Innovative weight loss solution can help you buck the trend of Michigan’s rising obesity rate
Michiganders struggling with their weight are not alone. The Mitten moved up one spot in nationwide obesity rankings last year and now is 16th among U.S. states with 31.2 percent of adults at a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
That’s up from 30.7 percent in 2015, according to the State of Obesity project, which compares survey data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A decade ago, 26.2 percent of Michigan adults were obese, and it 1990 it was 13.2 percent.
The state’s trend follows a nationwide pattern. Across the country, more than 30 percent of adults are obese. Twenty years ago, in 1997, less than 20 percent of adults had a body-mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.
Globally, too, obesity rates are on the rise, more than doubling since 1980. Nearly 2 billion adults are overweight, with a BMI above 25, and more than 600 million are obese, according to the World Health Organization.
The CDC calls obesity “a serious concern because it is associated with poorer mental health outcomes, reduced quality of life, and the leading causes of death” in the United States and worldwide.
But there is a silver lining: obesity is preventable.
The key to managing weight is knowing that eating more calories than you burn through activity will add pounds. Food portions have gotten bigger over the years, and more than one-fourth of Michigan adults now are considered physically inactive. That’s a recipe for obesity.
Getting exercise is important, and that doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym every morning. Going for a walk, doing housework, and taking the stairs are all calorie-burning activities you can add to your daily routine.
Watching food portions also is a crucial step to limit the number of calories you eat. An average adult man should eat about 2,500 calories per day, and an adult woman should eat about 2,000 calories per day.
In addition to a healthier diet and more exercise, a new, non-surgical procedure can accelerate weight loss. In fact, the use of an ORBERA™ intragastric balloon can drop weight 3.1 times faster than diet and exercise alone *.
Diet, exercise, and willpower can work well for people that are 20 to 30 pounds overweight, and surgical operations can help people who are morbidly obese. A non-surgical balloon is perfect for people in the middle who are 50 to 100 pounds overweight.
“Now we’ve got something that fills in that gap,” said Dr. Andre R. Nunn, whose Innovative Bariatrics does gastric balloon procedures in the Detroit area and offers free seminars at the Specialty Surgical Center in Oak Park.
“It’s a non-surgical option for people who didn’t really have an option before. It gives people a fighting chance to keep this weight off.”
There have been about 220,000 ORBERA™ balloon procedures worldwide, but only a few doctors in Michigan offer this non-invasive weight-loss solution. Innovative Bariatrics offers free seminars on weight loss balloons every other Wednesday.
People can meet Dr. Nunn, view a PowerPoint presentation to learn what they can expect before and after the procedure, and even see the balloon that gets placed in the stomach.
Click here to reserve a spot at a free seminar, or call 248-283-4009 for more information about ORBERA™.
* Results may vary
