Nic Kormas has piloted a program which provides clinics for patients with complex and multiple health problems such as obesity, fatty liver, sleep apnea, arthritis and diabetes.

He started an obesity and diabetes clinic at Camden Hospital 18 months ago, targeting patients with problems that cannot be fixed at regular clinics.

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Cellulite: Everything You Want to Know and More

By Len Kravitz, Ph.D.

Introduction
Cellulite is a skin alteration often described as an 'orange peel,' 'mattress,' or 'dimpling' appearance on the thighs, buttocks and sometimes lower abdomen of otherwise healthy women. Although some men may get it, 90-98% of cellulite cases occur in women.

Do You Have to be Over-Fat to Have Cellulite?

Since cellulite is largely due to a structural conformation below the skin, it is often common in very slender women. However, individuals who are over-fat will frequently have a more pronounced cellulite development, while those with less fat and more muscular definition tend to have less visible cellulite.

Why do women who lose a lot of weight still have cellulite?

The underlying fat-cell chambers do not change with a loss of weight. For optimal skin adaptation to weight loss, it is advisable for weight loss to be progressive and not extreme (such as repeatedly seen with fad diets). Also, skin elasticity is best up to the age of 35 to 40 years. Collagen and elastic fibers can retract best to lesser volumes (from fat loss) before this chronological age.

So, What Are Some Realistic Recommendations?

Several studies note that female athletes, who generally have a lower percent body fat regularly have less cellulite. So, a caloric-restricted diet plan to help reduce some of the underlying body fat should be implemented. Aerobic exercise at least 3 to 5 times a week for at least 20 to 60 minutes will help create a satisfactory caloric deficit. Choose a mode of exercise that you enjoy such as walking, jogging, aerobic dance, elliptical training, rowing, cycling, swimming or stair stepping.

How to Work of your Cellulite

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• Direct attention to the important daily activities required to succeed.
  If you focus on the end result, it will always be a dream. Focus on the daily activities that cause the problem and you will soon see results!
• Mobilise efforts
  By designing a goal setting plan you provide the framework for commitment to your goals in every aspect of your life.
• Prolong persistence.
  It gives you something to look forward to. By breaking down your goals into smaller, manageable steps, you will identify achievements on a regular basis and this will keep you motivated.
• Foster the development of new learning strategies.
  Committing to a goal setting plan forces you to face those problem areas of your life and develop a plan to overcome them.

Goals fall into three categories:

• Outcome Goals
• Process Goals
• Performance Goals

Outcome goals - typically focus on the result of an event and can either be subjective or objective. In order to succeed, we need our goals to be objective!

• Subjective goals are general statements of intent (e.g., I want to lose weight) but are not stated in measurable, objective terms. This gives you very little motivation or feedback.
• Objective goals focus on attaining a specific standard of proficiency on a task, usually within a specified time (e.g. I want to lose 5 kilos in 2 months).

Performance goals - focus on achieving standards or performance objectives independently of other people or competitors, usually making comparisons with your own previous performance. (e.g. Commit full attendance, always punctual, and perform all set tasks during training sessions).

Process goals - focus on the actions you must engage in every minute of every day to achieve their Outcome goals. (e.g. No drinking alcohol during the week. Adhere to eating program.)

Performance and Process goals create less anxiety than Outcome goals because they are in the total control of the person. It is important that all 3 types of goals are set as they all play important rolls in directing.

Most treadmills, elliptical/cross trainers, upright bikes, recumbent bikes, rowers you can set time, distance or calorie goals on the console.

One of the hardest bits about losing weight is managing evenings out at the pub with friends. Keeping up with 'rounds' and sharing nibbles, and lets face it after a relaxing drink and good conversation, your will power can tend to go out the window. But a few minor changes to your drinking patterns will help your weight-loss efforts, not to mention your all-round health.

Eat a well balanced meal before you drink

Make sure you eat before heading to the pub. Eating first will make you less tempted by the chips, nuts and nibbles. And secondly, with a nutrient dense meal, you have the right combination of vitamins and minerals to help your liver metabolise alcohol. Not only will this reduce the chance of a hangover, but you are less likely feel the effects of intoxication, so you can stay in control.

