Excess weight: The military's new battle

Potential military recruits fresh from a life of minimal strenuous physical activity are commonly shellshocked by military fitness regimens. Considering a career in the military means meeting stringent health requirements, including weight prerequisites. Unfit recruits, or an overweight and sedentary youth base from where recruits will come in the future, represent a growing problem of the US armed forces today.

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 Forbes tackles the worrisome prospects of the current weight and physical fitness of American youth. Backed by two academic reports, the article concludes that the American youth are eating too much but exercising less. They consume about “400 billion calories of junk food every year.” The American military may therefore be hardpressed to ensure the physical fitness of its future armed forces.

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Ret. General Richard Myers warns in an opinion piece that joined with other disqualifying factors, weight issues will ultimately eliminate the chances of youth between the ages of 17 and 24 for a career in the military.

Unfortunately, bulging waistlines are not only common among the base of recruits. They also plague existing troops. The Pentagon has been behooved to evaluate obesity-related medical problems among soldiers, veterans, and their families.

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Physical fitness is not just a matter of personal concern for soldiers. Servicemen have to understand that their health is crucial to national security.  


Steven Lash, one of the country’s most prominent health visionaries, established Satori World Medical in San Diego to provide Americans safe and efficient medical travel services for various physical conditions, including weight and obesity issues. More information on medical travel is available at this website.

New obesity drug replicates benefits of gastric bypass surgery

Mayo Clinic describes how a gastric bypass procedure alters the digestive system to help individuals drop excess weight. The procedure essentially reduces nutrient absorption and/or controls the amount of food patients can eat. It is a drastic weight-loss strategy when dieting and exercise are no longer effective, and it is also an effective and timely intervention when serious health issues arise from obesity.

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However, recent developments could dodge gastric bypass surgery altogether. The Telegraph unveiled a drug being developed by a team of scientists from Imperial College London that will mimic the effects of a gastric bypass surgery to help patients lose weight.

The drug, which creates lasting hormones, tricks the brain into thinking that the body has taken in enough food.  Researchers hope it will be a better alternative to gastric bypas surgery.  Although the drug is initially expensive, it is created to be a safe and effective treatment option for patients wanting to lose excess pounds.

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Professor Steve Bloom, who leads the study, still lauds the effectiveness of gastric bypass surgery. However, from a practical point of view, obesity affects an extremely large proportion of the population and causes death from related diseases. “We can’t expect to conduct surgery on half of Europe, for example,” he says.

“So we asked the question of whether we really need to carry out the surgery at all,” Professor Bloom adds.

If it takes appetite suppressants—no matter how expensive they are—to stop overweight people from eating as much as they do and keep them healthy in the long term, then this newfound drug might just be the thing in the future.  

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Many people trust Steven Lash and Satori World Medical of San Diego as a provider of their medical travel needs, including interventions for obesity. Visit the company’s website to find out more about its services.

Medical tourists: Enjoying life while attending to their health needs

Among the thousands of travelers who regularly flock to popular destinations for leisure, a growing percentage is also traveling abroad for medical treatment. The growth in the medical travel industry has been fueled by problems in the healthcare systems in developed countries.

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In the US, one of the problems is that high-quality care comes at a punitive price. This is why some who feel burdened by the high costs of care search for good options outside the country.

Meanwhile, medical institutions in developing countries have been significantly improving their facilities and their services. Many have created programs to attract foreign patients to their hospitals – with highlights like highly competent English-speaking staff and hospital rooms with all the modern conveniences preferred by tourists.

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Medical travel is an enticing option for many patients. Not only do they get the opportunity to get the treatment that will improve quality of life, they also can do it while experiencing the culture of another country.

While many still have doubts about going overseas for medical treatment, it is still a less expensive alternative. With enough research and preparation, traveling patients can find medical professionals they can trust and a country they’d like to visit for medical treatments.

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Steven Lash is the President and CEO of Satori World Medical, a medical travel concierge services provider. For more information about medical treatments overseas, visit www.satoriworld.med.com.

Why the medical travel industry needs social media

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The medical travel industry is peopled with healthcare practitioners and healthcare management professionals. Their services and expertise are primed for interaction with patients. However, in the medical travel industry, patients are no longer just patients; they turn into consumers who have decisive roles in the kinds of services meted to them.

In medical travel, patients have more choices and can pick their own medical travel provider with the desire for more value for their money. And they no longer rely on medical travel companies’ websites and brochures, formerly where the markets sought references. Potential medical tourists are now more Internet savvy, reading online articles and reviews written about available medical travel providers. They seek out feedback people who have had the same medical procedures.

 

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This is why medical travel companies need to invest more on their online presence, actively engaging and conversing with potential customers in order to build rapport and create patient advocates. Building a loyal client base is a continuing conversation that can take place in social media.

Social media is fast outpacing traditional methods of marketing and communication, and medical travel companies who take advantage of it may very well lead the industry to a new era.

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Steven Lash is the founder and CEO of Satori World Medical in San Diego. More information about him and his company can be found at this website.

Why expensive healthcare does not always mean the best

While the nation struggles with various problems in the healthcare system, important medical treatments remain inaccessible for many. The cost of medical products and procedures are higher in the US than in other countries. For people paying for these out of their own pockets, the price is too steep.

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For some, a solution has been to think outside the box and consider getting treatment where it is cheaper – overseas. Medical travel is currently a burgeoning industry, with more patients considering medical institutions overseas as one of their more accessible healthcare options. 

Previously, most patients had reservations about seeking cheaper care options, believing that lower costs are indicative of substandard quality. However, news about the quality of care in medical institutions outside the US has worked to convince many patients to venture out.

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It’s difficult to ignore the benefits of medical travel. For many, the alternative is to go on without treatment or wait until either the price drops or their savings grow.

Venturing out of the country for a necessary surgery does have its pitfalls. But with proper preparation and research, patients can easily get the treatment that they need to reclaim their healthy lives.

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Steven Lash is the president and CEO of Satori World Medical, a leader in medical travel services. For more information on medical treatments available abroad, visit www.satoriworld.med.com.