Don't worry, this is a good "new normal!" With an average weight loss of 22%, the question for most people who do the Rainier Medical...

Healthcare is made up of many decisions based on risk/benefit analyses. Many things go into each decision so there are many nuances and many different permutations to each decision. Whether to get a mammogram or not; and if so, how often? A colonoscopy or a stool card? A statin or not? A daily aspirin? Which vaccines? Which vitamins? Medication for bone density or stick with diet and exercise alone? One of these decisions that comes up a lot is whether or not to take a “stati

As the understanding of obesity progressess, research is continuing to look at the the underlying causes of differences in metabolism...

During the Fall Challenge, you have been asked to do "Color My Day" to win an entry to a drawing. But, that is only the tip of the iceberg of what the app we use can do. Today, I will show you what a fully completed profile on the app can do to enhance your health program.

As a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine, clinical practice guidelines of excellence call for not only treating the condition of overweight/obesity, but also for addressing the comprehensive healthcare needs individuals with this condition. After all, effective treatment for one thing loses its impact if a competing condition causes illness. Historically, this has emphasized ensuring people were up to date on routine health maintenance, as studies showed that

It is week 2 of the Fall Challenge. Congratulations to everyone who has decided to invest some space in your brain, time, and life to take care of yourself. The Fall Challenge is based on engagement with the Color My Day portion of the HealthTrac app. A video on how to do this was sent out to everyone signed up for the challenge and is posted here on the website. The Color My Day is a holistic way of looking at weight management. It does not just look at “calories in, calori

The 10 Week Fall Challange begins on Monday and I am so thrilled with the signups! I wanted tot take today for a pregame huddle and talk...

We have talked a lot about physiology within the body that causes energy dysregulation, but today we are dipping our toe into the subject...

We have read in recent blogs about physical activity and exercise training; today we are reading about their end result: cardiorespiratory fitness. Fitness is important because the more fit you are, the more likely you can survive an insult to your health. This has been shown with heart failure and cardiovascular disease and cancer. We have seen that with Covid, certain factors like male gender, blood type, obesity, and other underlying comorbid conditions are associated wit

Last week's blog was about an exercise prescription, which, for adults, is recommended to feature three components: resistance training,...

While much of the adult population has referred to the “Covid 19” weight gain, some experts have warned of much more sinister...

In my old practice, I used to spend most of my time writing prescriptions (many of which the patients did not want!). In my current practice, I am frequently stopping prescriptions (the cover photo is the medications one couple got to throw away after doing the Rainier Medical Program!), but one of my favorite prescriptions to write is an Exercise Prescription! Let’s look at those!

“Learning how to eat,” that is a goal that I sometimes hear. It is true, eating has gotten quite complicated. When did we forget how to...

While nutrition, medical factors, genetics and environment are the largest factors in determining your weight, a sedentary lifestyle has...

The most important part of the Rainier Medical program is: YOU. Each program is a carefully woven tapestry of an individual’s journey from where they are to where they want to be. It is a journey not just about food. Each program is personal and no two are the same, since no two people are the same. Following are four different Rainier Medical programs. Most people benefit from being on one of the programs most of the time, to take care of their health while taking care of ev

Have you ever heard a healthcare practitioner assume excess weight was simple to lose and the cause of all of a person's symptoms or healthcare conditions? Have you ever heard of that leading to someone avoiding going to the doctor? Have you ever heard of a person receiving disrespectful remarks from a healthcare practitioner that should know better and it leading to negative feelings about one's body that led to negative health related behaviors?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a 54% increase in national sales of alcohol for the week ending March 21, 2020, compared with 1 year before; online sales increased 262% from 2019.1 Three weeks later, the World Health Organization warned that alcohol use during the pandemic may potentially exacerbate health concerns and risk-taking behaviors according to this article in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The Rainier Medical Program calls for abstinence f

Well-being is defined as the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy. Sounds simple, and yet with our highly developed frontal...

Currently, 42.5% of Americans have obesity, and, if current trends continue, that will increase to 50% by 2030, according to a 2019 article published in the New England Journal of Medicine. On Friday, the FDA approved a new anti-obesity medication, Wegovy, which is being heralded as a “game changer” due to its average weight loss of 14.9% at 68 weeks. Obesity has received increased attention in the news due to the Covid Pandemic and the strong evidence that obesity worsened

“I want to learn how to eat and make longterm lifestyle change to keep the weight off once I lose it.” This is an important and...