Posts Tagged ‘Birmingham’

National Obesity Week – Vita Clinics Birmingham goes ‘karumba’!

Friday, November 6th, 2009

To round off National Obesity Week and our lively and fun campaign to support the work of The National Obesity Forum, staff and patients at Vita Clinics Birmingham Weight Management Clinic entered into a bit of Salsa on Friday 6th November.

Some of the Vita Clinics team displaying hidden tallents!

Some of the Vita Clinics team displaying hidden talents!

The heat was on and the rhythm was rocking. Whether we were Brucie’s favourites was anyones’ guess! Nevertheless, we had great fun and it proved that being active can be great fun!

Kelly and Carol had been waiting for Ricky Martin and Antonio Banderas to show...but alas..

Kelly and Carol had been waiting for Ricky Martin and Antonio Banderas to show...but alas..

We hope that our activities across the week have really provoked ‘body mass imagination’ and broken down some the stigma that exercise and healthy living can be dull and daunting. We have hopefully shown that by incorporating a variety of activity and exercise is probably the best way to achieve long term weight control and a healthy lifestyle – the aim of National Obesity Week.

A huge thank you to our patients for their support, to members of the public for also joining in the spirit, and last but not least our devoted staff for doing what they believe in with passion! A big thank you to Jane Edmonds, Bariatric Dietician for helping me to pull the week together and coming up with some great ideas… you’re a marvel! Finally, a ‘big up’ to the team at The National Obesity Forum for their encouragement and support both leading up to this week and on a day-by-day basis… we hope you’ve had fun watching and feel that we’ve done a small part to help get some serious messages across.

David Allison, General Manager, Vita Clinics

National Obesity Week – Birmingham “Shakes, rattles and rolls!”

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

Forget Strictly Come Dancing! To help celebrate National Obesity Week, on Thursday 5th November, staff and patients at The Vita Clinics’ Birmingham Weight Management Clinic helped Bonfire night go with a bang by launching into a variety of different activities under the banner of ’shake, rattle and roll’!

One of our Medical Weight Management patients enjoying his success...

One of our Medical Weight Management patients enjoying his success...

They used exercise DVDs, a vibrating plate and a rebound/bouncer to try to use up even more calories.

Linda, Gastric Band patient, on the vibro-plate

Linda, Gastric Band patient, on the vibro-plate

Vicki, Vita Clinics' Patient Administrator, skipping with joy...

Vicki, Vita Clinics' Patient Administrator, skipping with joy...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Never before have the staff been so active (!) and the patients definately felt that exercise could be great fun. Patients after bariatric surgery procedures such as gastric bypass and gastric band, as well as patients particpating in Vita Clinics’ Medical Weight Management programme, wanted to celebrate the fact that they had lost significant weight and felt healthier than they had done in years.

Carol, Vita Clinics' Bariatric Nurse Specialist, springing into action!

Carol, Vita Clinics' Bariatric Nurse Specialist, springing into action!

Jane, Vita Clinics' Bariatric Dietician, having an end-of-session 'shakedown'!

Jane, Vita Clinics' Bariatric Dietician, having an end-of-session 'shakedown'!

The vibro-plate is useful for toning and the mini-trampoline is great for mobility and burning calories.

Catherine, our Bariatric Dietician in Manchester, couldn’t join us but did her bit by marching off on a marathon walk with her Vita Clinics Pedometer!

Catherine, Vita Clinics' Bariatric Dietician, enjoying a brief 'breather'

Catherine, Vita Clinics' Bariatric Dietician, enjoying a brief 'breather'

For more information on getting more active and toned, as well as experiencing the joys of walking, click here.

National Obesity Week – Vita Clinics wins The (Birmingham) Boat Race!

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

On Wednesday 4th November, staff and patients at The Vita Clinics Birmingham Weight Management Clinic staged their own boat race (on a rowing machine) to support National Obesity Week.

Kelly, Vita Clinics' Patient Administrator, on the first leg...

Kelly, Vita Clinics' Patient Administrator, on the first leg...

Kerry, Vita Clinics' Director of Operations, going for gold...

Kerry, Vita Clinics' Director of Operations, going for gold...

Wendy, over 30Kg lighter after her Gastric bypass earlier this year, giving it 'some welly'!

Wendy, over 30Kg lighter after her Gastric bypass earlier this year, giving it 'some welly'!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They aimed to row a total of 4 miles in relays. It takes the Oxford and Cambridge crews about 17 minutes to complete the 4 miles from Putney to Mortlake – everyone felt they could take a little longer for our 4 mile challenge (we didn’t want the Cambridge and Oxford crews to feel too threatened!).

