Obesity Surgery Can Help Treat Type 2 Diabetes Say Washington, DC Bariatric Surgeons

Washington, DC — Thanks to two recent studies published in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers and surgeons have established a tangible link between bariatric surgery and the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Doctors with the Bluepoint Surgical Group, a team of bariatric surgeons in Northern, VA and Washington, DC, say the new findings suggest weight loss procedures are the most effective therapies for type 2 diabetes in obese and morbidly obese patients and should be considered sooner and more often by patients battling with the disease. The Bluepoint Surgical Group says it is encouraged by the results of these trials and hopes they help patients find the most successful treatments for type 2 diabetes on their return to a healthier life.

As the first head-to-head studies to compare bariatric surgery versus medical therapy, The New England Journal of Medicine reports that bariatric surgery procedures such as gastric banding or gastric sleeve have proven to be superior to medical treatment such as pharmaceuticals in producing the remission of type 2 diabetes. One study, conducted by the Cleveland Clinic, shows within one year type 2 diabetes remission rates with bariatric surgery were 40%, compared to 12% for patients treated with the best pharmacotherapy available. A similar two-year study from the Catholic University of Rome, Italy and New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center experienced remission rates of about 85% for bariatric surgery (75% gastric bypass, 95% biliopancreatic diversion) and zero for medical therapy in patients with BMI greater than 35. Dr. Amir Moazzez and Dr. Denis Halmi of the Bluepoint Surgical Group say they have seen similar results from their patients who have undergone surgical treatment through weight loss surgery in Washington, DC.

Dr. Halmi and the rest of the Bluepoint Surgical Group say the implications of the two studies will have enormous effects on the future of diabetes treatment. While weight loss surgery procedures have always been known to produce significant results in life expectancy (89% improvement according to the latest study from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery), he says patients are also able reduce the risk of more serious health complications such as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and now diabetes, a correlation he is eager to explore both at his practice and through further research.

“Research like this helps patients make informed decisions about bariatric surgery. The article here adds credence to the fact that the surgery does more for the patient than just aid in weight loss, if often times reduces other life-threatening conditions the patient may have,” says Dr. Halmi.

Because of the gravity of the decision to undergo weight loss surgery, the Bluepoint Surgical Group strongly urges patients to consult with a board-certified and experienced bariatric surgeon before deciding on a procedure, whether it be a gastric bypass or revisional bariatric surgery. Dr. Halmi says through partnership with a dedicated and knowledgeable practice, patients can make a serious difference in their lives. Now equipped with further evidence pointing towards the benefits of bariatric procedures, he adds that he is excited about the future of weight loss surgery and hopes to continue pursuing the highest quality care for his patients in eliminating both type 2 diabetes and obesity.

About Denis J. Halmi, MD, FACS

Dr. Denis Halmi completed his surgical residency at the Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York. Board-certified in general surgery, he has completed over 1,500 gastric bypass surgeries and over 100 laparoscopic gastric bands. Dr. Halmi is the Medical Director of the Weight Loss Surgery Center at Potomac Hospital and a designated Center of Excellence Surgeon by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

About the Bluepoint Surgical Group

As a Designated Center of Excellence by the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons, the Bluepoint Surgical Group is comprised of a team of bariatric, general, and laparoscopic surgeons focusing on a range of procedures including colon/rectal surgery, weight loss procedures, and several plastic surgery options. Doctors with the practice have performed over 2000 weight loss operations and also offer long term weight management assistance programs through dietary education, nutritional counseling, and support groups.

The Bluepoint Surgical Group has three locations in the Washington, DC area: 3620 Joseph Siewick Drive Suite 200 in Fairfax, VA, reachable at (703) 620-3211; 2280 Opitz Blvd Suite 320 in Woodbridge, VA, reachable at (703) 878-7610; and 125 Hospital Center Blvd Suite 207 in Stafford, VA, reachable at (540) 318-6135. It can also be contacted online via the website bluepointgroup.com or the Bluepoint Surgical Group Facebook page.

