Body Mass Index

Body Mass Index Body Mass Index (BMI) is a tool that is used in healthcare to assess one of the components of your overall health and cardiovascular risk. It is measured using your weight and height and is expressed as a number in kg/m2. BMI alone is not a good measure of your health and […]

How the Brain Controls Weight Loss

How the Brain Controls Weight The brain plays a central role in the regulation of weight loss. There are two systems within the brain that play a large role in the regulation of weight and maintenance of weight stability. These systems are:• The Hypothalamic “hunger” system [Homeostatic network]• The Mesolimbic “reward” system [Hedonic network] Let’s […]

The Pancreas

The Pancreas The pancreas is a small but very important organ. It lives in your abdominal cavity tucked behind your stomach in the nook of the first part of the small bowel. It has two main roles within the body; it is both an exocrine and endocrine organ. The exocrine role of the pancreas is […]

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a very common hormonal condition that affects women of childbearing age. PCOS is thought to be present in 12-21% of women, many of whom do not receive a formal diagnosis of the condition. It is associated with many health problems such as irregular menstrual cycles, excessive facial […]

Adipose and the Heart

Adipose and the Heart Let’s get technical and explore the relationship between adipose tissue (fat cells) and the heart. The outermost layer of the heart is called the epicardium and contains nerves, blood vessels, mesothelial cells, fat cells and connective tissue. The epicardial fat is derived from the same embryological tissue as visceral (intraabdominal) fat. […]

Very Low Calorie Diets

Very Low Calorie Diets A VLCD (Very Low Calorie Diet) is a nutritionally complete meal that contains 800 calories or less per day. Meals can be in the form of shakes, soups, bars or desserts and are designed to be a total food replacement containing the daily required levels of proteins, fatty acids, carbohydrates, vitamins […]

Weight Regain After Surgery

Weight Regain After Surgery Have you had bariatric surgery in the past but feel like you’re lacking the right long term support? Having surgery is a life changing event, and life-long comprehensive follow up is required to ensure you are getting the best outcomes from your operation. There are many reasons a patient who has […]

Gastric Bypass Surgery

Gastric Bypass Surgery Gastric bypass surgery is where the stomach is made into a small pouch and the small intestine is rerouted in order for the ingested food to “bypass” some of the digestive tract. This procedure helps to restrict the amount of food you can eat and alters how your body absorbs nutrients.  There […]

Exercise Guidelines

Exercise Guidelines Exercise and reduction of sedentary activity plays an important role not only for weight management but for our general health and wellbeing, too. Current RACGP (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners) guidelines suggest the following regarding exercise in adults aged 18-64yrs: Physical activity guidelines• Doing any physical activity is better than doing none. If […]

Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome

Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a common condition associated with overweight and obesity, but a lesser known lung condition also associated with overweight and obesity is ‘Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome’ (OHS). Often, patients with OHS can also have OSA and suffer from both conditions. Let’s take a closer look at OHS and see […]