** Morbid Obesity by Dr. Robert Osgoodby

** Weight Loss Miracle Pill? by Dr. Earl Mindell

** Smiles - Live to be 100

** "One Step At A Time?" by James Groves

** Trivia

** Stress Tips by Dr. Rae Baum
 

The best gift you can give someone is the gift of health.To help you along your way, visit our Web Site at - http://bestbodyever.com/ .   We have also reworked our "FitnessProgram" and the electronic version which is sent directly toyour email address is now available for just $49.95.

 WARNING!! Always seek the advice of a Medical Doctor beforestarting, or making changes in your diet or exercise program. All previous newsletter are archived at our web site at:http://www.adv-marketing.com/business/bbnewslt.htmIf you haven't already, be sure to stop by our web site at:http://www.bestbodyever.com/

All opinions presented in this publication are those of the authors. Articles in this newsletter are for information only. If you have a medical problem, see your Medical Doctor.

Nearly two-thirds of the United States population is overweight. Anyone more than 100 pounds overweight is considered morbidly obese. The term morbid obesity refers to patients who are 50 - 100% -- or 100 pounds above -- their ideal body weight.

Obesity increases a person's risk of illness and death due to diabetes, stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and kidney and gallbladder disease. Obesity may increase the risk for some types of cancer. It is also a risk factor for the development of osteoarthritis and sleep apnea. In fact, a 20-year shorter life span, has also been found in individuals with morbid obesity.

Common Causes of Obesity

* Consumption of more food than the body can use
* Excess alcohol intake
* Sedentary lifestyle

Tips for preventing weight gain:

* Avoid foods that are high in fat and sugar.
* Reduce how much alcohol you drink.
* Avoid stress, frustration, and boredom.
* If you are depressed, seek medical treatment.
*
Avoid a sedentary lifestyle by increasing your activity level:

* Perform aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week .
* Increase physical activity by walking rather than driving.
* Climb stairs rather than using an elevator or escalator.
* Always talk to your health care provider before starting an exercise program.

A healthy diet and regular exercise program not only will improve your appearance, but it also can improve your health and decrease your risk of developing certain diseases.  Recent studies by Harvard researchers have concluded that moderate exercise and a healthy diet can prevent most cases of type 2 diabetes - the most common form of diabetes.  The study overwhelmingly indicated that by making the appropriate lifestyle changes, diabetes can be prevented over 90% of the time.  The study also concluded that lifestyle changes significantly reduced the risk of getting the disease by 58% among people who already showed signs of developing diabetes.

What is most interesting is that Harvard researchers determined that 91% of cases among the people they studied could have been prevented by watching their weight, eating a healthy diet, moderate exercise, and not drinking and smoking.  Being overweight is the number one reason people contract diabetes - 61% of all cases are attributed to obesity and weight problems.

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Dr. Osgoodby was a finalist in the "EAS Body for Life" Contest. Stop by his web page at bestbodyever.com to see his before and after pictures and subscribe to his monthly newsletter.

If you've ever been around people who have smoked marijuana, or if you've seen anyone do it in the movies, you know about "the munchies"—the acute carbohydrate cravings to which that pot smokers are vulnerable. Due to the combination of reduced inhibitions and enormous appetite, a person who is high on marijuana can eat a huge number of calories as processed junk food. It was only a matter of time before it occurred to obesity drug researchers to figure out why pot triggers these cravings, and what sort of drug might be created to block them. Doing so might create a drug that would erase or minimize the cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods that most experts agree are largely to blame for the obesity epidemic.

Now, such a drug has been developed. It's called Acomplia (generic name: rimonabant). Acomplia is the first of a new class of drugs, the selective CB1 endocannabinoid receptor antagonists. These drugs block the binding of cannabinoids, the "feel-good" neurochemicals that are created in the body—and that are mimicked by chemicals in marijuana—to receptors on nerves. The end result: a decrease in appetite.

In pre-approval clinical testing of the drug over two years, obese subjects lost five to ten percent of their body weight—an average of 19 pounds, with an average three inches lost from around the waist. Positive changes were observed with Acomplia users' blood lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides) and their blood sugar and insulin levels. Placebo patients lost some weight, too—an average of five pounds, with 1.5 inches lost from the waist—but the Acomplia patients had an obvious advantage.

Sanofi-Aventis, the drug company that developed Acomplia, has been promising that the drug would soon be available in the United States for some time now. They had expected FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval sometime in 2006, but for now, they haven't gotten it—for undisclosed reasons. Most experts believe that safety concerns are preventing the embattled FDA from giving this drug the go-ahead.

In some of the pre-approval trials, the incidence of psychiatric disorders in subjects taking Acomplia was 2.7 times the incidence of such disorders in placebo patients. No big surprise, when you consider that the drug blocks nerve receptors that deal in pleasure and joy. Now, this potential blockbuster drug is not expected to be approved in the United States until 2007. European authorities have already approved it, however.

There's a lot of buzz about this drug in obesity treatment circles. Patients are asking for it all over the place, thinking—because of what is paramount to viral marketing, with word-of-mouth reports about this drug traveling like wildfire—that this is The Magic Pill that will help all those folks who can't seem to lose weight and keep it off in a world full of temptations. It is no such thing. It is somewhat helpful, but it is by no means a magic pill that will make any big difference in the big picture of obesity. And in order to prevent regain of the weight, people may have to take it for life—a dream for the pharmaceutical company, but possibly a nightmare for the patient.