Fruits and Vegetables – Be sure to include a good variety of fruits and vegetables at your picnic. Fresh vegetables like baby carrots, sliced green pepper, and cucumbers are great for dipping in hummus. You could even try making your own high protein ranch dip (fat free plain Greek yogurt mixed with dry ranch mix). Fresh fruits will add a lot of variety to your picnic spread. Watermelons are a picnic favorite, and mixed berries will provide antioxidants. You could even make fruit kabobs for easy handling at your picnic!
Main Dish – Instead of fried chicken or greasy burgers, try lean proteins like turkey burgers or rotisserie chicken. You could also make mini wraps stuffed with turkey, avocado, salsa, or other vegetables.

Salads – Resist the temptation to load your picnic basket with high-calorie salads held together with mayonnaise. Stick with a leafy green salad loaded with fresh veggies or for more protein, try a black bean salad made with a can of drained and rinsed black beans, a can of drained corn, a can of chopped Mexican-style tomatoes in lime juice, a chopped green pepper, and a chopped red onion.

Better Beverages – It is easy to get dehydrated when you’re outside for long periods of time. Be sure to re-hydrate with low-calorie or calorie-free beverages like water, unsweetened iced tea, or Crystal Lite (with lots of ice)!

Other tips:

–Ditch the Chips: Just 1 oz of potato chips can add up to 250 calories to your picnic meal. Use chopped fruit or veggies instead.

–Food Safety: To decrease risk of food borne illness, keeps foods in a cooler until you are ready to eat. Trash anything that has been left out for over 2 hours.

–Be Active: Being outdoors is a great chance to include some exercise and burn some calories. Take a hike, toss a Frisbee or football, play baseball, or canoe.

Please note it is only cancelled this Wednesday – we look forward to seeing you the following week. If you have any questions, please call us at the office. Thank you!

1.  Make sure your fridge and freezer are set at the right temperature:  Refrigerators need to be kept between 35-38°F and freezers should be below 0°F.

2.  Uncooked ground meats, poultry, and fish should be used within 2 days if stored in the refrigerator. Roasts or chops should be used within 5 days if stored in the refrigerator.

3.  If you have leftovers from a dish made at home, they need to be consumed within 4 days if stored in the refrigerator.

4.  If you find that you cannot finish your leftovers within four days, try freezing them!  Use freezer Ziploc bags, or freezer-safe containers.  Make sure to squeeze out any air to prevent freezer burn.  A great post-bariatric-surgery tip is to freeze your leftovers in ice cube trays! Simply pop out the number of cubes you desire for your meal and microwave. This is a great way to watch your portion sizes at meals.

5.  Items with a “Sell By” date should be consumed within a week after the Sell By date.  Items with a “Use By” date need to be consumed by the date on the package.

The two types of fats that are more harmful are saturated and trans fats. These two contribute to increasing blood cholesterol levels and increase risk of cardiovascular disease. Saturated fats come primarily from animal sources of food. Most trans fats are made during food processing through partial hydrogenation of unsaturated fats. A small amount of trans fats occur naturally in some foods, particularly foods of animal origin. A general rule of thumb when evaluating a fat is if it is solid at room temperature then it is primarily saturated or trans fat. For example, butter, shortening, margarine, mayonnaise coconut oil and palm oil.

The healthier dietary fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Both types of healthy fats improve blood cholesterol levels, therefore reducing your risk of heart disease. Polyunsaturated fats include the omega-3 fatty acids found in some fish and are known to not only decrease risk of coronary artery disease, but they help protect against irregular heartbeats and lower blood pressure levels. The unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature such as olive oil and safflower oil.

Below you will find a comparison of dietary fats in common oils. All of the oils have some saturated fat, but the breakdown of each is something to consider when choosing. There is no right answer when determining which oil to use, but a variety of oils will provide a variety of flavors and varying levels of the healthy fats. So, be adventurous and try some oils you have not considered previously.

