Can you be obese and healthy at the same time? A new study from UCLA calls into question the significance of BMI (body mass index) testing in determining health. What does the new research mean?

An article this week on KTLA Los Angeles points to a new study from UCLA researchers who claim that "BMI incorrectly categorizes millions of 'obese' people as unhealthy." At the heart of the debate is a new proposal by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to charge higher health insurance premiums to employees who fall in the BMI overweight or obese classification.

Body mass index (BMI) is a ratio of height to weight that has long been used as a quick way to determine whether a person is overweight or obese. (You can use the National Institute of Health's online BMI calculator to check your own BMI.) Mathematically, BMI is "a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters." According to the CDC, BMI "can be used as a screening tool for body fatness but is not diagnostic." A body mass index of 25-29.9 is considered overweight. A BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese. For example, a person with a height of 5' 0" who weighs 155 lbs has a BMI of 30.3 (obese).

According to the UCLA Newsroom, "Over the past few years, body mass index, a ratio of a person’s height and weight, has effectively become a proxy for whether a person is considered healthy. Many U.S. companies use their employees’ BMIs as a factor in determining workers’ health care costs. And people with higher BMIs could soon have to pay higher health insurance premiums, if a rule proposed in April by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is adopted."

BMI is often, but not always, an accurate indicator of obesity. An athlete may have a high BMI because of muscle mass, but still not be overweight. So the CDC is correct that BMI is a screening tool.

According to the new study's lead author, A. Janet Tomiyama, a UCLA assistant professor of psychology, "Many people see obesity as a death sentence. But the data show there are tens of millions of people who are overweight and obese and are perfectly healthy" based on other health markers (blood pressure, cholesterol levels, etc.). Tomiyama also found in previous research there was "no clear connection between weight loss and health improvements related to hypertension, diabetes, and cholesterol and blood glucose levels," and has claimed that "restrictive diets do not work."

At California Medical Weight Management, we have witnessed the real results of patients in our program. Through our medically supervised weight management program, many of our patients have been able to reduce or completely discontinue medication for high blood pressure and diabetes. Here is YouTube video from our Office Manager Sylvia Sambucini (San Antonio, TX) describing how she was able to get off medications after losing 55 lbs.

While psychological factors play a big part, we can't ignore medical science. Obesity has been linked to hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. The long-term effects of obesity are so dangerous that the American Medical Association classisfied it as a disease last year. So it is completely wrong-headed to claim that one can be obese and still "perfectly healthy." That is like saying that people who smoke can be perfectly healthy, while ignoring the huge increased risk smoking creates for heart attack, emphysema and lung cancer.

For those who are chronically obese, advice to "use a smaller fork" is helpful, but will probably not solve their problems. We urge you not to neglect your health, or the likely consequences of obesity down the road. At CalMWM we've seen countless examples of patients who transformed their lives with our medically-supervised weight management system. Call California Medical Weight Management today to learn more. Always consult a doctor before making any changes to your diet.

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Losing weight with medicines and diet supplements is not a difficult task. There are a number of people who resort to these quick weight loss solutions to get the good figure just in a few days and get success also.

But the question is “For how long do these solutions keep you healthy?”

There are people who feel happy on seeing quick results from these diet plans, but soon they start complaining when the body again starts getting into the old shape. Actually, the problem here is not the weight loss program, but your dedication and commitment to weight loss management. The weight loss doctor in Amarillo, TX can just design weight loss program for you and suggest you the right technique. Now following it and maintaining the right lifestyle is completely your responsibility.

You must have seen people who not only got the perfect shape after a few days but continue to enjoy the same for a long time along with better health. All this is due to their dedication and efforts on weight loss management. As per scientific research, these successful people have some specific mental patterns, which you can also learn by some practice. Have a look at some of the traits of successful people and try to include the same in your lifestyle to enjoy perfect body for the long term.



Focus: In this hectic life with so many responsibilities, it is very difficult to stay focused on a specific goal. People most of the times try to do multitasking or keep thinking about other works while busy doing one work. This distraction derails you from the goal. And to ensure successful weight loss with long term results you need to be focused. For instance, while taking meals, your whole attention should be on your food. It should not get mixed with driving, watching TV or reading.

Prioritize: The biggest excuse people give for preparing special meals every day or to workout is a lack of time, but the reality is that they don't consider it important. You make an excuse because it is not your priority. Experts at medical weight loss clinic in Amarillo can just prepare a diet plan or a weight loss program, but following it sincerely is your responsibility.

Stay organized: All the successful people who are able to achieve their goals practice organized life. Give your mind relief by clearing physical clutter as it has a direct impact on your lifestyle.

Set your goals: You wanted to shed those extra pounds and you did it with medicines and some changes in your diet. Is it what you wanted? To get a perfect body for a lifetime, you should have some specific goals. Just saying that I want a slim body is not enough. You should be clear about how much weight you want to lose and how will you achieve this. Along with your goals, you should also be clear with the action plan. If you want to get a medical weight loss program in Amarillo from experts, this should also be included in your plan.

Be flexible: If you think that by being very strict with yourself, you can easily achieve your goals, you are wrong. Successful people are flexible and know when they should bring changes in their plan to get better results. Having schedule is important for success, but it is equally essential to change with the demand.



How many of the above-mentioned traits do you already have? Do you think that some more such traits can be added to the list? Let us know through your comments.
You keep a close eye on your eating habits, exercise daily and count calories, but still when you step up on the weighing scale it shows increased weight. Isn't is a big shock. Even sometimes it demotivates you from following the weight loss program.

You are not the only one facing these problems. There are many individuals who get confused when they look at their progress report after following the weight loss regime for a few days or a few weeks.

