Framingham Study Finds Strong Link Between Overweight/Obesity And Heart Failure

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

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EMBARGOED FOR REALEASE Wednesday, July 31, 2002 5:00 p.m. EDT Contact: NHLBI Communications Office (301) 496-4236

NHLBI’s Framingham Heart Study Finds Strong Link Between
Overweight/Obesity And Risk For Heart Failure

While extreme obesity has been associated with heart failure, until now, data have been limited regarding the influence of overweight and lesser degrees of obesity on the risk of this disease. According to a new study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), excess body weight is strongly and independently associated with an increased risk of heart failure. This risk, which increases continuously with increasing degrees of body weight, is 34 percent higher for overweight individuals and 104 percent higher for obese persons.

The large, community-based study investigated the relations between body mass index (BMI), a measure of excess weight for height, and the risk of heart failure in over 5,000 participants in the NHLBI’s Framingham Heart Study, a landmark epidemiological study that began in 1948. Study findings will be published in the August 1, 2002 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

“Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and it is increasing,” said NHLBI Director Dr. Claude Lenfant. “While the death rate from heart disease has decreased by 60 percent over the last 40 years, the death rate from heart failure has not declined. This study suggests that obesity is an important risk factor for heart failure in both women and men. Promoting optimal body weight may help reduce the burden of heart failure we’re seeing,” he added.

An estimated 61 percent of U.S. adults aged 20-74 years are either overweight or obese. About 34 percent of these people are overweight and 27 percent or 50 million people are obese. Nearly 5 million people in the U.S. have heart failure, a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood through the body.

“It was unclear from the scientific literature whether lesser degrees of obesity predispose an individual for heart failure, as most of the existing studies were limited to people who were severely obese (BMIs over 40),” said Dr. Satish Kenchaiah, lead author of the study and a research fellow at the Framingham Heart Study. Participants in the study, who were followed for nearly 15 years, were under continuous surveillance for the development of cardiovascular events. The researchers looked for the occurrence of a first episode of heart failure.

After adjustment for known risk factors, there was an increase in the risk of heart failure of 5 percent for men and 7 percent for women for each increment of 1 in the body-mass index. As compared with normal weight individuals, obese women had a doubling of the risk of heart failure and obese men had a 90 percent increase in the risk of heart failure. Overweight individuals were at intermediate risk. The effect of BMI on heart failure risk did not vary with age, sex, smoking status, alcohol consumption or the presence or absence of valve disease or diabetes.

“We know that obesity and overweight are associated with several health hazards. For example, they increase the risk of high blood pressure and diabetes, both key risk factors for heart failure,” said study co-author Dr. Ramachandran Vasan, a Framingham investigator and Associate Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. “We found that even after accounting for these other risk factors, obesity was independently associated with the risk of heart failure,” he added.

Dr. Daniel Levy, director of the Framingham Heart Study and co-author of the study, noted that the obesity trend in young Americans may affect future rates of heart failure.

“We know that there are growing numbers of young children with advanced degrees of obesity. The results of this study are a wake-up call to a public health problem that we may be addressing 10 to 50 years from now, when these obese youngsters become old enough to be at risk of heart failure,” he said.

For children aged 6-11, an estimated 13 percent are overweight; for adolescents aged 12-19, an estimated 14 percent are overweight. During the past two decades the prevalence of overweight has doubled among children and has almost tripled among adolescents.

Levy stressed the importance of maintaining a healthy weight, both for children and adults, with dietary measures and regular physical activity being the keys to addressing overweight and obesity problems. He advised that for individuals who do fall into the overweight and obese BMI ranges, efforts should be made to reduce BMI into the normal range. Knowing your BMI is an important first step in understanding your risks, according to Levy.

To interview a scientist about this study, please contact the NHLBI Communications Office at (301) 496-4236.

Related links:

• Further information on the Framingham Heart Study is available online at: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/framingham

• NHLBI press releases, fact sheets, and other materials are available online at: www.nhlbi.nih.gov. Additional information on NHLBI’s Obesity Education Initiative, including a BMI calculator, is available online at: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/index.htm

• Additional information on obesity and overweight from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is available online at: www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/index.htm

Free Lap Band Informational Seminar Dates Set

Surgical Obesity Solutions and Dr. K. M. MacKenzie will be hosting Free Informational semimars featuring the Lap Band system for long term weight loss at Peace River Regional Medical Center on Thursday, October 20th at 6 pm and again on Saturday November 19th at 10:30 am.
please call 941-206-2111 or e-mail help@surgicalobesitysolutions.net for reservations.

