Tag Archives: Leawood

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3 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight (And None of Them Are Willpower)

Don’t Blame Your Lack of Willpower for Your Troubles at the Scale

by Emily Farris, Kansas City Enhance Health & Wellness Magazine, Jan-Feb 2011

Download the article as a printable PDF or view the article layout online.

HELP!“If only I wouldn’t have had that first French fry…”
“If only I didn’t like pasta so much…”
“If only I could resist the chocolate croissant at the coffee shop every day…”

If any of those statements sound familiar, you’ve probably blamed your willpower, or lack thereof, for excess weight at some point in your life. But Dr. Rick Tague, M.P.H. and founder of the Center for Nutrition and Preventative Medicine in Leawood and Topeka, Kansas, would tell you to stop being so hard on yourself. In fact, he says willpower has very little, if nothing, to do with weight.

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Glycemic Index, What’s It All About?

By Dr. Rick Tague

Glycemic Index (GI) is an effective way to measure a carbohydrate-containing food’s effect on blood sugar. Some foods produce a higher blood sugar level than others. Low glycemic index foods generally have less of an impact on blood sugar levels because their carbohydrates break down more slowly, releasing glucose more gradually into the bloodstream.

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Diabetes on the Rise

By Dr. Rick Tague

A Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey found that 11.3% of adults in America (26 million people) have diabetes as of Oct. 2009, up from just 10.4% in Jan. 2008. The rate of type 2 diabetes mellitus could climb to 15% by 2015 if current trends continue. The report contributes this rise to increases in obesity rates, noting that people who are obese are 3x more likely to receive a diagnosis of diabetes compared to their non-obese counterparts. Kansas ranked among the states with with the lowest increases.

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How Fat Cells Cause Obesity

By Dr. Rick Tague

Did you know that being overweight is a disorder? In some ways, it is caused by our fat cells. If you’ve lost weight only to regain it, you know first hand the difficult struggle against “hungry” fat cells.

Our bodies have millions of these small cells scattered throughout our bodies.  If they receive the wrong message from our genetics, chemicals in the environment, certain medications, stress hormones, etc, they take on a life of their own and demand more food calories.

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Green Tea and Fat Burning

By Dr. Rick Tague

Green Tea: The Ultimate Fat Burning Supplement?

Overweight individuals typically have a “sluggish” metabolism that is far more likely to store fat than burn it.  Green tea enhances “fat burning” by 17-40%.  And there are so many other benefits to Green Tea:

  • High EGCG content of 200 mg per capsule far exceeds most green tea supplements.
  • Improve cholesterol and triglycerides.
  • Enhances appetite suppressant medications effects on metabolism.
  • Enhance weight loss by up to 1/2 to 3/4 lbs per week while dieting.
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Why Are You Overweight?

By Dr. Rick Tague

The Real Answer May Surprise You

I usually ask patients why they think they’re overweight.  Too often the answer is predictable.  “I don’t have self-control.”  Or, “I’m too lazy to exercise.”  The fact is that overweight individuals are typical of all Americans.  95% of Americans do not exercise regularly, even though everyone is aware of the benefits.

So, not exercising is not the cause of obesity.  Otherwise, 95% of Americans would be obese!  And, I’ve never seen any research to support the notion that overweight individuals suffer from a lack of “self-control”.  They tend to be successful in their careers, their families, and in their personal lives. After treating thousands* of patients, I have not seen that lack of self control is any more common in overweight individuals.