Dr John Primomo

02/20/2018

We know that portion sizes have increased greatly over the past few decades. Since the 1970s portion sizes have increased up to 5x. This equates to around 500 calories more a day. When taken over the course of a year, this equates to a 52lbs weight gain. This is related to an increase in calorie dense foods from fast food and restaurant chains, processed meals, and refined sugars in a majority of our food source. This recent study helps demonstrate that our focus should not be on portion size alone, but on the health and nutritional quality of the food. This study showed that when people made better choices they actually consumed less calories despite having the same portion. Ultimately, the focus should be on the quality of the food, not just the quantity.

Researchers have found that after going through a training program designed to help people control portion sizes, participants still ate larger portions but chose healthier foods, lowering their calorie intake.

02/06/2018

Here is a short video clip from our grocery store tour. Starting a healthy lifestyle is an overwhelming endeavor. To have a lasting change it is best not to “go big” directly out of the gate, but to start with small meaningful changes. As we tour around the store we discuss the importance of making your home your sanctuary by having an abundant amount of healthy food available. A huge reason why people eat poorly is convenience (i.e. stopping by a drive through for dinner, grabbing a candy bar from the vending machine for a quick snack). Therefore, start off a healthy lifestyle by making it convenient to eat healthy. One of the easiest changes to start with is substituting junk sweets (i.e. snickers, ice cream, pastries) with healthy sweets (i.e. fruit). The sugar in fruit is not the same dangerous high fructose corn syrup that we find in many of our processed foods. The “healthy “sugar in fruit is absorbed at a much slower rate secondary to its structure and the fiber in the fruit. The key is to have a diverse, plentiful amount of apples, oranges, grapes, pineapple, watermelon, raspberries, blueberries, papaya, ect…. so when a sweet craving occurs, you handle it in a healthy way.

01/23/2018

One of the biggest concepts I speak with patients and physicians alike, is that people who struggle with their weight have a biology that is working against them. The diagram is a demonstration that our weight and ability to lose weight is much more complex than calories in and calories out. Obesity science has shown that there is a complex interplay of several hormones that influence our weight, cravings for foods, and ability to lose weight and keep it off. What is really occurring is a complex communication in which the stomach talks to the brain, the intestines speak to the pancreas, the pancreas speaks to the liver, and fat tissue and muscle speak to each other. In people that struggle with their weight these mechanisms are actively working against them to lose the weight they need to obtain a healthier life. Ultimately, this shows that we need to address the underlying biology and individualize lifestyle plans that will help “reset” the biology.

01/12/2018

I wanted to share this inspirational story. We always talk about surgery as a tool in building a healthy lifestyle. Nicholas took this “tool” and transformed his life. Very proud of all the dedication and hard work he has put into building his new life.

Nick Bone and his wife recently celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary by renewing their vows.

01/08/2018

Starting a new lifestyle can be difficult. Come join me at Sprouts Farmers Market to learn how to shop healthy.

01/02/2018

In dealing with weight related issues, one of the biggest things that people focus on is their weight and if they are they losing it fast enough. This can lead people to feel very demotivated. Lets stop focusing on the weight and start focusing on the health. Let this be our motivator.

01/02/2018

Many patients ask what is being done during a sleeve gastrectomy. I have put together a video demonstrating what is done during the operation.