A new lease on life: These health-care workers know firsthand the benefits of weight loss

It's no secret that the United States has a problem with overweight and obesity. More than one-third of U.S. adults are obese, a number that has increased drastically in the past 20 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And it's not just adults who struggle: 17 percent of children and teenagers are also obese, says the CDC. The struggle is universal, affecting old and young, men and women, and all races and professions -- even health care providers.

Dr. Glen E. Cooper, an occupational medicine physician at Saint Francis Medical Center, had never been overweight before, but he began to pack on the pounds because of stress in his late 40s. Over the next several years, he gained more than 80 pounds.

"By the time I was 55 years old, I knew I was in trouble," he says. "My medical training and experience told me that something must be done, or I would suffer all of the illnesses I have been treating in my patients."

Cooper managed to stop gaining, but when it came to losing the weight, he was stuck. He tried medications, different diets and exercise, with no success. Finally, he consulted his son, a biochemist, and they realized that carbohydrate intake was Cooper's downfall. He began limiting his carbs and stepped up his exercise routine, including swimming, cycling and weight training. It paid off, and Cooper lost the excess weight.

"Now, I feel better than a 64-year-old man has a right to," he says. "I regained my agility while walking, cycling and generally moving around the clinic. My energy level increased considerably. My aches and pains drifted into the background. My blood pressure became normal. I didn't retain fluid. I slept better. I feel about as good as when I was 47 years old prior to the beginning of weight gain."

Like Cooper, Jason Emmenderfer had never been overweight, either -- until everyday life got in the way.

"I was always fit and active through high school and college, but then I got married and had kids, and like every other person that age, I started eating not-so healthy. I was always running here and there and eating out -- lots of fast food -- and it got to where I was pretty unhealthy," says Emmenderfer, a physical therapist at HealthPoint Fitness in Cape Girardeau. "I didn't feel good. I coach my kids' sports, and my gosh, it took everything to do those things with them. I was not very happy."

Emmenderfer says he had tried here and there to make healthy lifestyle changes, but had trouble sticking to it. Three years ago, he decided it was time to get down to business, and he signed up for the Starting Point weight loss program at HealthPoint Fitness.

"Within a month of starting the program, I started losing a little weight and eating better," he says. "I was eating more of what I should be eating. I slept better. I personally think I felt happier, maybe because I was eating better and sleeping better."

Emmenderfer was not alone in his journey this time, either. His brother, Jeff, went through the program as well, and Emmenderfer got his wife and children on board with healthy lifestyle changes. Now, he is 65 pounds lighter, with more energy for his kids, and he continues to work out three to five times per week.

Both Emmenderfer and Cooper say they are glad to share their personal weight loss struggles with patients going through the same thing.

"They look to us for recommendations and advice on that stuff," says Emmenderfer. "We portray, or should portray, a more healthy lifestyle to them, especially in our field."

He says attitude and determination are a big part of weight loss success.

"Find what works for you. It's a lifestyle change -- no fad diet is going to work," he says. "You have to change your way of thinking in order to change your lifestyle. As a family, we used to eat out a lot. We hardly eat out at all anymore, but when we do, we make wiser choices."

As an occupational therapist, Cooper knows from his training and now, firsthand, how a person's weight can affect them at work.

"Obese workers miss work due to illness more frequently," he says. "They have more health problems requiring time off work to visit the medical provider. They are admitted to the hospital more frequently. They suffer depression at a higher rate. In many jobs, the production numbers are lower with obese workers. There is increased cancer rate with obesity."

He recommends taking advantage of workplace wellness programs, and also reminds patients that "all is not lost" -- it's never too late to make a lifestyle change and lose weight.

"I tell them they can recover. It's never too late. And, I emphasize how much younger they can be and feel," he says. "When you are in your 60s, it becomes obvious that you have limits. To be able to eliminate barriers to activity is like a new lease on life."