Weight Loss News
January 2012
01/30/2012
EatRight, Piggly Wiggly program helps customers make healthful choices.
Reading a food nutrition label is tough. How many servings is this? How much sodium? Wait, sodium is salt, right? Why don't they say so? Here's a number for total calories. And now calories from fat. What's up with dietary fiber? Help!
*UAB EatRight program is a current OPTIFAST Program provider who has partnered with a local food chain to help consumers make better food choices.
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December 2011
12/01/2011
CMS RELEASES NEW COVERAGE DECISION
We applaud the CMS determination that evidence is adequate to recommend Intensive Behavioral Therapy for Obesity as reasonable and necessary for the prevention or early detection of illness or disability and is appropriate for individuals enrolled in Part A or Part B.
It will take some time before a final policy is issued relative to billing and payment.
To Read More
October 2011
10/26/2011
PhillyHealthWatch Interview With 2011 OPTIFAST Inspire Award Winner
Cheryl Marco, RD, LDN, CDE, was awarded the 2011 OPTIFAST Inspire Award this past May for her dedication and passion to helping patients lose
weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Since 1997 Cheryl has been successfully administering Jefferson University Hospital’s OPTIFAST Program
and changing thousands of lives along the way. Cheryl was recently interviewed by PhillyHealthWatch to describe the weight management program at
Jefferson and how they help individuals lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle,
click here to see the interview.
September 2011
09/01/2011
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are evaluating expanded obesity coverage. The National Coverage Analysis for Intensive Behavioral Therapy for Obesity (CAG-00423N) outlines the proposal. An excerpt from their description of the issue reads:
"CMS has decided to initiate a new national coverage analysis (NCA) on intensive behavioral therapy for obesity (IBTO), which is recommended with a grade B by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). We would be interested in receiving any recommendations on the appropriate frequency of this therapy and those qualified to provide it, based on documentation from the medical literature, current clinical practice guidelines, or the USPSTF recommendations."
Interested parties can review and comment on CMS Coverage Analysis online here
August 2011
08/03/2011
Medical Weight Loss New York Featured in Extreme Weight Loss News Story
Dr. Wendy Scinta spoke to her local News Channel 9 local to see if they would be interested in sponsoring a story on extreme weight loss. The network featured a local couple who has been struggling with their weight and will now undergo a weight loss plan supervised by Dr. Scinta. The spot features Dr. Scinta, her clinic and the OPTIFAST products.
Watch the Clip.
July 2011
07/19/2011
ABC News Interview With "New You" Contest Winner Jim Sutherland.
Jim Sutherland of Fletcher is a retired guidance counselor with a piece of sage advice when it comes to weight loss. 2 years ago he weighed 330 pounds. Now he's well on his way toward the ultimate goal of 175 pounds. OPTIFAST named him one of their 3 national winners in their "New You" contest.
Check out Jim’s ABC interview
07/19/2011
F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2011
Adult obesity rates increased in 16 states in the past year and did not decline in any state, according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2011, a report from the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Twelve states now have obesity rates above 30 percent. Four years ago, only one state was above 30 percent.
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June 2011
06/14/2011
Jim Sutherland Retired School Guidance Counselor talks about his weight loss with the OPTIFAST program and his improved health
OPTIFAST 2011 “New You” Winner Jim Sutherland talks about how his decision to lose weight and adopt a healthy lifestyle has helped improve his overall health.
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May 2011
05/31/2011
Annual OPTIFAST “New You” Weight Loss Winners Announced
Patients and Clinicians from California, North Carolina, Seattle and Philadelphia Rewarded for Dedication to Healthy Living.
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April 2011
04/15/2011
OPTIFAST 2010 Clinic of the Year Announced
Nestlé HealthCare Nutrition today announced that the Mercy Weight Management Program at Mercy Medical Center in Canton, OH has been awarded the OPTIFAST 2010 Clinic of the Year award.
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04/05/2011
New strategic plan for NIH obesity research seeks to curb epidemic
To combat the obesity epidemic, the National Institutes of Health is encouraging diverse scientific investigations through a new Strategic Plan for NIH Obesity Research.
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March 2011
03/11/2011
Fat Alone, Not Where It Sits, May Be Key to Heart Problems
The study across 17 countries concluded that those who carry much of their excess fat in the stomach region do not appear to face a particularly higher risk for heart disease compared with those with fat deposits distributed differently.
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October 2010
10/26/2010
Nutrition Basics Help Fight Child Obesity
The FDA has published a guide to help prevent and fight childhood obesity.
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August 2010
08/03/2010
CDC Publishes Obesity Vital Signs
CDC Vital Signs offers recent data on the important health topics of key diseases, conditions, or risk factors. Data is gathered from CDC's national monitoring systems to show progress in important areas of public health, and the ways people can increase their health, prevent or control disease.
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April 2010
04/13/2010
April, 2010: USDA Awards Grants to Develop Obesity Prevention Programs
USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) plans to focus on behavioral factors that influence obesity, in order to help prevent it. $11 million in grants are being offered for the development of effective obesity prevention strategies.
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