It can be really frustrating to not to see the results even after striving hard. Chances are, you must be making any of the below mentioned mistakes that derail your results.


1. Overeating healthy food: Eating healthy food does not mean that you can consume a whole buffet or plate full of salad, wholewheat or fruits. Eating large portions of even healthy food can hinder your weight loss progress. As per the medical studies bingeing on even the healthy food items can cause weight gain.

The healthy food like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and other nonfat dairy products are good for health and weight loss only when taken in limited quantity. So, be careful with quantity and portion of your food; even if it is low calorie food. The right technique is to write down the total calories you consume from one meal and count you intake for the day. Then compare is with the required quantity and decide the right portion.

2. Practicing dieting: Do you know that staying hungry can also increase your risk of gaining weight? Yes, it happens and it is called 'dieting induced weight gain.' Further, dieting also increases the risk of binge eating. Dieting limits supply of required nutrients in the body and impacts the metabolism. Dieting without medical consultation also affects your muscles that further slows down the metabolism.

The right strategy is to follow a medical diet plan, designed by the experts. Doctors offer you a diet plan as per your lifestyle and physical requirements and ensure that the body gets enough energy to function well. Doctors can also decide the right ratio of different macro-nutrients to ensure healthy weight loss.

3. Skipping breakfast: It is the most important part of all the meals, you take throughout the day. Skipping breakfast means more craving for the food in a later part of the day, which makes you eat more than required food. So, you skip breakfast just to consume more calories and gain more weight. Cutting calories by skipping meals just makes you feel more starved and provoke to take anything to satiate the hunger.

For healthy weight loss, the first thing in your mind should be healthy breakfast. The healthy food you take as your first meal of the day jump-starts your metabolism and supply enough energy to the body for the remaining day.

4. Lacking focus: We are always asked to be stay focused to the goal, which people follow with their weight loss regime also. But this attitude becomes a problem here. Staying focused is good, but when it comes to the weight loss, your focus should be on the weight loss process; not the end results. You should pay attention to the food you take, your exercise, daily routine, and selection on right food items.

You can achieve your goal only when you focus on the process. So, to see amazing results after a few weeks, make sure you eat right, drink plenty of water, sleep well and workout smart.

5. Practicing save up/ make up philosophy: This is the philosophy followed by most of the athletes. In simple terms, it is to 'save up' calories in the morning to enjoy delicious food in the evening. Now this 'saving up' can include anything from skipping meals to eating less and exercising more.

Now when you haven't taken anything throughout the day, you 'make up' for the skipped calories by binge eating or overeating. It takes the calories consumption for the day much beyond the stipulated limit. You repeat the same process next day to 'make up' for the extra calories and this ultimately causes weight loss due to excessive binge eating.

6Eating mindlessly: No it is not about eating frantically, it's about eating without watching what and how much are you consuming. Some stolen bites to quell cravings sometimes count much beyond then the decided calories intake. If you like taking food while watching TV or driving, you are a victim of mindless eating. This distracted eating habit spoils all your weight loss programs and the diet plan.

Make sure you are not engaged in any other activities while taking food to keep a watch on your intake. Reading books, watching TV and playing video games should be completely separate activities not performed while taking food.

7. Losing patience: Everyone is different and reacts differently to the same weight loss program. Some people get panicked when they don't see any improvement even after a few weeks and decide to follow the same routine. Though it might be frustrating, but sometimes it might take a few extra efforts to see results.

Don't forget that weight loss program is not just to shed pounds, but also to ensure improved health in terms of energy, less stress, reduced risk of weight related diseases and better sleep. So, don't just get carried away with the numbers on the scale but have a look at the improvements in your overall lifestyle.

Increasing your water consumption all of sudden to follow a diet plan can also impact your body and overall weight loss results. Both more or less intake of water than the specified limit can harm your body. Even if you have to start taking more water, it should be gradually.


As weight gain is not a process of one day, weight loss also cannot happen overnight. You need to keep patience and continue with the weight loss program with the same level of motivation to see the improvements. Respect your body and supply it all the required nutrients for smooth functionality.

California Medical Weight Management was featured on San Antonio's "SA Live" (KSAT/ABC) show on Jan 12th, 2016.

Obesity Rate in Texas Among the Highest

Texas now has the 11th highest adult obesity rate in the nation. The current adult obesity rate is 32%. The rate has doubled since 2000, and tripled since 1990.
Obesity is related to several serious health problems, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. The Centers for Disease control projects that as many as 1 in 3 adults could have diabetes by 2050 if current trends continue.

Medical Weight Loss Clinic in San Antonio TX

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Dr. Stephen Cohen, MD
Medical Oncology/Hematology
California Medical Weight Management's doctor-supervised weight loss program is now available in San Antonio, Texas at the office of Dr. Stephen Cohen, MD. Dr. Cohen has been in practice over 45 years, and has a 5-star rating from Healthgrades. Call 210-590-8224 to schedule a free consultation.

About California Medical Weight Management

CalMWM is a doctor-supervised, three-step program that is fast, safe and highly effective. Our three steps help you achieve your weight loss goal quickly and easily. Our three-step program of rapid weight loss, followed by transition and maintenance, helps ensure your long-term success.
Rapid weight loss
Your doctor can help with supplements, injections and appetite suppressants.
Transition
You learn about nutrition and how to plan a healthy diet.
Maintenance
We focus on behavior modification, accountability and support.
Call California Medical Weight Management in San Antonio at the office of Dr. Stephen Cohen 210-590-8224 to schedule a free consultation.
California Medical Weight Management
2130 NE Loop 410
Suite 250
San Antonio, Texas 78217
Tel 210-590-8224