Written By: Rosalyn Solomon

TUESDAY, May 31st, 2011 (24 Hours) — Gillian Taggart was tired with dealing with her obesity and did something about it.

In January 2010, Taggart, a mother of two from Brampton decided to undergo Lap Band surgery, a minimally invasive procedure that places a band around the top part of the stomach. The band holds food for a short time before letting it pass through the stomach, sending signals to the brain of being full or satisfied.

“I had reached a point in being overweight where I felt trapped, I felt I couldn’t lose weight on my own, or I could but I would just gain it all back,” said Taggart who has since lost 120lbs. and is living an active lifestyle.

According to a survey released by the Canadian Obesity Network, 31% of Canadians with severe obesity have struggled with weight their entire life.

Dr. Chris Cobourn, Medical Director and Surgeon of Surgical Weight Loss Centre in Mississauga says not only do these individuals have health issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes to deal with, but also social pressures.

“Some people come to this moment, and we call it the moment of the truth…’why are you here now?’ after dealing with weight issues all their lives,” Dr. Cobourn said.

“For most people, something’s happened in their lives…it’s a health motivator and a social one also.”

MONDAY, April 4th, 2011 — On Monday’s episode of The Dr. Oz Show, two Lap-Band patients share their experience after undergoing Lap-Band surgery while three healthcare professionals discuss the pros and cons of the minimally invasive procedure. Watch it here!

Link to Article | http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2011/07/c8727.html

MONDAY, March 7th, 2010 (newswire.ca) – One of the most significant factors contributing to the epidemic rise of diabetes rates in Canada is the increase in the number of individuals who are either overweight or obese.  The Canadian Diabetes Association applauds the announcement made today by Canada’s Ministers of Health to launch a “National Dialogue on Healthy Weights” to address childhood obesity and to promote healthy weights.

“Maintaining a healthy weight is not only essential in preventing type 2 diabetes, it is also key in preventing those living with diabetes or prediabetes from developing the serious complications associated with the disease,” said Michael Cloutier, President and CEO, Canadian Diabetes Association.  “Complications can include heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, blindness and amputation.”

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Obese Patients Belly Up to Lap-Band Surgery

Written By: Celia Milne

TUESDAY, January 18th, 2011 (Metro Canada) — You could call it the belly bandwagon.  Belly band surgery is increasingly popular among obese patients.

Dr. Chris Cobourn, a general surgeon at The Surgical Weight Loss Centre in Mississauga, performs Lap-Band surgery, and watches as patients as heavy as 575 lbs lose weight and get healthy.

“They love their band. No one wants to be obese. They are incredibly frustrated and depressed and a lot of patients have low self-esteem. This gives them a simple, elegant solution and they are the happiest patients in the world,” says Dr. Cobourn.

“It’s very safe,” he adds, “We’ve done over 3,000 here with no major complications or deaths.”

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Link to Article http://www.canada.com/health/Ottawa+provide+millions+childhood+obesity+research/3829858/story.html

Written By: Tom Spears

MONDAY, November 15th, 2010 (Canada.com) — For generations, stopping childhood obesity seemed so simple: Shoo them outside to play. Don’t feed them junk.

Now, federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkak has announced $3 million in medical-research funding aimed mostly at solving mysteries of childhood obesity that she and her advisers say remain unanswered.

“Investing in research is key in designing programs that are most effective, and better programs of course will result in better outcomes,” Aglukkak said, adding that the new research “will help in developing programs and services to combat childhood obesity and the impacts those have on children.”

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Link to Article | http://www.globaltvbc.com/Obesity+could+cost+taxpayers+billions+report/3525053/story.html

TUESDAY, September 14th 2010 (Global BC) - The long term costs of smoking, obesity and lack of physical activity in Manitoba is skyrocketing, and could very well cost taxpayers $4.7 billion by 2026.

The report is meant as a wake up call to all Manitobans and government to put more money into prevention programs.

“This report is meant to serve as a stimulus for discussion and we certainly hope and look forward to working with government colleagues and partners in creating a strategy to move forward,” said Cathy Steven, Executive Director of Health in Common.

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Link to Article | http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2010/09/c8105.html

THURSDAY, September 9th 2010 (CNW) – New analysis of a landmark health survey by the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) shows that 70% of Ontario adults are either overweight or obese, and have a strong prevalence of high blood pressure that could lead to heart attack or stroke.

The research, led by Dr. Frans Leenen of the Heart Institute’s Hypertension Unit, adds new information to a limited amount of Canadian data on obesity and high blood pressure. The analysis further strengthens the link between high blood pressure and above normal Body Mass Index (BMI), a formula for body composition calculated by height and weight.

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Link to Article | http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20101608-21235.html

MONDAY, August 16th, 2010 (Science Alert) — Inflammation-causing cells in fat tissue may explain the link between obesity and diabetes, a team of Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers has shown.

The discovery, by Professor Len Harrison and Dr John Wentworth from the institute’s Autoimmunity and Transplantation division, opens the way for new anti-inflammatory treatments that prevent insulin resistance (where the body is unable to respond to and use the insulin it produces) and other complications associated with obesity.

“We have shown that insulin resistance in human obesity is closely related to the presence of inflammatory cells in fat tissue, in particular a population of macrophage cells,” Professor Harrison said.

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Weight Loss Surgery Helps Obese Diabetes Patients: Study

Link to Article |http://www.nationalpost.com/Weight+loss+surgery+helps+obese+diabetes+patients+study/3405256/story.html

Written By: Julie Steenhuysen

MONDAY, August 16th, 2010 (Reuters) – Three-fourths of obese diabetics who had weight-loss surgery were able to quit taking diabetes drugs within six months of their operation, U.S. researchers said today, citing a new study.

They said the surgery may eliminate the need for chronic medications to treat the disease and reduce overall healthcare costs, providing a strong argument for insurance companies to pay for the procedures.

Once developed, diabetes and obesity are rarely reversed, Dr. Martin Makary of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and colleagues reported in Archives of Surgery, a medical journal.

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Obesity, Depression Grants Worth $1.3 Million

Link to Article | http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Obesity+depression+grants+worth/3330401/story.html

WEDNESDAY, July 28th, 2010 (Ottawa Citizen) – Carleton University researchers have received $1.3 million in funding to continue their investigations in depression and obesity. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) said Monday that it had awarded Alfonso Abizaid more than $543,000 for his investigation into the role that a hormone called ghrelin plays in the struggle with obesity. His current study looks at a link between this hormone and stress-induced obesity. So far, Abizaid has learned that the hormone may generate cravings for food, and other things humans find pleasurable, such as drugs, sex and gambling. Meanwhile, Hymie Anisman, who received $815,514, spearheaded an investigation into how stress and anxiety could lead to depression. His funding will be used to examine the biological process that might be responsible for making animals resilient or vulnerable to stressful situations. Both researchers are members of Carleton’s neuroscience department.