Moore Healthy

Make 2022 Your Year to Get Healthy

For many, the new year comes with a renewed effort to eat better, exercise more and quit all the unhealthy habits that harm our health. Of course the most popular New Year’s resolutions – losing weight and quitting smoking - are also the most difficult. The good news is, you don’t have to tackle those issues alone. Help is available.

Weight Loss That Really Works

Obesity is a serious problem in our state. Oklahoma has the third worst obesity rate in the nation with 36.5% of adults being obese. Our children aren’t doing much better. A third of Oklahoma kids between the ages of 10 and 17 are overweight or obese. Obese children are more likely to be obese as adults, putting them at a higher risk for chronic diseases and 13 different types of cancer. But still, even knowing all this, taking that first step to losing weight isn’t easy for many people.

Norman Regional’s Journey Clinic is dedicated to helping people battling with obesity. It offers both medical and surgical options for weight loss. Medical weight loss is a comprehensive approach focused on the patient’s individual needs. Treatment plans vary but may include medications, personalized meal plans, nutritional counseling, an individualized exercise plan and metabolic testing.

Our surgeons are board certified and fellowship trained in weight loss surgery. Weight loss procedures include bypass, sleeve or band surgery, as well as modified duodenal switch. All of these can be performed with minimally-invasive techniques. For patients, that means less blood loss, smaller scars, and a shorter recovery time. The results are absolutely tremendous, with some patients losing more than 100 lbs. after surgery.

Lana Nelson, DO, is the Director of the Bariatric Service Program at Norman Regional Health System. She knows weight loss is about much more than the number on the scale.

“It’s also about enabling people to go for a hike on the weekend and do that without getting out of breath or without having terrible pain,” said Dr. Nelson. “It’s about helping people be able to ride a roller coaster at Frontier City. It’s about helping people get on an airplane and not asking for a seat extender. It’s about helping people train for their first 5K, and in some instances, their first marathon.” Appointments, labs, physical therapy and psychological evaluations will all take place in one location. Journey Clinic even has a demonstration kitchen for patients to learn how to cook healthy meals. We want to help patients along every step of their weight loss journey. If you’d like to learn more, call 405-515-2049.

It’s OK to Quit Tobacco

Oklahoma’s other big health problem is tobacco, whether it’s smoking, dipping, chewing or vaping. Statistically speaking, when compared to all other states, Oklahoma is 4.4% higher in its high school smoking rate, 6.2% higher in its adult smoking rate, and 7.3% higher for male high school students using smokeless tobacco. Oklahoma sees 1,800 kids under the age of 18 become new daily smokers each year. The use of e-cigarettes has exploded in our youth, with a one-year increase of 78%!

As if these statistics are not staggering enough, consider that smoking costs Oklahoma $1.62 billion a year in healthcare. Norman Regional Health System has made it a priority to turn the tide. We recently implemented a new process to refer patients to the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW. The new process led to nearly 700 referrals in just one year. That’s a cumulative 604 years of life given back to our patients.

We are also taking part in a statewide campaign to help Oklahomans quit tobacco. The campaign, OK to Quit, encourages tobacco users to talk to their healthcare provider about how to quit smoking. That’s important because studies have shown that people who combine counseling and medication double their chances of success. More than 50 organizations are taking part in OK to Quit, helping spread the message during Oklahoma Quit Week, Jan. 15-22. Quitting tobacco is tough, but support from loved ones and medical professionals can help you kick the habit and live a healthier life.

Norman Regional Health System has 15 primary care locations across south central Oklahoma, six of which are in Moore or south Oklahoma City. All six locations strive to offer same-day or next-day appointments, while some also accept walk-in patients. Call us at 405-515-5000 to find the right provider for you and your family.