Since there is no cutting, stapling or stomach re-routing involved in the LAP-BAND System procedure, it is considered the safest and least traumatic compared to other weight-loss surgeries. The laparoscopic approach to the surgery also offers the advantages of reduced post-operative pain, shortened hospital stay and quicker recovery. If for any reason the LAP-BAND System needs to be removed, the stomach generally returns to its original form.

for more information please visit http://www.surgicalobesitysolutions.net

Surgical Obesity Solutions Host FREE Informational Seminar on the Lap Band procedure

Join Us for a Free Informational Seminar featuring the Lap Band
Saturday, September 17th, 2005!
Call 941-206-2111 or e-mail Help@surgicalobesitysolutions.net for reservations!

Dr. MacKenzie and the staff at Surgical Obesity Solutions announces a free informational seminar featuring the new Minimally Invasive Lap Band procedure for long term weight loss and improvement of associated medical illness. Find out how you can begin your journey to a healhier, happier and thinner you.
Topics we will cover will be:

• What is the Lap Band?
• Obesity Statistics
• Risks of obesity
• Alternatives to weight loss surgery
• the Lap Band- is it right for You??
• Insurance and payment options
• How does the Lap Band promote weight loss
• Risks and benefits of the Lap Band

Please join us on September 17th at 10:30 AM
Location: women's Wellness Center
21287 Olean Blvd
Port Charlotte, FL 33952.

Reservations can be made by calling 941.206.2111
or e-mailing help@surgicalobesitysolutions.net with your name, # attending and e-mail address.
hope to see you there!

Morbidly Obese Can Afford Weight Loss with Insights from New Book

Morbidly Obese Can Afford Weight Loss with Insights from New Book
PR Web
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prweb262035.htm

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prweb262035.htm
Female entrepreneur turned author has announced the launch of a new book, offering the more than 10 millions morbidly overweight Americans a creative financial option to afford radical weight loss.
Orange, CA PRWEB) July 18, 2005 -- Female entrepreneur turned author has announced the launch of a new book, offering the morbidly overweight a creative financial option to afford radical weight loss.

The new book was written and designed to provide the 10-15 million of Americans who are morbidly obese a one stop source of strategic financial information to overcome their "no health insurance challenge," while achieving radical weight loss and improved physical, emotional and financial health.

Plan C: The Self-Reimbursement Insurance Plan for the Morbidly Obese, by Sandra Lynch, C.T.E.C. is set to publish and be available for public release on July 26th, 2005. Written by independent tax preparer turned author, Sandra K. Lynch, the book will retail for $37.95 and can be ordered by calling the number listed above. It is a fairly brief read, some 106 pages. However in the 8 ½ by 11-inch workbook-styled edition, Lynch provides the "secret" financial strategy, and comb ination of tactics that can enable those looking to loose a minimum of 100 lbs. to do so in the most fiscally advantageous way.

More than a re-telling of Lynch"s first-person experience, what is described in detail are the financial insights Lynch came away with as a result of her personal weight-loss odyssey. Plan C: The Self-Reimbursement Insurance Plan for the Morbidly Obese, illustrates and explains how the morbidly obese and those who care for them, including parents, spouses and care givers can better meet the financial challenge of drastic weight-loss.

Readers are taken through a step-by-step process to learn how standard, generally accepted U.S. tax and audit principles and rationale can be employed to the morbidly obese taxpayer"s benefit. Lynch not only introduces the concept, but also provides clear examples and illustrates many of the points within the larger concept, by offering frequent diagrams, and other visuals which replicate tax forms those adopt ing the approach will encounter.

Lynch thoroughly explains how she and others will be able to deduct "dollar-for-dollar" the costs associated with radical weight loss by cultivating a new lifestyle geared toward success, a lifestyle in which many day-to-day decisions are motivated by the approach espoused in the book.

"This book is written to inform you how to orchestrate and afford your own weight loss, body and lifestyle make-over," Lynch writes, (p. 6). ""Plan C" walks the layman through the process that enables its practitioners to legally deduct hundreds of dollars from their taxes for their weight loss expenses."