A good recovery

When you don't eat before you drink your body will crave food, and late night food such as pizza, pies, sausage rolls, hot chips and burgers, tends to contain heaps of kilojoules and saturated fat. It will also disrupt your sleep patterns as instead of repairing your body's cells while you sleep, your body will be concentrating on digesting the late night fatty food.

Go soft

Find a diet soft drink you enjoy. This particularly works if you're popping in for that 'one' drink, rather than a session. But even on nights out, try having a diet soft drink or water every other round. You'll last longer, and have less of a hangover the next morning.

Fill your diary

No point beating about the bush – excess alcohol makes you put on weight. So, if you go to the pub four times a week, it is time to fill your diary with something equally sociable and enjoyable – maybe a game of football, soccer or tennis – or a cinema trip with friends.

Low-kilojoule drinks

Contrary to myth, there are no alcoholic drinks that miraculously contain no kilojoules. The rule of thumb is that wine is slightly less kilojoules than beer. But the lowest kilojoule drink is a spirit such as a nip of vodka with a diet soft drink.

Treating hangovers

Avoid greasy breakfasts like the plague. There are simply better ways to recover – and ones that won''t make you put on more weight. One reason your body may hurt so much is that you've depleted your store of vitamins, and you could be majorly dehydrated. So replace them – with fresh fruit and veg. Try an orange and carrot juice, accompanied with some wholemeal toast topped with sliced avocado, mushrooms and tomato. Your body will definitely thank you for it!

Before you give yourself a pat on the back after returning from the food court, salad in hand, UK consumer group Which? warns your seemingly healthy choice may be laden with unhealthy ingredients and you may as well have gone for the burger and fries.

Surveys done by the consumer watchdog revealed some store-bought sandwiches contain as much salt as nine bags of chips and are also high in fat and kilojoules, the UK's Daily Mail reported.

Many takeaway salads were also exposed as containing more fat and kilojoules than a burger and fries (and they hardly seem "indulgent" do they?).

"A lot of pre-made salads from supermarkets and salad bars are notoriously high in saturated fat and salt," Art of Healing nutritionist and naturopath Lisa Guy told Health & Wellbeing.

"Salads with creamy sauces and mayonnaise are the main culprits. Pesto sauce and grilled or sun-dried vegetables (marinated in vegetable oil), added to salads or sandwiches will also greatly increases the calorie and fat count."

"But they're full of green stuff," I hear you say, "Surely they're a better option?" Well, take a Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad from McDonald's for example. It contains 1440 kilojoules and 16.9g fat — and that's before you've added the creamy caesar dressing which contains a further 13g fat.

And your egg-salad sandwich? Not so healthy after all. "Mayonnaise is 80 percent fat," Guy said. "One tablespoon serving contains 12g of saturated fat, which is more fat than in a Mars bar." And you'll find it in most store-bought salads and sandwiches for its rich, creamy flavour.

"Instead of mayonnaise, use healthy low-fat condiments like mustard, hummus, tahini, avocado with lemon juice, fruit or tomato chutney," Guy said.

"Healthy low-fat salad dressings include balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and tamari, or you can make your own healthy mayo with natural yoghurt, lemon juice and wholegrain mustard."

When choosing a sandwich, Guy suggests opting for wholegrain bread over white, low-fat cheese over full-fat and avoiding deli meats such as pastrami and bacon. Instead choose a low-fat protein source such as tuna or skinless chicken and top it off with lots of colourful salad items. And remember: no mayonnaise!

The spare tyre, the love handles, the muffin top, the beer gut. For some men their central obesity or their being 'apple shaped' is a source of perverse pride; sort of a badge of honour.

But, for those that want to shed the extra kilos, the task can be a daunting one, and can be tough without the right support, so here we take a look at how best to tackle the dreaded beer belly. 

2. What causes a beer belly?

Danish researchers at the Centre for Alcohol Research showed that binge drinking once or twice a week was far more likely to lead to a beer belly than drinking the same amount over the whole week.

Whatever the link to alcohol, it is widely agreed that overeating and lack of exercise are the main reasons for a beer belly to grow.

