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Ruth Barham (center) Weight Watchers
leader, and two of her successful clients: Cindy
Reynolds and Sarina Ortega. The three have lost a
total of 145 pounds. |
Like a butterfly freed from the prison of its
chrysalis, three local women have discovered freedom from
the bonds of being overweight and out of shape. Their
new-found beauty is just the icing on the cake of having
learned how to eat without going overboard. The real gains
are in the milestones they made in improving their chances
for a longer, healthier life.
Long seen as a personal issue, being overweight has now
been elevated to a national health crisis. No longer a
question of being accepted, respected or loved despite the
uncomeliness of extra pounds, finding a way to lose the
extra inches is now recognized as a matter of life or
death.
In his December 13, 2001 "Call To Action To Prevent and
Decrease Overweight and Obesity", U. S. Surgeon General
David Satcher stated: "Overweight and obesity may soon
cause as much preventable disease and death as cigarette
smoking", crediting obesity and overweight with around
300,000 deaths per year in the United States, coming ever
closer to the more than 400,000 deaths a year attributed
to cigarette smoking.
While the nation's health focus has centered for years
upon smoking and the excessive consumption of alcoholic
beverages, the effects of obesity on overall health
"greatly exceeds" that of smoking or drinking, according
to a report in the journal Health Affairs. In fact, the
relation of obesity to chronic health problems is
purported to be "roughly the same" as 20 years of aging.
The associated costs in increased health care and
medication is staggering, estimated at 36 percent greater
in inpatient and outpatient spending and 77 percent more
dollars spent for medications than among non-obese
individuals.
In addition to premature death, obesity's ominous
associations include: type 2 diabetes, heart disease,
stroke, hypertension, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis,
sleep apnea, asthma and other breathing problems, cancers
of the endometrium, colon, kidney and gallbladder as well
as postmenopausal breast cancer, high blood cholesterol,
complications of pregnancy, menstrual irregularities,
hirsutism (excess facial and body hair), stress
incontinence due to weakened pelvic-floor muscles,
increased surgical risk, psychological disturbances such
as depression and other psychological problems due to
social stigmatization.
Sarina before her weight loss |
These problems were far from the forefront of McKenzie
resident Sarina Ortega's mind when she and husband Thomas
traveled to Mexico last February to visit family, however.
"Hey, Gorda!" her brother-in-law exclaimed upon seeing
her. Gorda is the Spanish word for fat. "It made me feel
so bad," she says. But it also made her start thinking
about her weight. "I was tired of feeling big and fat."
Back home, she tried exercising "but it didn't work," she
says. Then a friend who was losing weight told her she was
attending Weight Watchers meetings. Excited at the
prospect of losing her own excess pounds, she told her
husband she was going to join. "At first he didn't believe
I was going to make it," she smiles, admitting there were
so many "Mondays" that she would start a new diet only to
fall off the wagon by week's end.
"When he saw one week go by and then another week and I
was going to meetings, he supported me, he helped me," she
says appreciatively. Seeing the pounds melt away, soon he
was saying, "Go, it's time for your meeting," laughs
Sarina, who lost 45 pounds in five months on the plan.
This past Christmas when the family went back to Mexico,
her brother-in-law had a new name for her. "This time he
called me Barbie."
Sarina and Thomas' nine-year-old daughter Sariely helps
keep her mom in line, at dinner time asking, "Are you
watching your points?"
The "points" based Weight Watchers plan is not a diet at
all, admonishes Cindy Reynolds of Palmersville in Weakley
County, who has lost 70 pounds on the plan, reaching her
goal just last week.
"It's not a diet," she says, "I don't consider it a diet;
I never have. You're allowed to eat what you want but you
learn to eat healthy in smaller portions. That's the
reason this works for me - I don't feel deprived."
Sarina agrees, "It's a big difference from other diets. My
family would say, 'This is so good, are you sure you can
have this?'"
Losing weight while eating balanced meals has made all the
difference to Sarina, who says, "I watch what I eat and I
don't feel guilty any more. Always before I felt guilty at
what I was eating."
Along the way, Sarina brought exercise back into her
healthy regimen, walking and lifting two-pound weights to
keep her muscles toned.
Cindy before her weight loss |
Cindy, an employee at Gleason school, enjoys walking the
halls of the school after-hours with supportive friends.
She also relishes the support of husband, Charlie, and
their 12-year-old daughter, Kimberly. When they go out to
eat, Charlie asks, "How many points do you have left;
where do you want to eat," Cindy relates.
The Reynolds' know first-hand the benefits losing weight
has had for their family; Cindy no longer has to take the
medicines she took for seven years to control high blood
pressure.
The svelte ladies credit their success to their Weight
Watchers leader, Gleason resident Ruth Barham, who lost 30
pounds on the plan herself before becoming a leader.
"She's a wonderful leader," they both agree. "She cares
about you." Ruth shares ideas and information from recent
articles as well as food and recipes at Weight Watchers
meetings that, along with input from members, creates an
environment of support and motivation that helps many stay
on track toward their goals. The meetings take place at
the Methodist Hospital in McKenzie with express meetings
in the specialty clinic from 12:00 to 1:00 on Mondays and
on Tuesday nights in the cafeteria from 5:30 until 7:00.