In the book, she offers a first person narrative of her own personal lifelong journey toward becoming obese, setting the stage for how "Plan C" was developed and has and continues to work for her. Her words and photos of her evolution draw readers in and will help others of the morbidly obese community to connect with her inspiring message and the passion Lynch has for the strategy and tactics extolled in the book.

"We"re fortunate to have Sandra Lynch explain, in plain English, how ”through self-employment ”people can reduce their weight (according to their weight reduction strategy) while maximizing their deductible medical expenses, thereby reducing their self-employment income, self-employment tax, and related income tax," said Nelson Murcia, an Enrolled Agent of Tax and Audit Solutions of Santa Ana, CA.

Sandra K. Lynch is a four-year, post gastric bypass surgery "winner" herself. She is also a seasoned business development consultant who has recently completed her third tax season as a California Tax Education Council (CTEC) certified tax preparer. Plan C: The Self-Reimbursement Insurance Plan for the Morbidly Obese, is Lynch"s first venture as an author.

For more information, to order the book, or speak to the author, contact:Tools 2 Lose and Maintain at 714.726.7352,or visit the website at www.t2lm.com

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Valorena Williams-sanchez
949-863-6115
E-mail Information

Gastric Bypass Surgery -- Will Your Insurance Cover It?

Gastric Bypass Surgery -- Will Your Insurance Cover It?
PR Web
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prweb260269.htm

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prweb260269.htm
Gastric bypass surgery can cost from $25,000 to $35,000 - and can go over $100,000 if there are complications. Naturally, most people who are considering this procedure as a treatement for obesity will be wondering if it is covered by their insurance. A new report helps them find out.
(PRWEB) July 12, 2005 -- If you're wondering if gastric bypass surgery is covered by your policy, "you should read your benefit booklet and understand your rights before you call your health insurance carrier," according to Jonni Good, a customer service specialist with a large health insurance company, and the owner of http://www.stress-free-weight-loss.com.

When people begin to consider gastric bypass surgery as a treatment of obesity, one of the most pressing questions is "will my insurance cover it?" The surgery itself can cost from $25,000.00 to $35,000.00. If there are complications, the costs can skyrocket to over $100,000.00.

Unfortunately, it is not easy for the average policy-owner to understand his or her benefits for gastric by pass surgery. Many health insurance policies specifically exclude gastric bypass surgery from benefits because of the high costs and common complications for this procedure. Even when the procedure is covered by their insurance, many people may not understand the pre-authorization requirements or the medical policies that are used to determine eligibility.

Ms. Good has just released a 12-page online report titled "Gastric Bypass Surgery and Health Insurance" to help her readers understand their benefits and rights. The report answers many of the questions that are asked by health insurance customers who are considering gastric bypass surgery, and explains many commonly misunderstood terms, such as "contract exclusion," "pre-authorization," and "medical necessity."

This report also helps readers find a copy of their insurance company's of ficial medical policy on bariatric surgery. "If the surgery itself is eligible for benefits, you will still have to meet the criteria found in the medical policy before your own surgery will be covered," ccording to Ms. Good, so it's important to read the medical policy and discuss it with your doctor before you talk to your insurance company. Most insurance companies use the gastric bypass criteria from National Institutes of Health, which are available online at http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/gastric.htm but they may add other requirements, such as a trial period of medically supervised diet and exercise.

If your insurance company makes a mistake and turns down your request for surgery even though you meet all their criteria, you may need to file an appeal. Ms. Good's report helps you find out what you need to do in order to appeal your insur ance company"s decision.

The full report can be found at http://www.stress-free-weight-loss.com/health-insurance.htm

# # #

Jonni Good
503-254-1288
E-mail Information

For more information on Gastric Bypass, the Adjustable LapBand system and insurance, please visit http://www.surgicalobesitysolutions.net

LAP-BAND® Procedure now available at Surgical Obesity Solutions

The LAP-BAND® Procedure for sustained weight loss is now available!

Surgical Obesity Solutions- Gastric Bypass and Bariatric surgery for long-term weight loss, improved health and a better quality of life.

