Obesity Can Negatively Affect Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a serious illness which affects the central nervous system. The components of the central nervous system include the brain and spinal cord. MS is an incurable disease, so any actions that can be taken to lessen the effects of the disease are worth considering. There is some evidence to support the belief that obesity worsens MS, or at the very least makes the initial MS diagnosis more difficult. So weight reduction among those obese persons with MS can improve the overall health of the MS sufferer.

CVS Caremark has established a program that addresses some chronic diseases, including MS. Registered nurses run the CVS programs. The nurses provide personalized information and education to the persons enrolled in the program. The nurses also monitor the enrollees to determine which of the enrollees need more attention.

The CVS program may offer a collaborative opportunity for bariatric centers. Bariatric centers could work with the organizations establishing programs to help obese persons who suffer from specific comorbidities, such as MS.

CVS, Walmart, Walgreens, and other organizations have established retail clinics. These clinics treat ailments such as ear and nose infections. The clinics also give flu shots. And some clinics address obesity. Therefore, these clinics may offer another avenue for bariatric physicians, weight loss centers, and others who offer weight loss services.
-------------------------------------------------------------

Tags: environmental scanning, strategic management, swot analysis, weight loss marketing, bariatric marketing

Weight Loss Centers Could Benefit Obese Clients By Collaborating with Dentists

Weight loss centers want to motivate their clients to lose weight. Providing the client with useful information can help the client understand the importance of losing excess weight and maintaining the weight loss. Thus, it may be worthwhile for weight loss organizations to collaborate with other health care organizations that are interested in getting people to maintain a healthy body weight.

It has been known for sometime that obesity can increase the chances of periodontal or gum disease. The relationship between periodontal disease and obesity was further confirmed in a recent study. Since this relationship exists, dentists may want to encourage their patients to maintain a healthy body weight as a way to fight periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is caused by plaque that has formed on the teeth. This disease can affect the gums and bone holding the teeth in such a way as to cause tooth loss. Dentists encourage their patients to brush and floss daily to retard plaque formation. Dentists commonly advise their patients to have their teeth cleaned by a dental office twice a year.

And dentists often encourage their patients to get periodic dental checkups. During these checkups, dental office personnel will usually inspect a patient’s gums to determine if there is any change in the way the gums fit around the teeth. So dentists work diligently with patients to treat or help them avoid periodontal and other tooth related diseases. Hence, dentists might be amenable to working with bariatric or weight loss centers in an attempt to reduce the level of obesity. Moreover, some dentists might be willing to advise their patients that excessive weight gain can lead to periodontal disease. And some dentists might even be open to referring obese patients to specific weight loss facilities. If some coordinated-care arrangement could be worked out between a weight loss center and a dentist, the coordinated activity could possibly help the patient. This type of collaboration could also benefit the dentist and the weight loss center. ----------------------------------------------

Tags: environmental scanning, health care strategic management, bariatric marketing, weight loss marketing, swot

Calorie Information Can Help Control Weight

A recent study has concluded that the most important factor in weight maintenance and weight loss is the number of calories taken in by an individual. We believe that this means that making calorie content information available, including the calorie content of restaurant food, is of paramount importance. Further, we believe that the number of calories needed per day to maintain a specific body weight should be readily available. Making these two bits of information easily obtainable could do a lot to curb obesity.

And curbing obesity is an important goal. The Mayo clinic did a study and determined that obesity contributes to the need for hip replacement. So the need for hip replacement is another risk factor associated with obesity, along with some forms of cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other ailments. Some experts indicate that there is a link between obesity and Alzheimer’s disease. And researchers in England suggest that obesity is a bigger health risk, today, than smoking.

To reduce smoking, the U.S. and other countries use ongoing programs to warn people of the risks associated with smoking. Since we know that taking in too many calories can lead to overweight and obesity, at the very least, indicating the calorie content of food should be a requirement. And letting people know, on a wide scale basis, the number of daily calories needed to maintain a specific body weight would encourage people to count the calories in their diet each day.

That data is now available on a limited basis. According to one source, an inactive male who wants to maintain a 165-pound weight would need a diet containing 2145 calories per day. With this kind of information and the calorie content of food, an individual would likely be more motivated to maintain a desired body weight.

If steps are taken to provide crucial calorie-related data in the places people eat, the information would arm people with the ammunition to take responsibility for maintaining a healthy weight. Wide availability of this information would also allow weight loss or bariatric centers to more effectively work with their clients to set understandable and reachable weight goals.
----------------------------------------------

Tags: environmental scanning, strategic management, calorie information, bariatric marketing, weight loss marketing