Dr. Robert Kushner
Before I help patients develop a personalized weight loss plan, I want to better understand each person’s weight journey – and how they got to where they are today. I have a technique I’ve used where I ask patients to plot their weight at different times of their life. For most patients, they are able…
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Many life transitions are anticipated – a new home, moving to a new city, starting college or grad school, getting married or starting a family. As your daily routines change, so can your health behaviors. Eating healthfully and exercising may be challenging if you have a longer commute, different work hours, new school deadlines, more…
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With all the exciting new treatments available to help those who struggle with weight, you may be wondering who you should turn to for help? Though your primary care professional (PCP) may not be an expert in weight management, they are likely to be an expert in knowing about you and your medical history. This…
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So much focus surrounding weight management is on the ‘WHAT’ to do and ‘HOW’ to do it to lose weight and keep it off. However, it can be helpful to step back and review the ‘WHY’ managing weight is important to you at this point in your life. Although the ‘WHY’ for losing weight can…
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When I see patients who are doing well following their new healthy lifestyle behaviors but complain that the scale isn’t budging fast enough, I ask them to make a list. On one side are all the positives they’ve been experiencing with their newfound healthier lifestyle such as being more active, easier to sit in an…
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One of the greatest barriers to accessing care for people with overweight or obesity are patients’ feelings of being judged by others because of excess weight. As I educate health care professionals about caring for patients with the disease of obesity, I address this by making sure that clinicians are firstly aware of their own…
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For the past 35 years, my wife and Six Factors to Fit co-author Nancy and I, have had a Fun Club. Basically, we formed a social group of 6 couples – that expanded to 13 – who get together on a few Saturday nights per year for fun-filled group activities. Though our group took a…
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The more you enjoy being a physically active person, the more likely you’ll stay a physically active person. One way to do so is to make time for social exercise. We know that improving social connections can improve both your physical and mental health. And according to the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report,…
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Many people know that to manage weight better, you also need to manage your time so you can take better care of yourself; this may involve making time to stay active, eat regular, nutritious meals, get enough hours of restful sleep and practice de-stressing activities. But this isn’t always easy to do when low energy…
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A common refrain I hear from patients is, “Dr. Kushner, I know what to do to lose weight, I am a smart person. I just can’t seem to do it and stick with it!” I typically respond to them by making an analogy to coaching. Elite athletes, musicians and dancers know what to do, but…
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