Inspira Health Network

Within Your Reach Millions of Americans struggle every day to achieve a healthy body weight. Yet success, especially long-term success, is often elusive. Many people lose weight in the short term, only to regain it more quickly than it was lost. The weight-loss industry, worth an estimated $60 billion, often seems to do more harm than good. In this issue of Family & Friends + You, registered dietitians from Inspira Health Network provide information about healthy eating, including food choices, serving sizes and tips that can help you make better decisions about how to improve your diet. You can also read about our nationally accredited weight-loss surgery program, which has helped many patients achieve weight-loss success when other methods have failed. In our most recent community needs assessment, obesity was identified as a significant health problem in our region. At Inspira Health Network, we are committed to providing effective counseling, education and interventions to help our neighbors, friends and loved ones achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. Wishing you good health, John DiAngelo President and CEO Inspira Health Network A daily 30-minute sweat session can take your health to new heights, but neglecting your diet can undo all your hard work. Exercise is essential for living a healthier life. It's known to ward off chronic conditions such as diabetes, dementia, depression, pain, heart disease and more. But when it comes to losing weight, science shows that working out plays less of a role than we'd like to believe. For example, one 2011 analysis, published in Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care, uncovered little evidence showing that people who are physically active gain less weight than people who aren't. A separate 2014 study, published in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, concluded that exercisers may find themselves losing little to no weight. The Lightweight Champ "The truth is, your diet impacts weight loss far more than your exercise habits," said Diana Alvarado, R.D.N., C.D.E., dietitian at Inspira Health Network. "People often think that as long as they exercise, they can eat what they want and still lose weight. That mentality isn't always successful." Nevertheless, Alvarado added, studies do show that combining exercise with changes in diet can be a very successful weight-loss strategy. And, as the authors of the 2014 study note, you gain immeasurable health benefits from exercise, aside from simply burning calories. Ready for the new, healthier you? Visit InspiraHealthNetwork.org/ Health-Wellness to get on the right track. Feeling the Burn ON THE COVER: Bariatric Surgeons (left to right) Alexander Knijnikov, D.O., Nauveed Iqbal, M.D., Derek Stephenson, M.D., and Ahmed Attia, D.O., provide an array of weight-loss surgery options at Inspira Medical Centers Elmer, Vineland and Woodbury. 2 Late Winter 2018 Inspira Health Network Family & Friends + You

• Cover