Surgical Obesity Solutions is pleased to announce that beginning in July of 2005 we will be adding the LAP-BAND® system as a surgical option for long term weight loss. The LAP-BAND® System is the least invasive, safest and the only adjustable and reversible surgical weight-loss option available in the United States. It helps achieve sustained weight loss by placing an adjustable band around the upper part of the stomach to reduce its capacity. As with gastric bypass procedures, sustained weight loss with the LAP-BAND® system results in resolution or improvement of obesity associated medical conditions such as Type II Diabetes, Sleep Apnea and High Blood pressure among others.

The LapBand is the least traumatic procedure with patients being able to return to work in 3-5 days in most cases. Since there is no cutting, stapling or stomach rerouting involved in the LAP-BAND System procedure, it is considered the least traumatic of all weight loss surgeries. The laparoscopic approach to the surgery also offers the advantages of reduced post-operative pain, shortened hospital stay and quicker recovery. If for any reason the LAP-BAND System needs to be removed, the stomach generally returns to its original form. Where gastric bypass patients usually stop losing weight after 2 years, LapBand patient can continue to lose for longer periods as the diameter of the band is adjustable to meet individual needs, which can change as a patient loses weight. For example, pregnant patients can expand their band to accommodate a growing fetus (which makes this the ideal surgery for women who intend to or might become pregnant), while patients who aren't experiencing significant weight loss can have their bands tightened.

For more info on the LapBand system please contact us at 941-206-2111, E-mail us at help@surgicalobesitysolutions.net or fill out the contact form to request a free phone consultation.

Surgical Obesity Solutions LLC, a full bariatric program that specializes in minimally invasive surgical options to treat morbid obesity and associated medical conditions currently offers a variety of Laparoscopic procedures, including the Laparoscopic Loop Gastric Bypass (AKA Mini-Gastric Bypass), Laparoscopic Roux-n-Y (RnY) and Gastroplasty. By utilizing the latest in laparoscopic techniques, patients have faster recovery times, lower complication rates, minimal pain, less scarring and rapid return to work or other normal daily activities than with traditional open surgeries. All of these procedures can be accomplished in 30 minutes to 2 hours in most cases and generally only require a 24 hour hospital stay.

For More information on obesity treatments offered by Surgical Obesity Solutions please visit:

HTTP://www.surgicalobesitysolutions.net

Surgical Obesity Solutions

941-206-2111

E-mail: help@surgicalobesitysolutions.net

One-quarter of HR Professionals Say Weight Has Played Some Role in Their Hiring Decisions

Hiring Can Be a Weighty Issue: One-quarter of HR Professionals Say Weight Has Played Some Role in Their Hiring Decisions, an HR.BLR.com Poll Finds

OLD SAYBROOK, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 31, 2005--Perhaps job hunters should add "drop a few pounds" to their list of things to do in preparation for their next job interview, based on the results of an online poll at HR.BLR.com, a website for human resource professionals.

The poll asked, "Has someone's weight ever influenced your decision on whether to hire him or her?" The responses broke down this way:

Yes - 25%
Maybe unconsciously - 35%
No - 40%

The poll, conducted May 12-19, drew 552 participants.

"While federal law bars discrimination on the basis of sex, religion, age, race, or national origin, it does not expressly prohibit discrimination on the basis of physical appearance, such as weight," observed Susan Prince, managing editor at Business & Legal Reports, which operates HR.BLR.com. "Some workers and applicants who believe they've been unjustly treated for being overweight have sought protection under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but the courts have generally ruled that obesity does not meet the ADA's definition of a disability."

Nevertheless, Prince added, at least one state and several municipalities have their own laws prohibiting weight discrimination, so employers need to be cognizant of them.

Prince also speculated that employers might be avoiding overweight applicants because of obesity's negative impact on health insurance costs. She stressed, however, that those who participated in this poll weren't asked about that.

HR.BLR.com, "State HR Answers and Tools Online," provides subscribers with plain-English analysis of the workplace laws in all 50 states. And for HR professionals who need to know what the ADA does cover, BLR offers a free download, "Managing Disabilities in the Workplace": http://www.blr.com/82008400/PRS17

About BLR

Old Saybrook, Conn.-based BLR produces plain-English compliance and training resources for HR, compensation, safety, and environmental managers. For more information and a free catalog, call 800-727-5257 or visit www.BLR.com.

Contacts:
HR.BLR.com
Kevin Flood, 860-510-0100 x 2283
kflood@blr.com