into the office to a desk job. Eventually, he was laid o . All the while, Mark, 36, saw his weight balloon to more than 400 pounds. His blood pressure and Keith Kim, MD, Bariatric Services cholesterol rose, and he developed sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes. He tried all kinds of weight loss programs. Nothing worked. “I knew I only had a few more years to live,” Mark says. “I was depressed, but I had to do something.” In October 2010, Mark underwent bariatric surgery. Almost immediately, Beck was rid of the pills and TWO BIRDS, ONE STONE Once seen as a cosmetic tool, bariatric surgery (the umbrella name for several types of weight loss surgery) is becoming more common as a means for resolving serious health issues like type 2 diabetes. “It’s archaic nowadays to think that this is for cosmetic reasons,” says Keith Kim, MD, co-medical director, Metabolic Medicine & Surgery Institute, Florida Hospital Celebration Health. “These are people who have severe health problems that impact every aspect of their lives.” In an age when the two biggest threats to national health are the twin troubles of obesity and diabetes, having one surgery that resolves both could be a lifeline for many Americans. The recognition that bariatric surgery has a far greater health impact than weight loss alone, such as a signiﬁcant improvement or remission of diabetes, has led to the widespread adoption of the term “metabolic surgery.” Health organizations — including the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association — are suggesting the surgery for diabetics with lower body mass than was originally recommended. Dr. Kim feels the scientiﬁc evidence is there to support bariatric surgery as an e ective and safe treatment option for diabetes and thinks it will soon be considered a ﬁrst line treatment option for obesity-associated diabetes. “The most important reason to have this surgery is because people want to be around for their kids, their grandkids and for the important times in their lives,” adds Dr. Kim. “Diabetes is a severely debilitating disease and this is an e ective treatment.” HEALTHY 00tips Foods with less processing and fewer ingredients are, generally, the healthiest for you. Try to ensure the bulk of your diet comes from natural foods. GET BACK TO BASICS 6 For questions or to RSVP to events, call (407) 303-BEST (2378).

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Florida Hospital Best in Care: Women and Children - Fall 2011

Florida Hospital Best in Care: Women and Children - Fall 2011
Playing It Safe
6 tips to reduce your breast cancer risk
Bariatric surgery may resolve diabetes
Minimally invasive treatment for endometriosis and infertility
Events Calendar

Florida Hospital Best in Care: Women and Children - Fall 2011