"We prefer the fat of the thin patients; fats of the obese patient are just bags of oil; we like the craft cells. So, our better results are actually with the fat of the thin patients," says Dr. Roger Khouri, Plastic Surgeon at Baptist Health South Florida. He explains they would never turn down a…...

Dr. Ronald Tolchin, Medical Director at Baptist Center for Spine Care, explains a herniated disc is when that nucleus or gel within the disc starts to migrate out beyond the edges of the disc. He says in surgery they can see how the gel is migrated out, it's pushing on the nerve, and it's going…...

Dr. Ronald Tolchin, Medical Director at Baptist Center for Spine Care, says back pain in overweight patients is relevant, because it deals with what the spine is designed to carry. "When you have an abnormal load, because you have increased weight, it goes forward and it pulls you forward. That strains the back muscles, so…...

Cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and respiratory disease are some of the conditions that obesity can cause. Dr. Jorge Rabaza, Chief of Surgery with South Miami Hospital, explains how most of these conditions are caused or worsened by overweight. Let's take a list of what obesity can cause because it's…...

Most of the time physicians treat obesity with diet and exercise and they obtain good results. But if the patient is morbidly obese, the treatment is different, says Dr. Jorge Rabaza, Chief of Surgery with South Miami Hospital. He explains severely obese patients have a difficult time losing weight. “We’ll put them on a diet,…...

Dr. Manuel Torres, Family Medicine Physician at Baptist Health Primary Care, says one of the most important things is to recognize your adipose tissue as a separate organ. "There is a communication between the brain and the intestinal tract, and how that adipose tissue communicates back-and-forth," he explains. The doctor says obesity has been taken…...

Dr. Ricardo Castrellon, Director of South Miami Hospital's Burn Center, explains the body will tend to have the preservation of the centripetal obesity and fat patterns into the belly and torso, which makes weight loss more difficult. He also says centripetal obesity is associated with higher risk factors of cardiac arrest and diabetes. He points…...

Dr. Anthony Gonzalez, Medical Director of Bariatric Surgery at South Miami Hospital, says he sees a lot of people with overweight and how it impacts their life. “I see a lot of depression, anxiety, panic attacks, social issues, marriages, friendships. All of the patients have to be adults with their social and psychological issues,” he…...