Earlier this week, the Globe and Mail reported on Dr. Sean Wharton’s clinic that provides a wide range of bariatric assessments and treatments within the Ontario public health system.
Yesterday, in a follow up to this report, one of Sean’s patients and I answered e-mail questions in an online forum hosted by the Globe and Mail.
As expected, the questions revolved around the usual issues:
1) How can I get to my goal weight? - quick answer: set realistic goals!
2) Why do I regain weight every time I go off my diet? - quick answer: the only way to keep the weight off is to continue on your “diet” forever.
3) How can I get past my weight loss plateau? - quick answer: by eating even less and moving even more - not that I recommend that - perhaps your plateau is as good as this is going to get.
4) Do I have food addiction? - quick answer: no, but you may have binge eating disorder.
5) How come I am still gaining weight, when I eat virtually nothing? - quick answer: either you are underestimating your caloric intake (hidden calories) or you have an unbelievably slow metabolism.
Obviously, the full answers are much more complicated - no wonder they are difficult to understand (and believe?).
What the forum shows? That there are very real people out there with very real weight issues. Too bad that evidence-based bariatric treatments are not readily available.
AMS
Vancouver, BC
In The News
October 2nd, 2008 at 7:11 am
[...] Obesity Q & A By Arya M. Sharma, MD Earlier this week, the Globe and Mail reported on Dr. Sean Wharton?s clinic that provides a wide range of bariatric assessments and treatments within the Ontario public health system. Yesterday, in a follow up to this report, … Dr. Sharma’s Obesity Notes - http://www.drsharma.ca [...]