½ basket of tortilla chips: 350 calories (This doesn’t include what you dip ‘em in!)
1 Cheddar Bay biscuit from Red Lobster: 150 calories
1 bag of tortilla chips from Chipotle: 570 calories
1 slice of carrot raisin bread from MiMi’s Cafe: 250 calories
1 breadstick from Olive Garden: 150 calories
1 biscuit from Bob Evans: 340 calories
1 biscuit from Cracker Barrel: 130 calories

To give a frame of reference,women should aim for 500-600 calories per meal and for men 600-700 calories per meal. That means if you’re a female and you indulged in a slice of carrot raisin bread from Mimi’s Cafe you only have 250-350 calories left to eat from your entree! So next time you’re at a restaurant prioritize where you want your calories to come from – the bread basket or your entree.

• Increased levels of physical activity

• Ongoing patient-provider contact

Self-monitoring of dietary intake and weight change

Self-monitoring of dietary intake and weight change means keeping track of the foods you are eating and trends in your weight loss or gain. There are many ways to do this and technology has made it easier than ever! Thousands of diet and nutrition apps are available for smart phones and many of them are free! Here is a list of some of our favorite free apps for weight management:

Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker:

by MyFitness Pal

With this app, you can adjust goals, enter caloric intake (food) and output (exercise), add to the food library and check the progress screen to see how you are doing. Very easy to use!

Calorie Counter: Diets & Activities:

by Arawella

This app lets you track calories, water, fitness, and the time each food is consumed, in addition to total fats, carbohydrates, protein, cholesterol, saturated fat, and fiber.

Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker:

by CalorieCount.com

With this app, you can track food, exercise, weight, and all the nutrients listed on a Nutrition Facts label. It also includes healthy recipes, inspirational articles, and a Help section.

Sparkpeople Diet and Fitness Tracker:

This app tracks daily consumption of calories, carbohydrates, fat, and protein. You will also find meal plans customized for your goals and a weigh-in page that graphs your progress over time.

Calorie Tracker:

by Livestrong.com

This app has a large food database and is for people trying to lose, maintain, or gain weight.  Nutrition tracking includes total calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, sugar, fiber, and protein.  You can also access this information online at www.livestrong.com.

 Calorie Counter:

by MyNetDiary

This is a thorough app that tracks carbohydrates, fats, protein, calcium, trans fats, sodium, fiber, sugar, and saturated fat.  It also tracks exercises and body weight, and shows progress charts.

These free apps are a great way to track your weight loss progress!  There are many benefits of tracking your caloric intake and physical activity: It encourages you to focus on your food choices, provides a record you can share with your doctor or dietitian, helps you control the urge to binge, encourages mindful eating, helps you be sure you are getting enough of each food group, assists you in acknowledging the reality of how much you eat, and reinforces your commitment to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

References:

Sarwer DB, Dilks RJ, West-Smith L.  Dietary intake and eating behavior after bariatric surgery: Threats to weight loss maintenance and strategies for success.   Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases.  2011;7:644-651.

Krieger S. Reviews: The 10 most popular, free weight-management apps.  Food & Nutrition.  2012;1(1):30.

All classes will be held at the Dale City Recreation Center:

Dale City Recreation Center
14300 Minnieville Road
Woodbridge, VA 22193
Click here for directions

Tuesdays, starting April 3, 2012
5:30-6:30pm
Strength training with John

Wednesdays, starting April 4, 2012
6:30-7:30pm
Cardiovascular class with Lisa

Please call the office at (703) 878-7610 for more information.

“23yr old John Petruzzi (198) competed at the SPF Ironman Classic
Pro/AM on Saturday March 10th. He finished the day with a 580lb squat,
415lb bench press and a 630lb deadlift. His 1625lb total will be
ranked #7 (Raw) on powerlifting watch (current) lifter rankings.”

Click here to see footage of his lifts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIh14gNioNo

For more information about John, click here.

References:

Gavitt A., Woodard, M., Encarnacion, B., Peraza, J., Hernandez-Boussard, T., Morton, J. (2011).Halo effect for bariatric surgery: Collateral weight loss in patients’ family members. Archives of Surgery. Abstract.

Kling, J. (2011, October 20). Halo effect from gastric bypass helps the whole family.
Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/751860

O’Connor, A. (2011, October 17). Weight loss surgery benefits entire family. Retrieved from http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/17/weight-loss-surgery-benefits-entire-
family/