The phone rings in my office. A mother is calling about her teenage daughter or son who is, at this early age, struggling with being overweight or obese. Sometimes the teenager already has high cholesterol or even high blood pressure. This is unfortunately becoming too commonplace. Adolescent obesity has been linked to depression, anxiety, suicidal [...]
We all know that Western society is basically ill and it’s because of the lifestyle we have been subjected to over the last 50 years. There is more junk food and processed food than ever, a sedentary existence, chronic overeating and we lack the basic nutrition that would allow our bodies to fight off disease [...]
What we see on the outside is not necessarily the whole picture. Both as a personal trainer and a coach, I know this well. The picture very rarely tells the whole story. Here are two people who lead successful and happy lives—at least when you see them from the outside. But they are also suffering [...]
There was very significant health news a few weeks ago. When news about health makes it to the headlines, it usually means we have to pay attention. For over 100 years, the average life expectancy of people who live in the United States has increased, with the exception of 1993 and that aberration occurred because [...]
Society, with its current lifestyle habits has created a high percentage of adults who are not well. The amount of adults with high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity is higher than ever with many people having multiple health issues or full-blown metabolic syndrome. But over the last few months, [...]
It seems as if everybody’s going on a diet! Well, not quite. But people call my office all the time asking about our “diet” program. I don’t have one. I have a weight loss program that is anything but a diet. There is some good news though. This past year we saw that only 20% [...]
A few years ago, a father brought his teenage son into my office for a conversation. Yehuda was in Yeshiva out of town and he was class 3 obese. At age 16, his parents were rightfully concerned about his well-being. If at this age he was this heavy, with a 40+ BMI, what was going [...]
Do you remember the original food pyramid? The bottom of the pyramid reflected what we should eat the most and the top was what we should eat sparingly. Do you remember the specific instructions that if we just cut the fats in our diet, we will cure cardiovascular disease? Well, it’s time for some deprogramming. [...]
The following is a letter I wrote to a client of mine (name has been changed): Dear Mark, It’s been just about 4 years since we met each other. You came into my weight loss program for a very good reason. At 157 kilograms and a BMI of 42, it was definitely time for you, at [...]
As both a wellness coach and personal trainer, one thing I am NOT trying to do is help people achieve perfection in any particular area. What I am trying to do, is help people make improvements in their lifestyle habits in order to bring about a healthier quality of life. Getting everyone to be an [...]