(Call Ruth at 648-5991 for more information.)
Ruth's original motivation to lose her own weight came as
a means to control her diabetes without drugs. Just thirty
pounds and a well-balanced diet have made all the
difference.
Being diagnosed with diabetes in January last year was the
reason another local girl made up her mind to lose weight
with the help of advice from her doctor, Volker Winkler,
once she had come to grips with her initial anger.
Janice before her weight loss, shown
here with husband Reggie and daughter Jamie. |
"I was mad at first; I stayed mad for three days," says
Janice Wiggins of McKenzie who confesses that she just
loves food. "When I'm eating one meal, I'm thinking about
what I'm going to have the next. I like to eat, I like to
cook, I like to go to the grocery store."
Faced with the prospect of declining health and of dealing
with finger pricks and medication or insulin shots,
however, she knew she had important choices to make,
starting with her diet.
Dr. Winkler considered that if she adhered to an 1800-2000
calorie diabetic diet and exercised, she might be able to
control her blood sugar without drugs. Janice jumped at
2000 calories, but, she says, Dr. Winkler said, "Well...
maybe 1800."
"Before I met with the dietician all I could see was
things I couldn't have anymore," she says. "I started
looking at those Little Debbie cakes and ice cream."
Despite the restrictions, she says, "At first it wasn't
about losing weight, it was about getting my blood sugar
under control." The big issue was learning how to make
healthy food choices.
"At first I had to just pray, you know. I started out
praying that God would give me the strength every single
day to take away the craving for the things I didn't need
to eat. I want to give him all the credit as far as me
giving me strength to do it."
She persevered, and as time went by, people began to ask
how much weight she had lost. "I don't know, I haven't
weighed," she would reply. When she finally weighed in
March, she had lost about 30 pounds. She added exercise to
her lifestyle, advised by Dr. Winkler that exercise "is as
important as anything in helping the body use sugar like
it's supposed to."
Janice after losing 111 pounds on the
ADA diabetic exchange diet. |
Never one to exercise before - "My idea of exercising was
picking up the remote control," she says. - she started
out walking with husband Reggie, then joined the Wellness
Center at the Methodist Hospital in McKenzie.
"Getting started was hardest part - just doing it," she
says. "When I first started I would be so weak and shaky I
could hardly raise my hands to wash my hair in the shower,
but now if I don't exercise every day I don't feel as
good, I've got more energy."
When the weather is nice, Janice enjoys alternating
working out at the Center on Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays with walking on other days. When the weather is
bad, she'll be at the Wellness Center every day. "I
usually go early in the morning at 6:00 and if not 6:00,
then I'll go on my lunch break. If that doesn't work out,
I go at night," she says, illustrating her resolve in
maintaining her health.
Supportive and proud, Reggie says with a big grin, "When
we first started walking she couldn't keep up with me; now
I've got to work to keep up with her."
As an employee of the McKenzie Medical Center, Janice says
she sees every day what can happen to people with diabetes
who don't control their lifestyles. "That's what got my
attention," she says, "So much stuff stems from being
diabetic."
It took 11 months of healthy eating and exercise before
her blood sugar stabilized. During that time she has come
to love sugar-free Jell-O and chocolate pudding, something
she "wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole" before.
Like the Weight Watchers plan, however, the new American
Diabetes Association diet does not restrict certain foods,
including sweets. Instead, foods must be planned to fit
the "exchanges" of the day's menu.
Similar to the point system, the exchange diet ensures
that foods are enjoyed in the correct proportions from the
food pyramid. Generally speaking, depending upon
individual calorie needs, the food pyramid advises meals
be planned to provide six to 11 servings from the bread,
cereal, rice and pasta group; three to five servings of
vegetables; two to four servings of fruit; two to three
servings from the milk, yogurt and cheese group, two to
three servings from the eggs, meat, poultry, fish, dry
beans, eggs, and nuts group, and oils, fats and sweets to
be used sparingly.
"I can have anything I want, I just have to fit it in.
Besides, sweets are not good for anybody to eat," says
Janice, relating advice she received that if she wants a
piece of pie, it's best to buy it out instead of making it
at home, preventing the tendency to "even up this corner
right here and even up this corner right there."
"Before you know it you've eaten the whole pie," she says.
"A lot of it is portion control, I struggle with that
still," she continues. It all comes down to choices, as
she experienced recently when she and Reggie visited her
parents, Tater-town residents Bill and Maudine Beasley,
for dinner. On the menu were chicken and dressing, turnip
greens, and sweet potatoes.
"I couldn't have as much as I really wanted," Janice says,
"but it was good." She chose to forego the sweet potatoes
this time, saying, "Mom, I appreciate you making those
sweet potatoes but I'm going to have all my starches in
dressing."
When Reggie bragged on the sweet potatoes on the way home,
she reasoned that she'd had her share of fried sweet
potatoes in days gone by. Besides, the benefits she has
gained in health, energy and self-esteem more than make up
for any foods she might miss.
"My own cousin didn't know me at Christmas," she says,
having now experienced the loss of 111 pounds since
January last year.
Always loved and accepted for her true self, Janice
learned what we all must: Beauty is only skin deep, but
health, good or bad, lasts - or limits - a lifetime. In
the long run, that's the message we have to accept. |
