If you’ve ever struggled with long-term weight loss, take a moment and think about your dream for the future. What does it look like? Maybe it’s finishing that half marathon you’ve always wanted to try. Or keeping up with the kids on their long bike rides through the neighborhood. Or maybe, it’s as simple as waking up happy and healthy every morning. My New Beginning, which is part of Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake, wants to help patients turn their dreams into reality.

People who are morbidly obese are at a much greater risk of developing a variety of serious medical conditions compared to individuals who are not obese. Bariatric surgery can give patients a fresh start and many happy years down the road – and also prevent the development of a number of serious health conditions, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, stroke, arthritis, bladder problems, asthma, and obstructive sleep apnea.

Patients must meet certain criteria to quality for bariatric surgery. Some of these requirements include being 18 years or older and either morbidly obese or obese with associated complications, having tried unsuccessfully to lose weight through a structured, medical weight loss program that included diet, exercise and lifestyle changes.

My New Beginning offers five surgical options for weight loss, including Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, gastric band or LAP-BAND^®, sleeve gastrectomy, duodenal switch, and revision surgery. For more information about bariatric surgery or to attend a free seminar at Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake, visit MyNewBeginning.com or call 888-228-6466. Check us out on Facebook at Facebook.com/MyNewBeginningBariatricSurgery.

This surgery is designed for those with a body mass index equal to or greater than 40, or equal to or greater than 35 with serious co-morbidities. 

Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake

9400 Poppy Drive
Dallas, TX 75218

214-324-6100
www.doctorshospitaldallas.com

Colon cancer has no single cause and often does not cause any symptoms. Some people have a higher risk of developing colon cancer because this form of the disease tends to run in families. Others who are diagnosed with colon cancer have a personal history of colorectal polyps or colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, or certain inherited gene changes that can cause the disease. Being over the age of 50 and African American also can increase the risk of developing colon cancer.

So what can you do to reduce your risk of colon cancer? Plenty. According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, screening colonoscopies reduce the risk of developing advanced colon cancer by 70 percent in average-risk people. Researchers also found that having a yearly fecal occult blood test — an at-home test that checks for blood in the stool — may provide the same amount of risk reduction.

While you cannot control your age, race or family history, there are a number of lifestyle-related steps you can take in addition to screening to help prevent the disease: eat five or more servings of a variety of vegetables and fruits daily; exercise at least 30 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity on five or more days of the week; manage your weight; and don’t smoke.

In recognition of March as Colon Cancer Awareness Month, Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake is offering free EZ DETECT™ colon cancer kits*. This self-test, which can be done in the privacy of your home, may detect the early warning signs of colorectal disease even before symptoms appear. To request your FREE kit, call 877-647-1109.

*$7.99 retail value. Limit two kits per household, please. Offer good while supplies last.

Photo credit: Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock

Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake

9400 Poppy Drive
Dallas, TX 75218

214-324-6100
www.doctorshospitaldallas.com