Dr. Patrick Reardon
Practicing and Preaching
Photo by William Stewart
Healthy Weight Management By Donna Hurst
L
iving life in the fast lane often translated to the drivethru lane for bariatric surgeon Dr. Patrick Reardon. Fast food meals on the run, fat and calorie laden snacks and anything else tempting and quick were standard fare for the busy surgeon. On the other hand, Reardon regularly preaches to his patients about the importance of maintaining a healthy weight. But after being appointed medical director for The Methodist Hospital’s Bariatric Surgery Program, Reardon knew he wasn’t practicing what he preached. “I didn’t like the old picture on my physician profile for the Methodist Weight Management Center because of my weight and appearance,” he says. “Also, I knew my wife had been losing weight successfully on Methodist’s high-protein diet.” Reardon’s wife, Dr. Debra Harvey, a family medicine physician, had been exercising four days a week prior to enrolling in the Step LITESM program but was unable to lose weight. “After joining the program, I learned a lot about why I had a hard time losing,” Harvey says. “I wasn’t eating enough protein, and I was eating way too many carbohydrates. I also learned a lot
about portion control. I was able to lose 29 pounds in the first four months.” His wife’s success led Reardon to become a patient of the Methodist Weight Management Center, and he started the Step LITE program of powdered supplements combined with appropriate eating behavior at work and home. “After about three months on the program, I had already lost 30 pounds,” Reardon says. “I am healthier than I’ve been in years.”
A Weighty Matter Like Drs. Reardon and Harvey, many people struggle with weight issues. For some, a few pounds of weight loss is all that’s needed. However, others who have substantial weight to lose may have other health problems impacting their quality of life such as high blood pressure, joint problems, low energy or type 2 diabetes, making the need for weight loss that much more important. Research shows that individuals who lose as
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