Well, its been since 2004 when the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPTF) stated that the only evidenced-based strategy for serious obesity management was an “intensive” program approach – meaning more than one visit monthly (either one on one or group or combination) with an interdisciplinary program for at least 3 months. They didn’t state other ways didn’t work, they simply stated that other models (i.e., moderate or low intensity) had “insufficient evidence”. Of course, the program I direct at St Joseph Mercy Oakland perfectly fits with the USPSTF guidelines and it looks like, whether we like it or not, a new ruling out of President Obama’s initiative is stating that any new insurance or any insurance that modifies its plan after Sept 22 “must offer any service given an ‘A’ or ‘B’ grade recommendation by the USPSTF”. Screening for obesity would then qualify…but the REAL question (which I am sure the lawyers for the insurance companies are scrutinizing now) is whether not just the SCREENING visit, but the RECOMMENDED TREATMENT ITSELF (or at least part of it) FROM the screening visit will be covered (e.g., the classes, groups and educational aspects of an “intensive 3 month program”)…we’ll see – but don’t get your hopes up too high. Nevertheless, with the data from the LOOK Ahead trial being so promising using an intensive model in diabetics (who lost about 10% of their weight in one year and had twice as good blood sugar control on HALF the meds vs the control – aka “usual care” – group) maybe the smart insurance companies, and Medicare, will start covering the preventive approach we know works.

AND….more decent news on the preventive front…it looks like programs that integrate the proven Pritikin (and Ornish, which I am less of a fan that Pritikin by far) program will be covered by Medicare as an alternative choice to heart bypass surgery! Of course, our program at St Joseph Mercy Oakland integrates Pritikin for lifestyle maintenance wholeheartedly! In fact, in a recent interview with Hour Detroit magazine (www.hourdetroit.com), I was asked what my top two books to read were regarding longevity lifestyle of which one is: THE PRITIKIN EDGE (go get it!) by Dr Robert Vogel. Full disclosure, I was a manuscript reviewer for the book but I receive NO PROCEEDS whatsoever from the book. I am telling you to read it because no book combines all the aspects of known (and practical! THAT’s a critical part) approaches to eating and being active (including the difficult effort to get salt under control without losing flavor!) as well as THE PRITIKIN EDGE….the other book, as a compliment as far as the power of environmental control and the PSYCHOLOGY of eating is MINDLESS EATING by Cornell University’s Dr Brian Wansink …. he says its for weight loss…but the book is more practical for weight MAINTENANCE, IMO – but THAT is the CRITICAL part of TRUE lifestyle change…..

The upshot – come to a serious, intensive metabolic program like ours at St Joseph Mercy Oakland for an intensive 3-6 month program to safely take off 10-20% of your weight (just call 248-858-2475 option#1) and during that time read (or listen to on CD) The Pritikin Edge and Mindless Eating to prepare for KEEPING it off and MUCH MORE as it relates to health (because there is FAR more to longvity lifestyles that JUST losing weight!)….some runner up books for learning the “after intensive weight loss” maintenance approaches to lifestyle from both nutrition/psychological perspectives worth checking out:
-Volumetrics (subtitle: Feeling Full on Fewer Calories) – Dr Barbara Rolls
-Shrink Yourself – Dr Roger Gould (a good look at binge eating issues and emotional insights)
-The End of Overeating – Dr David Kessler (the former FDA commissioner gives a GREAT overview on the published data on how the food industry has found taste profiles as, if not more, addictive than crack cocaine for some, if not MOST, people!)

HAVE A GREAT AND HEALTHY DAY AND know for a FACT that you are NOT alone in this struggle to live healthy as a “hunter-forager-gatherer” in this NON-hunter gatherer and now FOOD TOXIC world! (p.s., if you’re interested in the energy behind that last statement…just check out the last part of Daniel Quinn’s book “The Story of B” … it’s called “The Public Teachings”….and be ready to be disturbed with chilling logic!