Shedding some weight is better than shedding none, but you can shed some weight through strict dietary control and frequent exercise, too. Not as easy as taking a pill, I'll grant you, but far, far safer in the long run. According to Morgan Stanley, safety concerns about this drug are likely to continue until it has been on the market for a long time.

There aren't really any other drugs that work well for weight loss without side effects. Xenical (orlistat), the lipase enzyme inhibitor that prevents the absorption of fats in the GI tract, is set to go over-the-counter under the unprepossessing name Alli. With the issues of diarrhea and anal leakage still issues in (OTC) over-the-counter form, it's not likely that this drug will get a whole lot of play. Meridia (sibutramine), which affects neurotransmitters in a fashion similar to popular antidepressant drugs, hasn't really caught on either.

Ho, hum...whole foods diet, exercise, supplements (in particular, I like Garcinia cambogia, 5-HTP, ginseng, goji juice, gymnema sylvestre, banaba, and bitter melon (momordica charantia).  You can take control; I've got a stack of testimonials from people who have done it to back me up. Don't wait for Acomplia or any other drug to start shedding those pounds!

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To learn more about how Dr. Mindell can help you get into the best shape of your life, visit:
http://freelife.com/Sites/keith/Redir.cfm?page=/info/nutrition/nutritionhome.cfm

Live to be 100
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A man asked his doctor if he thought he'd live to be a hundred. The doctor asked the man, "Do you smoke or drink?"

"No," he replied, "I've never done either."

"Do you gamble, drive fast cars, and fool around with women?" inquired the doctor.

"No, I've never done any of those things either."

"Are you a Christian or some kind of a religious person?"

"No, I don't believe in anything."
 
"Well then," said the doctor, "what do you want to live to be a hundred for?"

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With all the modern conveniences available, it's now possible to have a bad day and never leave the house.

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A woman was having a medical problem - her husband snoring. So she called the doctor one morning, and asked him if there was anything he could do to relieve her "suffering."

"Well, there is one operation I can perform that will cure your husband, but it is really rather expensive. It will cost $1000 down, and payments of $450 for 24 months, plus payments for extras."

"My goodness!" the woman exclaimed, "sounds like leasing a new sports car!"

"Hmmm," the doctor murmured, "too obvious, huh?"

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Are you unhappy with the way you look? Would you like to loose weight? Are you interested in toning-up or increasing your muscularity? Would you like to improve your health and quality of life? Are you thin and like to gain weight? If you have answer ed "yes" to any of these questions, We are confident our diet and exercise program will quickly get you to your goals. Your diet and exercise program is tailored to your individual needs and situation. We are here to help you every step of the way. P lease visit our web site at http://www.bestbodyever.com/. There are some great "before and after" pictures on the site that will motivate you to make the decision to improve your health and build your best body ever.

Here are suggestions on how to prevent bathroom falls, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* Keep a bath mat on the bathroom floor, and quickly clean up any puddles that form.
* Use a non-slip mat in the bathtub or on the shower floor.
* Install and use handrails in the bathtub or shower.
* Use a shower chair if you have a tendency to become tired or tend to slip in the shower.

 Let's share ideas about drinking water. Now, I know you've heard this before, but it's worth repeating. Drink 8 glasses of water every day. Most municipal water companies use chlorine as a bleaching agent and germicide.  Did you know that in 1993, over 400,000 people were infected with a parasite called Cryptosporidium caused by a break down of a state-of-the-art water filtering system. And in 1996, residents of Washington, DC were told to boil their tap water because of high levels of coliform bacteria.

What are the alternatives? The first one is bottled water. Did you know that Americans spent $3 billion last year buying bottled water? Most brands are better than tap water. Try different ones until you find a brand that tastes good and settles well in your stomach. Avoid the inexpensive store brand water in a gallon jug labeled "drinking water." Most of these brands are not filtered using reverse osmosis.

The best method for providing clean water is a home water treatment system. Check out the features of several systems before you purchase one for your home.

Here's how to begin a water drinking program. Begin and end each day with at least one glass of water. Drink one to two glasses of water before each meal. Instead of drinking coffee or a soda during a midmorning or afternoon break, drink a glass of water. And of course drink a full glass of water when you take your nutritional supplements.  Water is a free nutritional supplement that we should all take advantage of. Drink up!!

These health tips can only be found in Dr. Osgoodby's Newsletter. So watch for us for the next few months. You'll be glad you did. Join me next month and I'll show you how to eat more fruits and vegetables end enjoy doing it!

Live in Passion and Good Health,
James Groves

Why is it that pregnant women crave salty foods and pickles?, we are sure you must have asked yourself. Rest assured there is a very good reason. Expecting women need to produce about 40-50% more blood to take care of the fetus and salt is an essential ingredient to make this extra supply of blood. Further, the solution in which the fetus floats in the womb has salt as its chief component. All this salt needs to come from somewhere, right?

You will find this "Stress Tip Message" helpful to stay focused and on purpose. You can put this message to work by reading it often throughout the day.

Taking action to achieve your goals helps you attain them.  You have the power to attain your goals. Take action today!

---- Dr. Rae ----

~ Need help with this? Contact The Baum Group at:
mailto:TheBaumGroup@YourStressMatters.com

If you need to lose weight, you must be in caloric deficit. This can be accomplished by cutting down your caloric intake, or increasing the amount of calories you burn by exercising. I recommend both. Even though a calorie is a calorie when it comes to weight loss, a calorie is not a calorie when it comes to your health. Make sure your daily diet includes several servings of fruit and vegetables and whenever possible, avoid foods that contain trans fat.

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Yours in Health
Bob Osgoodby