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African American Women Staying Fit

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This group is for African American women who want to stay fit and offer tips to other women trying to stay fit.

Website: http://www.blackdoctor.org
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Latest Activity: Dec 7

Why Some Doctors Are Paying Patients To Lose Weight

BlackDoctor.org) -- If your doctor is like most internists, he spends part of each day gently reminding patients they need to eat less and exercise more.
Think of his day and you get the whole, frustrating picture. No matter how many times he repeats these messages, statistics grimly remind him that he has his work cut out for him. After all, 30 percent of Americans age 20 and older are obese, and only 45 percent of adults are as physically active as they should be, according to federal statistics.

Yet a small but growing number of doctors are coming up with novel -- and successful -- ways to remind you that proper weight and exercise are key components of a healthy lifestyle.

For instance, Dr. Joseph Chemplavil, a cardiovascular endocrinologist in Hampton, Va., pays patients to lose weight -- $1 a pound.

And Dr. Charles Brackett, a physician at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., and his colleagues actually write prescriptions to exercise. Right on the prescription pad, he tells patients to get moving, tailoring the prescription to their condition, their health status and their capabilities.

"We're trying to get everyone to exercise," said Brackett, a fitness enthusiast whose passions include cross-country skiing and hiking. A poster in his office touts the value of exercise, and Brackett asks each patient if he or she is physically active.

If they are not, out comes the prescription pad.

"The idea of putting it in writing might make it more tangible to people," Brackett said. So does tailoring the prescription to the person's condition. For instance, he said, he might suggest that a patient who has had a heart attack walk a half hour a day, and share the news that studies have found that doing so could reduce the risk of another heart attack.

But before he writes the prescription, Brackett asks a series of questions that he hopes will motivate the patient to say, "I should exercise." If he can get them to acknowledge that out loud, he said, they are more likely to follow his Rx.

Brackett also has guidebooks available of nearby hiking trails and pedometers that patients can buy -- for $4 -- to track their progress. He conducts the program with help from the Upper Valley Trails Alliance, a project to promote physical activity supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Chemplavil asks his overweight patients to enroll in his "Dollar for Pound" program. They pay a $10 annual membership fee, and then get busy losing weight. At each visit, there's a weigh-in -- and maybe a pay-off.

The financial reward is small, he admits, but the health benefits aren't. He tracked a group of 150 patients who started the program in 2002, and 80 percent of them lost an average of nearly 9 pounds during the year.

What's the program's secret? "Any kind of new system (to motivate individuals) works in human behavior," Chemplavil said.

Perhaps many doctors don't realize the power the written words can convey.

Numerous studies have found that a simple suggestion from a physician to lose weight or exercise can have a big impact. In one recent study done in New Zealand, researchers assigned half of nearly 200 patients, ages 65 and above, to an activity program written in prescription form; the other half did not get the instructions. Those assigned to the prescription group also got follow-up telephone support for three months. After a year, members of the prescription group had increased their activity levels by about a half hour per week, compared to the control group. And, they said they felt better, too.

Brackett and Chemplavil are big believers in their programs. And the real payoff, Brackett said, is encountering patients who have taken his advice and reaped the health benefits.

"I get excited when I see patients who have lost 20 or 30 pounds and they are able to come off medications" for blood pressure, cholesterol or other conditions, he said.

By Nicole Smith, Contributing Writer

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Comment by Nicholle on June 16, 2008 at 2:24pm: Exercise for today

10 min warmup on exercise bike

Circuit training- 3 sets of 10 each @30# upper body and various#s for lower body: biceps, abdcutors, triceps, leg press, pec flys, hamstrings

30 minutes on the elliptical at resistance level 2

crunches, 2 sets lunges, 2 sets fire hydrants and ceiling to touches

I also plan to do 20 minutes of yoga this evening

Comment by Nicholle on June 13, 2008 at 3:23pm: I just joined the 50 Million Pound Challenge. Check out my blog entry for today. Next step, trying the meal planner at BlackDoctor.org

How is everyone else doing?

Comment by Black doctor. org on June 12, 2008 at 12:57pm: Thanks for all the comments and make sure you check out our meal plans on www.BlackDoctor.org

Comment by Black doctor. org on June 4, 2008 at 2:32pm: Thank you to all the new mambers of the group I will be putting up to new articles. be sure to tell us what works for you and what does not work for you.

Comment by Nicholle on June 3, 2008 at 9:06am: Hey Ladies,
I just added a blog post regarding my fitness goals and Summer Fitness Initiative. I would love to hear your comments, suggestions, etc

Comment by Trula on May 30, 2008 at 5:18pm: Hi everyone! I am very much into fitness. aiming to hit my goal weight this year of 130 pounds. I am currently 151, down from 210 last year. I reached 143 and have gained a little weight back. Hoping this group will help me with motivation. My fitness blog is here: http://mspmedia.net/supple.html

Comment by Nicholle on May 30, 2008 at 10:33am: Hi everyone, Nicholle here. I am working on getting to my goal weight (set by my MD) of 145. Currently I am at 192. I have been doing Jazzercise at home 3-4 mornings a week (30 min), and calisthenics after that for about 20 minutes (push ups, crunches, leg lifts). I am looking for support and encouragement as well as willing to support others on this weight loss /fitness journey.

Comment by Kimberly on May 28, 2008 at 5:22pm: Hi my name is Kimberly and I want to loose my stomach, but have trouble trying to exercise, because I cant stay on a diet and I like to eat different foods. I also need to find exercises that I will be able to do because of my ankle that I broke a few years ago. It gets stiff from time to time to the point that I can barely walk on it. What can I do?

Comment by Black doctor. org on May 28, 2008 at 2:06pm: Ladies everyone seems to be doing a good job keep up the great work. I hope the articles have been helpful I have a new article for us this week.