Weighty subjects

Health care providers at Ertel Medicine and Pediatrics know all too well the statistics about obesity in America. They know the statistics, and they know the people who are suffering from a myriad of health problems because of their weight.

In September, Dr. Larry Ertel felt it was time to do something to better serve his patients.
He and wife, Gina Lang, attended Obesity Summit 2011 at the Cleveland Clinic to learn the latest research on fighting obesity.

“We learned that meal replacements, over 10 years, show the greatest maintenance,” Lang said.

According to research presented by leading scientists, Lang said, meal replacement programs appear to be the easiest and most effective way to lose weight and keep it off.

Ertel and Lang left the conference convinced that their clinic needed to be more proactive in helping patients with weight loss, and decided, based on the research presented, to offer a meal replacement program.

The idea resulted in Day One Wellness Clinic, located within the Ertel Medicine offices. The clinic offers metabolic testing, meal replacement shakes and nutrition counseling from Ertel, Lang, Lisa Coleman and nurse practitioner Brenda Caudill.

“I am convinced that until we help patients with weight loss that the medical community is just putting band aids on ailments like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. I tell my patients to lose weight but many of them get discouraged when they have a lot of weight to lose at the typical 2 pounds per week. Day One can offer a more rapid weight loss, plus with counseling and support, can help these patients maintain a healthy weight,” Ertel said.

Many staff members at Ertel Medicine, including Lang, have undergone metabolic testing and are following the meal replacement plan. Lang said she and Ertel researched several different shake varieties before settling on the Arbonne brand. The shakes are vegan, high protein and include all needed vitamins and nutrients, according to Ertel. Lang said she even allows the couple’s two children to drink the shakes at breakfast, though they are not on a weight loss or maintenance program.

“I haven’t bought cereal in three months,” Lang said.

Children struggling with obesity have found success with the program, Lang said. The clinic officially opened in November, and many families, including children suffering from obesity, have taken advantage of the program. Lang said the system works best if families or husbands and wives go through the program together. She herself has lost about 15 pounds thanks to the shakes.

The metabolic testing, $75 for clients not enrolled in the meal replacement program, gives people an idea of how many calories their body burns per day in a resting state. The number is then used to determine how many calories that individual should take in per day to achieve a healthy body mass index.

“We try to get people to the middle of the BMI,” Lang said.

For people with a healthy BMI, Lang said counselors can help develop a plan for lowering the percentage of body fat, which also lowers the risk of disease, even in people at a healthy weight. Ertel recounted a patient who lost six pounds and lowered her cholesterol by 20 points. He himself has used the plan to lower his own cholesterol.

“It’s exciting to see some of the strength building, and just folks that want to eat healthier,” Lang said.

Ertel said weight loss improves not only overall health, but also quality of life.

“With our own journies of weight loss, you see how much you feel better,” Ertel said.

For more information, visit www.dayoneky.com, or call 771-6033.

Contact Rachel Parsons at rparsons@winchester-sun.com.