Our national network of Therapists would like to welcome Los Angeles, California therapist Dr. Patricia L. Field. Dr. Field provides counseling for patients from Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. So, if you are looking for Los Angeles psychologist, Los Angeles Marriage Therapist, or Los Angeles Family Therapist….we recommend you visit either Therapists.net or TherapeuticDirectory.com and search zip code 90049 to learn more about Dr. Patricia L. Field. 

By: Cynthia York-Camden MS, RD, LDN - Registered Dietitian in Murphysboro, IL - www.RDLink.com

If your doctor has recently labeled you as obese you may have questions about what this really means to you. Everywhere we turn these days we are hearing about the obesity epidemic. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has identified obesity as a top priority for our nation largely due to the fact that recent research shows that over 30 percent of adults over age 20 are considered obese. Getting more information about obesity can help you feel better about yourself. Learning about what obesity really means for you is an important first step towards long-term weight loss success. Understanding obesity can help you begin to work with your doctor, registered dietitian and healthcare team to find the best treatments for your situation.

What is Obesity?

Obesity is a serious condition that refers to more than just a few extra pounds. It is a level of excess body fat that has been linked to a higher risk for developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and more. Your doctor may identify you as obese in an effort to help you stay healthy and live better.

How is obesity measured?

Obesity is measured using a number called Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is measured by calculating your height in meters squared over your weight. A diagnosis of Obesity may be given if the number is more than 35 but less than 40.  Using this measurement helps your doctor focus on more than just your weight because research shows that a lower BMI number has been linked with better health.

What are the limitations to using BMI to diagnosis obesity?

If you have a muscular build or are an athlete, the BMI may over estimate your level of body fat. If you are an older person who has lost lean muscle mass, BMI may underestimate your level of body fat. Talk to your doctor about whether you fall into one of these categories.  BMI may not be a valid measure for you but your doctor can use other indicators such as blood pressure, family history, waist circumference, blood cholesterol levels and gender to help you assess your risk factors and stay healthy.

What types of therapy are used to treat Obesity?

Treatment usually includes a combination of diet, exercise and behavioral therapy that needs to be adjusted to your individual needs. Drug therapy may also be useful for some patients when other therapies have failed. Patients who have a BMI greater than 35 but less than 40 (obesity) are usually not considered for weight loss surgery unless they have other health concerns (called co-morbidities). Surgery may be consider if BMI level is over 40 (Morbid Obesity). A team approach has been shown to be very effective in treatment for obesity. Evidence shows that diet and lifestyle strategies are the foundation of all types of treatment for obesity.

Evidence supports the Registered Dietitian in treatment for obesity.

Studies have shown that nutrition intervention services from registered dietitians resulted in better treatment outcomes. Dietitians are uniquely qualified to help you individualize your plan for diet and lifestyle changes. Working with a registered dietitian can help to ensure weight loss for a lifetime instead of just a quick fix. Support during the maintenance phase (after you have reached your goals) has been shown to improve long-term weight loss success. Talk to your doctor and healthcare team about working with a registered dietitian as part of your obesity treatment plan.

References:

• Overweight and obesity. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/index.html Accessed July 3, 2009.
• Basic principles of obesity therapy slides. Obesity society. http://www.obesityonline.org/ Accessed July 3, 2009.
• Obesity. MedlinePlus. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/obesity.html Accessed July 3, 2009.
• The Practical Guide: Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults. October 2000, NIH Pub No 00-4084. http://nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/prctgd_c.pdf Accessed July 3, 2009.
• What is obesity? WebMD Healthy eating and diet. http://www.webmd.com/diet/what-is-obesity Accessed July 3, 2009.
• Calculate your BMI. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ Accessed July 3, 2009.
• When being overweight is a health problem. Teen Health; Kidshealth from Nemours. http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/dieting/obesity.html Accessed July 3, 2009.
• Statistics related to overweight and obesity. WIN; Weight Information Network. http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/STATISTICS/ Accessed July 3, 2009.
• American Dietetic Association. Evidence supports dietitian effective in obesity treatment. http://www.webrd.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/advocacy_1551_ENU_HTML.htm Accessed July 3, 2009.

Cynthia York-Camden, MS, RD, LDN is a registered dietitian and webmaster at http://www.RDLink.com/

ScienceDaily (Oct. 15, 2007) — New research from Macquarie University suggests certain self-help treatments for social anxiety disorder may be just as effective as more traditional, therapist only treatments.

With mental health conditions such as anxiety growing in prevalence across the globe, there is a critical need for more innovative, cost-effective and accessible treatments. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (1997 National Survey of Health and Wellbeing) social phobia affects more than 200,000 Australians every year. Of these people, 80 per cent do not seek treatment. The results of Macquarie’s recently trialed self-help treatment for social anxiety disorder is therefore promising news for both anxiety sufferers and mental health services.

Recently published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, the study investigated the efficacy of pure self-help through written materials for severe social phobia and self-help augmented by five group sessions with a therapist. These conditions were compared with a waiting-list control and standard, therapist-led group therapy.

According to psychology Professor Ron Rapee, who led the team of Macquarie researchers, such methods may provide a template for a highly resource-effective method of treatment delivery.

“Mental health services around the world are limited in their reach and scope,” explains Rapee. “In addition, a large proportion of people with anxiety disorders including social phobia do not seek help from traditional mental health services, rather they prefer to deal with difficulties themselves. For these people in particular, self-help might provide an acceptable alternative to traditional therapy. Advantages of self-help include freeing up mental health professionals to allow them to deal with individuals who do require more intensive intervention and providing a more easily accessible and less stigmatising alternative for individuals who are unwilling or unable to access traditional services.”

While results of the study indicated that pure self help showed limited efficacy for the treatment of social phobia, they did suggest that self-help augmented by therapist assistance may be a legitimate alternative to traditional therapy models.

“At a 24-week follow-up assessment augmented self-help with five therapist-led group sessions resulted in marked improvements in symptoms of social phobia and life interference that were as great as those produced by standard group treatment,” says Rapee.

“These results could have major implications for public health. At one extreme, expert therapists treating individual patients under detailed supervision can produce extremely efficacious results at a higher cost and limited accessibility. At the other extreme, simple provision of printed materials can produce small changes at extremely low cost and broad accessibility. Augmentation of printed materials with a few therapist-led sessions provides an extremely viable mid-point alternative.”