OTC: Specialists in Obesity

Fighting the Middle “Spread”

From:  John Hernried, M.D.

         

One of the more common complaints I hear in my internal medicine practice is from 55 year-old women complaining about their increasing abdominal size.  Many of these women had few weight problems prior to menopause, and now are frustrated with their changing shape.  The usual cause of this is a buildup of visceral fat, which is known to be a risk factor for diabetes, hypertension and coronary artery disease.

The Strong Health and Empowered (SHE) study, sponsored by the NIH showed the importance of strength training in fighting increased fat.  Women in the study used free weights and machines and worked out for an hour twice a week.  A control group was just given information about exercise.  The results showed that women in the study group had a markedly reduced rate of abdominal fat and their overall body fat percentage declined by 3.7%.  The patients were told not to change their diet and their total body weight did not decrease.

This well-designed study reinforces the benefit of fitness.  Through their two hours a week, they have markedly reduced their risk for heart disease and diabetes for years to come.

How can you prevent your own “spread?” For those who wonder how to get started, this is a great opportunity to contact a certified personal trainer at a gym or in the community. The resistance training that was done in the study would be difficult to reproduce at home.  However, this is a good use of a local gym or a small training studio.  Most gyms offer one or two free consultations with a personal trainer to orient clients to the weight machines.  Make sure it is a certified trainer with one of the following certifications:  ACSM, NSCA, or ACE.  Once you get going, make an appointment with the trainer monthly so that you can progress forward.   

Dancing Away Obesity

From: John Hernried, M.D.

After my IHOP confession, I want to report an activity I enjoy with my family. A while back I found Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) at an arcade and was pleasantly surprised that I could compete. For those who aren’t familiar, DDR is an interactive video game that involves coordinating steps on a floor pad with a video image on a screen in front of you. It is accompanied by a wide variety of music. I will admit I am a terrible dancer, but I found copying the dance steps on a screen was easy and very exciting. At Christmas, we actually purchased two DDR pads for our home. It has turned out to be an excellent source of exercise for the whole family. Not surprisingly, my ten year old has far surpassed me. I am amazed how fast he moves his feet! After a song, and dance, my heart rate is elevated and I am sweating. The best part is it’s fun and seems effortless because I’m too busy concentrating on the correct steps to notice my exertion.

Fooling people into exercise is an excellent behavioral trick. Since I’ve started, I’ve learned that several
of my patients also use DDR to stay in shape. DDR offers a reduced perceived exertion—meaning you are actually getting more physical activity with less “pain.” It is a great way that technology can help.

DDR isn’t fooling only adults into moving. It is being used in schools as a form of physical activity for children. According to a story on the CBS Early Show, West Virginia is even incorporating it into their physical education program.. Curious? Put on your dancing shoes and check out their website for a demonstration of DDR.

The game can be purchased in conjunction with an Xbox or Playstation, or it can hooked directly to a TV. There are many different types. I found a lot of information by searching for “Dance Pads” on Amazon. DDR Game is another site that sells many different kinds of dance games.

For those who’ve been at it for a while, you can also dance against someone via the internet. I’m not quite there yet. But any day now I may be looking for a challenge to Hey Momma from the Black Eyed Peas.