This trend could prove to be very helpful in a city where obesity levels far exceed national norms, even among the very young. This fact was concluded following a study conducted by the University of Texas Department of Pediatrics of 7200 children in San Antonio, from kindergarten through 12^th grade. A more recent study of low-income children under the age of three in San Antonio, Corpus Christi and Austin found that 35% were overweight and obese, and at risk for diabetes and other serious health problems, including heart disease.

Programs such as Bienestar in San Antonio are being developed to help children lose weight and avoid future health problems by improving their diet and increasing physical activity. However, in order to build proper diet and exercise habits during childhood, “it’s going to take physicians to support the idea, and it’s going to take parents to carry it out by setting a good model for their children,” according to Dr. Henry McGill, a pathologist at the Southwestern Foundation for Biomedical Research.

He also supports the idea that the best way to help children is through healthier diets and more exercise, rather than with medication after complications have already arisen. This is important as children grow through adolescence and into adulthood, as research is showing that overweight children are suffering physically as well as psychologically. By early adolescence, overweight children are “significantly sadder, lonelier, and more nervous” than children with normal weights, and they may also be more susceptible to alcohol and tobacco use as teens.

Experts in the field of childhood obesity agree that the solution lies in the actions of the parents. Parents have to be realistic and admit that their child may be obese, and they also have to be determined to do something before bad habits are formed. Nutritionist Peggy Visio, a special project coordinator at the University of Texas Health Science center at San Antonio, believes in working through adults rather than children, because “ if you just teach the child, it puts all the burden on them…you can’t send the child home to teach the family.”

Known as the endoluminal pouch reduction, this non-invasive technique is basically an interior corset. Medical professionals and obesity experts alike hope that this procedure will enable people to lose weight gained back after undergoing traditional stomach-reducing surgery.

With this procedure, bariatric surgeons descend a unique flexible device that includes a camera down patients’ throats to their stomachs. Once there, this device sucks up stomach portions. Then, this device fasten these portions down, forming a circular pattern of pleats. Essentially, this forms a corset; one requiring no surgical incisions and more importantly, a reduced time period in the hospital and for recovery.

While this procedure has demonstrated valuable benefits for patients, it’s only performed on 10-20% of patients. This is because many patients who have undergone bariatric surgery have stretched out their stomachs. This surgical side effect does not affect all recipients; why some are affected and some aren’t is itself a mystery.

However, for those who do qualify for the endoluminal pouch reduction, the procedure may offer the rare opportunity for a surgical “do-over.” Typically, having a second stomach stapling places the patient at risk for a 12-20% risk of bleeding and leakage; there’s a one-5% risk of bleeding and leakage during initial stomach stapling procedures.
http://www.canada.com/Health/Canada+first+stomach+corset+procedure+help+obesity/1327574/story.html

Now, the Alliance has set its sights on ensuring that American children maintain proper health, and receive routine visits to both primary care physicians and dietitians. It is the goal of the initiative to offer coverage is to an estimated 6.2 million children (25% of all overweight American children) within three years. In an interview, Clinton stated: “I think we want the children of America to know, No. 1, that we want them to be healthy, we want them to grow up healthy, and we want them to start now.”

The issue of childhood obesity represents a very serious threat to the nation; many parents simply don’t know where to turn, while millions can’t afford healthcare at all. As such, Clinton said he hoped that this new initiative would provide much-needed hope for many parents faced with a problem that was “somewhere between a problem and a nightmare.”

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, which was created in 2005 by the AHA and the William J. Clinton Foundation, has since scored some major victories for childhood health. This includes limiting access to sugary sodas at nationwide schools. This new collaboration, which Clinton called “a really big deal,” has attracted some valuable participants. These include leading medical and insurance giants and major conglomerates. Among these are: the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Dietetic Association, Aetna, WellPoint, Blue Cross, PepsiCo and Owens Corning.

In light of the struggling economy and rising obesity-related healthcare costs – which may cost more than $14 billion annually — AHA president Dr. Tim Gardner feels that this new initiative may have come along at the perfect time. “We’re here today because there is an obesity epidemic in this country,” Gardner said. “One in three teens in this country are overweight or obese. There’s a risk that this generation will be the first in our history to have a shorter lifespan than their parents.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20090221/hl_hsn/billclintonhealthgroupstotacklechildhoodobesity;_ylt=AgblYUAFs7.QCBCqMYxtAC.ISbYF

According to a study published in the Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons (JSLS), patients may qualify for a revolutionary, quick AND effective weight loss procedure, performed on an outpatient basis. Surgeons and their teams are now offering minimally invasive adjustable gastric banding and gastric bypass surgeries, which are completed in less than two hours.

A Life-Saving Alternative for Patients
Healthcare professionals believe that this fast turnaround could not have come at a better time. Recent estimates show that the ever-growing obesity epidemic has skyrocketed. About 205,000 individuals underwent  bariatric surgery in 2005, compared to 1992’s 16,200 procedures.

Typically, these procedures – most often, either laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) or laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) – were performed in a hospital setting. But in an effort to drive more patients to having surgery, researchers sought out alternatives, especially that of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Over the course of a six-year study (2002-2008), the researchers examined these facilities’ safety and effectiveness for these bariatric procedures. They performed a total of 248 weight loss surgical procedures (210 LAGB and 38 LRYGB procedures).

The findings showed that these facilities were as effective and safe as hospital settings. Those patients undergoing LRYGB procedures had an average body mass index (BMI) score of 44.7, while the average for those undergoing LAGB procedures was 43.79. However, 12 months after the procedures these BMI scores dropped an average of 69.62% and 32.58%, respectively. Meanwhile, the typical amount of time for the procedures was 112.80 minutes (for LRYGB surgery) and 72.10 minutes (for LAGB surgery).

“This marks a turning point in the battle against obesity, by shifting life-changing weight-loss surgery to the outpatient arena with minimally invasive surgery,” says lead author, Kent Sasse, M.D., M.P.H., FACS. “This study further validates the hypothesis that an overweight person can safely undergo weight-loss surgery in about two hours, at an outpatient surgical facility, return home later the same day, take very little time off, and lose a large amount of weight.”

It has been revealed that prior to undergoing weight loss procedures such as lap band surgery, or gastric banding surgery, the typical patient has tried their luck with an average of 24 diets and exercise regiments. These findings were spotlighted at the most recent annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

Bariatric Procedures May Hold the Key to Success
The researchers focused on 409 bariatric surgery patients; these included those men and women who had undergone either gastric bypass or adjustable gastric banding procedures. It was shown that the majority were usually 100 or more pounds overweight before surgery. These patients also suffered from an average of five obesity-related conditions, including: type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and/or sleep apnea.

The researchers noted that for those patients who most closely followed the advised post-surgical recommendations, an average of 123 pounds were lost during the first year. Those who didn’t follow the guidelines as closely typically lost about 92 pounds. At the five-year mark, the more diligent patients lost over 127 pounds, while the less responsible lost 100 pounds. According to healthcare and weight loss surgery professionals, the level of compliance is the “the difference between a good result and a great result.”

While every surgery team and patients may have unique guidelines to follow, there are certain points to consider. These post-surgical guidelines include: recommendations for regular exercise; changes to eating habits; receiving nutritional counseling and psychological support, and attending patient support groups; keeping a food diary; and visiting surgeons and/or doctors regularly. Estimates show that for 2007, about 205,000 people had bariatric surgery.