Overcoming Weight-Loss Resistance.

with Dr. Scott J. Banks

Shedding the pounds begins with tackling your underlying health issues

Weight loss can be a touchy subject. Constantly bombarded with ads, medical claims, TV specials, fad diets, and other such market-driven devices, people quickly become disillusioned with the thought of ever attaining a healthy weight. But the frustration is really rooted in how we have been trained to look at excessive weight—a superficial problem that must be targeted, through diet and exercise, independent of other health issues. Such a popular assumption could not be further from the truth.

Dr. Scott J. Banks, a Chiropractor and Nutritionist, specializes in a balanced approach to healthcare, known as Functional Medicine, that acknowledges the underlying issues preventing people from losing weight. “You need to be healthy to lose weight, not lose weight to be healthy," reminds Dr. Banks, "and that requires a very holistic approach. Oftentimes, after identifying the main problem areas, we find that a patient's metabolism has been damaged, leaving him or her unable to properly burn fat as fuel.” In essence, the body stops responding to what normally would elicit change, like exercise or a more wholesome diet. The reasons for such a shutdown include chronic sleep deprivation, a thyroid imbalance, insulin resistance, excess stress, dysbiosis (an imbalance in intestinal bacteria), vitamin deficiencies, and hidden food allergies. Another factor to consider is the loss of lean body mass, one of the primary markers of aging and a degeneration that can be expedited by repeated attempts at dieting. Rather than losing fat, a person can unknowingly be losing excess amounts of muscle. With so many variables to consider, a proper weight loss plan must involve a patient's entire medical picture.

Focused on a more patient-centered approach rather than the disease-centered model often attributed to today's healthcare system, Functional Medicine practitioners can assess a patient's clinical imbalances through a medical history analysis, physical examinations, and laboratory testing. "We want to be able to pinpoint how a patient has gotten to a particular point," Dr. Banks explains. "Testing can help us accurately isolate and target independent factors that are preventing people from reaching their weight and health goals." Some of the basic tests include checking for nutritional deficiencies in areas like vitamin D, the B vitamins, iodine, and magnesium. It is also essential to rule out any hidden food allergies, like gluten, that can cause an inflammatory cascade of negative events. Dr. Banks will target the thyroid to check for any anomalies, specifically autoimmune thyroid imbalances, ensure that hormones are properly balanced, and determine whether or not a patient is suffering from toxic overload in the digestive tract. He also administers thorough blood tests that allow him to see where inadequacies lie or where excess amounts are causing cellular havoc. The result of such a comprehensive approach is a treatment regimen specific to each patient. "After we understand what is going on inside, then we can begin to streamline and prioritize what needs to be done," says Dr. Banks, adding that this includes being able to properly isolate fat loss without risking any more precious muscle.

Most importantly, Dr. Banks' lecture will arm you with the knowledge that getting rid of excess weight is not a losing battle. It's just a process that requires a different, more holistic strategy than once thought. Dr. Banks will also share with audience members the intuitive questions they should ask their own physicians. Just as everyone is familiar with their cholesterol numbers, there are other important markers that need to be considered, such as homocysteine, Cardio CRP, fasting insulin, vitamin D, and hemoglobin A1c. Knowing this information can greatly reduce your risk of getting chronic diseases associated with aging, including diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease. Everyone in attendance will also have their body fat measured and get a chance to take home free samples of beneficial weight loss products.

Excess weight should be dealt with the gravity and attention it demands, well before your health is further compromised. As Dr. Banks likes to say, "The time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining." So regardless of how much it might have plagued you in the past, take the initiative to finally lose the weight, and give yourself the healthy, energetic, carefree body you've always deserved

Dr. Scott J. Banks, DC, CNM holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Farleigh Dickinson University, a Doctor of Chiropractic from NY Chiropractic College and is a Clinical Nutritionist Microscopist with certification from the Hematologic-Psychologic Research Institute and Infinity Nutritionals. He can be reached directly at (631) 271-0779 and www.NavelExpo.com/banks