Obesity is a complex medical condition characterized by excessive body fat accumulation, posing significant risks to overall health. It's crucial to differentiate obesity from simply being overweight, which encompasses excess weight from various sources like bone, muscle, fat, or water. Obesity arises when calorie intake consistently exceeds calorie expenditure, leading to fat storage. This condition elevates the risk of developing serious health issues, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and certain cancers. Losing even a modest amount of weight, such as 5 to 10 percent of your body weight, can significantly reduce the risk or delay the onset of these conditions. Morbid obesity represents a particularly dangerous state, often associated with debilitating medical problems and a reduced lifespan.
Treatment for obesity typically involves a combination of strategies, including dietary modifications, nutritional counseling, lifestyle adjustments, and regular exercise. In some instances, medication or bariatric surgery may be considered. Bariatric surgical options include:
- Gastric bypass: Surgically reduces the size of your stomach and reroutes food around a portion of your stomach.
- Gastric sleeve: Reduces stomach capacity by dividing your stomach vertically, creating a long, sleeve-shaped pouch.
Temple Health's Bariatric Program: A Focus on Comprehensive Care
Temple Health offers a dedicated Bariatric Program designed to provide comprehensive support to individuals seeking weight loss solutions. Recognizing the importance of continuous care, the program adapted to a virtual model during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure uninterrupted service to its patients.
Virtual Transition: Maintaining Accessibility During COVID-19
The COVID-19 shutdown posed a significant challenge to the Temple Health Bariatric Program, threatening to disrupt essential support services. However, the team swiftly transitioned to a virtual model to maintain accessibility for patients.
Victoria Brown, a Registered Nurse in the program, emphasized the importance of continued accessibility, stating, "It's so important to continue to be accessible for these patients, not only in the mindset of getting them to surgery but helping them to continue to be successful with their weight loss and their goals after surgery."
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Dr. Rohit Soans, Program Director of Bariatric Surgery at Temple Health, noted the convenience of the virtual format, stating that "Ninety-percent of all the evaluations that we need, from a very bariatric perspective can be done virtually, which has been very, very convenient for the patient."
The virtual format has expanded the program's reach, making it more accessible to individuals who previously faced challenges traveling to Temple.
Comprehensive Wellness Resources
Temple Health recognizes the importance of overall well-being and provides access to a range of resources to support individuals on their wellness journey.
Independence Blue Cross (IBC) Resources
Independence Blue Cross offers several resources to support members' health and well-being:
- IBC Health Coach: Provides personalized one-on-one support from a registered nurse who can address health concerns for individuals and their families, including chronic conditions and illnesses.
- IBC Wellness Coach: Offers personalized support and guidance to promote a healthier lifestyle through goal setting, resources, and ongoing conversations. Wellness coaches possess extensive experience and education in coaching, exercise physiology, and nutrition.
- On To Better Health: An online confidential behavioral therapy program that offers resources for managing stress, including self-assessments, articles, videos, and personalized guided therapy available 24/7.
- Conquering Social Distancing Programs: Provides resources to help individuals set goals and engage in activities focused on physical health, nutrition, work-life boundaries, healthy sleep, and stress management.
- Health and Wellness Videos: A selection of videos covering topics such as stress management, sleep, depression, emotional well-being, and other health-related issues.
- IBX App: Provides a convenient and secure way to access healthcare information and services via a mobile device.
- IBX Wire: A simple and secure way to stay informed about your health plan.
Additional Wellness Resources
- Department of Health and Human Resources: Provides additional wellness guideline recommendations.
- Fitness Program: The Healthy Lifestyles Reimbursement program offers incentives to prioritize health by providing reimbursements for fitness center memberships or virtual sessions through digital subscriptions or apps.
American Heart Association (AHA) Resources
The AHA is dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. They offer an online healthy heart assessment and recommendations through the MyLife Check Assessment.
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The Importance of Individualized Care
It is essential to discuss individual needs and recommended wellness screenings with a healthcare provider. The information provided is not a statement of benefits, and individuals should refer to their employee benefit information for complete details of their healthcare coverage.
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