Several patients got stuck in with gusto, having successfully undergone weight loss surgery such as gastric bypass and gastric band earlier in the year, and now being several stone lighter. The river was a bit choppy in places and the weather not too good on occasion…

Linda has lost 3 stone since her gastric band surgery in July and shows us how it should be done!

Linda has lost 3 stone since her gastric band surgery in July and shows us how it should be done!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the staff felt the current was against them, with one or two claiming they were rowing against the tide, and Carol, Bariatric Nurse Specialist, claiming that she’d only managed to “row up the cut” (a Walsall phrase we think).

Carol, Vita Clinics' Bariatric Nurse Specialist, on her last leg!

Carol, Vita Clinics' Bariatric Nurse Specialist, on her last leg!

Great fun was had by all and we estimate that well over 1,500 calories were burned.

For most of the participants this was the first time they had used a rower and several said they enjoyed it so much they would seriously contemplate investing in one to help them get fitter and become more active. To found out some enjoyable and easy steps for activity and exercise click here.

We haven’t yet decided about charging for training the Oxford or Cambridge crews…. our expert technique comes at a price!

National Obesity Week – Vita Clinics Birmingham Weight Management Clinic ‘in a spin’!

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

As part of celebrating the National Obesity Week campaign, Vita Clinics staff and patients at the Birmingham weight management clinic went “into a spin” and collectively undertook a 29 mile static cycle race wearing their National Obesity Week T Shirts in support of the National Obesity Forum.

Carol, Vita Clinics Bariatric Nurse Specialist training for 2012!

Carol, Vita Clinics Bariatric Nurse Specialist training for 2012!

Jane, Vita Clinics' Bariatric Dietician, taking a well-earned rest

Jane, Vita Clinics' Bariatric Dietician, taking a well-earned rest

Despite weary limbs and fast-ticking hearts, fun was had by all. The aim was to show that exercise can be fun and enjoyable, as well as getting the message across that obesity is a serious problem and that only by healthy eating and exercise can it be tackled. Some of the patients had undergone weight loss surgery (gastric band/gastric bypass) earlier in the year, whilst other patients were nearing the end of Vita Clinics’ Medical Weight Management programme and celebrating their success at significant weight loss and improved health.

One of our medical weight management ladies going for gold..

One of our medical weight management ladies going for gold..

Barry, post-gastric bypass, showing how it should be done!

Barry, post-gastric bypass, showing how it should be done!

The joy of using an exercise bike is that there are no traffic dangers and it can be done in the comfort of your own home watching TV or listening to your favourite music! We collectively burned over 2,600 and had fun too!

For further advice and information on activity and fitness click here

More gastric band or gastric bypass obesity surgery could save NHS billions

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

A leading world expert in obesity management Professor John Dixon from Australia has met with Bariatric surgeons and physicians in Birmingham to share his experiences of performing thousands of Bariatric surgery operations and shown how this surgery could save billions of pounds for the NHS. He met with the team at Heartlands, the NHS base of Vita Clinics’ Birmingham Bariatric Surgeon Mr Harish Kumar, to see what advice and help he could provide to help tackle the obesity epidemic in Birmingham and the Midlands.

Roughly 10% of NHS finances (approximately £9 billion) goes on treating Diabetes each year, with billions more being spent on treating other diseases and illnesses associated with obesity and diabetes, such as heart disease, strokes and kidney failure. Primary Care Trusts are currently spending over £60 million per year treating obesity-related diseases (co-morbidities). However, the cost of a gastric band or bypass ranges between £6000-10,000 and can pay for itself within 2-4 years due to the obesity illnesses quickly being brought under control.

The UK has the fastest growing rate of obesity in the developed world and the number of obese people suffering from type 2 diabetes has increased by approximately a million over the past five years. The funding for Bariatric surgery remains incredibly low despite the proven benefits.

Vita Clinics listed as NHS Obesity surgery provider on BOSPA website

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

Vita Clinics is now listed as a national weight management provider for both NHS and private patients on the website of The British Obesity Surgery Patient Association (BOSPA) [foot of the attached link]. This is one of the UK’s leading information portals for people considering weight loss surgery such as gastric band, gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy and duodenal switch.

BOSPA was started as a charity in 2003 to provide patients with independent information about surgery and offer support. They have a national directory of surgeons and providers, and Vita Clinics has ensured that our current Bariatric Surgeons in Birmingham and Manchester have had their details updated, with more updates to follow.