The Sound & Town Report
November 19, 2004

Weight Loss Doctor Stresses Lifestyle Change, Not Fad Dieting

by Gerald Anzalone, D.C.

If you are one of the millions of Americans frustrated with failed weight loss and are tired of bouncing up and down the scale in between jumping on- and eventually falling off- every fad diet to hit the market, then it is time for a reality check, according Dennis Gage, M.D., author of The Thinderella Syndrome: A Practical Guide to Individualized Permanent Weight Loss. In his new book, Dr., Gage examines the phenomenon of epidemic obesity and its related diseases, the reasons why fad diets simply do not work, and he outlines his approach to long-term weight loss based on positive behavior and lifestyle changes. Dr. Gage, a Mamaroneck resident, is a board-certified physician in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Clinical Nutrition, a clinical instructor in medicine at New York University, and is a Clinical Attending at Lenox Hill Hospital. He also heads a private clinical practice in New York City that is mainly devoted to the treatment of obesity and metabolically related diseases.

"Almost all of the people who are obese and who try dieting follow a rigid, regimented pattern diet, but less than three percent of the dieters actually succeed in keeping their weight off after two years," said Dr. Gage. "Most of the fad diets on the market today use a single regimentation technique, which means eating one food type or following a specific pattern of eating, but because most fad diets require such extreme changes, they are doomed to failure from the outset. Most mass-market diets may help you take the weight off, but they do not help you keep it off. Eventually, the only things that the failed dieter actually loses are their interest in dieting, their self-confidence, her dog every day," said Dr. Gage. "The physical activity of routinely walking the dog had been burning up over ten pounds of weight per year. When the patient got another dog and resumed her daily walking routine, she slowly lost her excess weight and kept it off."

The Thinderella Syndrome also highlights some of the worst diseases to result from obesity, namely diabetes, osteoarthritis, digestive disorders, and certain forms of cancer.

"Obesity is only second to cigarette smoking as a leading cause of death in this country today, and in fact it could become the leading killer as the obesity epidemic worsens and spreads through the world," said Dr. Gage. "The obesity epidemic in the United States is quite severe. Startling statistics reveal an obesity rate of approximately forty percent, with an overweight population pushing beyond sixty-percent of the general population. Type 2 diabetes was almost unheard of until adulthood, but it is now breaking loose in our teens and youngsters, often requiring medication to control the disease. The rate of diabetes is directly related to one's weight, and even a ten percent increase in weight nearly triples the risk of a person developing Type 2 diabetes. Severely obese patients increase their risk by up to 50 to 60 times. Osteoarthritis is still another obesity-related illness. Additionally, constipation, diverticulosis, and colon cancer have all been associated with decreased fiber and elevated fat diets, such as the traditional American diet. Prostate cancer, gall stones, and sleep apnea also appear to be more common in the obese," said Dr. Gage.

The common sense weight loss approach that Dr. Gage outlines in his book reflects the philosophy that characterizes his private practice, which is to treat the whole patient, not just the disease or the symptom. His practice emphasizes behavior modification for obesity, medication when necessary, individualized liquid formula diets, support group sessions for obese individuals, one-on-one exercise training sessions with personal trainer, chiropractic care, diabetic consultation and nutritional treatment, endocrinologic consultation and thyroid treatment, and internal medicine consultation and treatment.

"Whether patients present for obesity treatment, regular medical exams, or nutritional exams, individualization is the key," said Dr. Gage. "Today's wellness care is not the patch-work medicine of the '60's, '70's, or '80's, when doctors mostly treated symptoms, not the causes of disease. Today's wellness care focuses on preventative medicine, and includes nutraceuticals, chiropractic, and the treatment of endocrine disorders."

The keys to success for people who struggle with failed weight loss patterns and the unhealthy habits of trend dieting, according to the doctor, are common sense, permanent positive lifestyle changes, and permanent positive eating changes. "You live a diet, you don't do a diet," emphasized Dr. Gage. "Simply restricting calories only results in yo-yoing. Relying on pills is not the answer, either. In one study, we found that the group that was on the most diet drugs actually lost the least amount of weight. You must be realistic and prioritized in your approach to weight loss. The title of my book refers to the fantasy world and unrealistic goals that people have toward dieting. People expect their fairy godmother to provide a magic solution to their overweight problem. There is no magic pill. 'Thinderella' is only a figment of the imagination. The real you is defined by the lifestyle that you practice. It is possible to have a healthy life and to enjoy a method of dieting that is sane, realistic, and permanent."

The Thinderella Syndrome, published by Vantage Press (August 2004), is available through Amazon at Gage's web site at www.thethinderellasyndrome.com.

 

 

 

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