DEAR DR. GOTT: The past six weeks have been amazing. I am a 46-year-old male, six feet tall. On October 13, 2011 I was at the doctor’s for a blood pressure check up. They weighed me and the scale said I weighed 244 pounds which is the highest I have ever weighed. In the lab room, I saw the computer terminal and it said in big red letters “PATIENT IS OBESE”. That got me thinking. I had already been miserable in my dress clothes at work for a few years. My doctor had said I needed to lose some weight and to check out a diet or two but those he recommended didn’t work for me. Then I decided to go without sugar sweet desserts at night, which since I was a kid, I had eaten each and every night no matter how full I was from dinner.
[Read more...]
“Patient is Obese” hard to handle
Obese man won’t diet
DEAR DR. GOTT: My 48-year-old husband of 12 years is obese. When we married he was a large man but not obese. This condition has affected our lives in many ways. How do we get information concerning options for him other than diet? He has high blood pressure and cholesterol that are both controlled by medication. I am at my wits’ end. Please help!
DEAR READER: Your note is very brief and doesn’t give me much to go on. Why are you interested in options other than diet? Is he already on a diet? Does he consume normal portions of healthful foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats and fish? Has he refused to make necessary modifications to his eating habits?
[Read more...]
Diet may be to blame for appetite, cough
DEAR DR. GOTT: My 14-year-old grandson for years has had a huge appetite and is never satisfied. Unfortunately, he grew up on fast food and his mother’s home cooking added to the problem, no matter how we urged her to cook healthier foods. He is about 40 pounds overweight. He was never a fast walker or runner, and therefore, doesn’t like sports.
Recently he developed a very deep “croopy” cough, especially in the morning. Doctors blame it on postnasal drip. He also has very bad breath and nothing seems to help. He also has occasional heartburn. I remember reading a letter to you from a woman who said her cough was cured by using Prevacid.
[Read more...]
Making excuses for obesity
DEAR DR. GOTT: My 38-year-old granddaughter is convinced that because she has polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), she cannot lose weight. She is grossly overweight, and I am concerned about her future. She sees an endocrinologist about once a year, and takes thyroid medication and niacin for cholesterol. Can she be helped? Thank you for your consideration of this serious problem.
DEAR READER: PCOS is a hormonal disorder that commonly begins when a female begins menstruation; however, it can develop later in life.
[Read more...]