3. Health risks

Doctors unanimously agree that having a beer belly increases the likelihood of developing high blood pressure and high cholesterol and increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes or having a stroke

4. Before you start

Measure your waistline. This may seem simple but knowing where you started can do wonders for your confidence a few weeks into the process when the differences start to be noticeable. The tape measure doesn't lie!

5. Achieve a balance

Balance is the key word when it comes to eating and drinking. It is important to keep eating a range of different foods so the body gets all the nutrition it needs.

6. Diet tips

7. Are sit-ups the key?

If the idea of endless sit-ups fills you with despair, you're in luck. Although great for strengthening the abdominal muscles, contrary to popular belief, sit-ups won't do much to get rid of a beer belly or help with weight loss in general.

8. What does burn fat?

What does burn fat is aerobic or cardio-vascular exercise which gets the heart rate up and gets you sweating. This can be achieved through anything from fast walking to swimming, rowing, cycling, jogging or squash.

Subject to advice from a doctor, 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week should be enough to get the belly shrinking.

9. Self-belief and a positive attitude

Without the right attitude, no attempts at beating the beer belly into submission are going to work.

But, as daunting a prospect as weight loss might seem, a decent measure of self-belief and willpower are half the battle. The rest might be as straightforward as a fast walk in the park.

Fitness equipment packages are good options for dedicated athletes. Those who do a lot of training can buy high-end equipment at considerable discounts by purchasing several different items together in one of these packages. This allows the manufacturer and retailer to move more products, which allows them to pass those savings along to their customers. For those who need a variety of equipment and who need all that equipment to be of the utmost quality, this is sometimes the best available option for getting new workout products into your home, or into your gym.

One of the problems with some fitness equipment packages is that low-quality equipment is sometimes bunched together and sold off as a unit. There are good packages, however, and the discounts are more substantial when professional-quality equipment is being sold. In some cases, the differences may be most noticeable among the parts of the package that are not the most expensive. The rubber flooring used in workout areas, for instance, will be of a very high quality in professional packages, but may be of a much reduced quality in other packages. Make sure you’re getting a professional package when you order.

Fitness equipment packages should offer you a substantial discount. Obviously, because you’re ordering equipment that is designed to be heavy, it makes more sense to have it all shipped at once rather than in individual orders. This is another way that these packages reduce price. While it might not seem like much on the surface, if you calculate the costs of shipping and handling over several different orders, they can be quite expensive. For those who need a lot of equipment to keep up with their routine, ordering it all at once can mean substantial savings.

Fitness equipment packages should be logically combined. This means, for instance, that a package of barbells should come with a bench or other related equipment. Good companies sell these packages as solutions to setting up a complete workout station rather than as a way to get rid of a bunch of unrelated items. In some cases, retailers also offer these packages as a way of encouraging customers to buy “up” a bit. It allows you to get top-notch quality equipment at prices that would only normally be charged for equipment of a far lesser quality and to enjoy the benefits of training with solid products.

Fitness equipment can be expensive. Especially if you’re starting out a gym or you’re putting together a very complex home gymnasium, the costs can run high. Some companies demand cash up front and others offer various forms of financing. Interest free financing on fitness equipment allows you to begin payments that go directly to the principal of the loan, making it easier to pay off the debt quickly and to avoid paying for interest fees on top of the cost of the equipment. Instant approval is usually available with these arrangements.

Getting credit for interest free finance on fitness equipment allows you to get the equipment you need so that you start out with the full package. Otherwise, you may have to buy one piece of equipment at a time, which could make building a full workout station a long task. These arrangements don’t mean that you can’t pay on the debt right away. Some consumers will choose to pay it down as fast as possible and others will use the interest-free period to make the smaller payments and use the money saved for other purposes.

If you have a very broad need where equipment is concerned, interest free finance on fitness equipment may allow you to purchase your entire setup at once. Most often, you can go down to the store that offers it or contact them online to make sure you qualify. If you want, you can put together your entire order first, so that you have an exact number when you ask for the credit. This helps you to set a solid budget, as well, and since there isn’t any interest being charged on the debt, the money only costs the same amount as the purchase price of the equipment.

Interest free finance on fitness equipment can be a great way for you to get the home gym you’ve always wanted. Most people who work out a lot know what machines they want, what exercises they need and what kind of equipment from the gym they’d love to bring home. Because there are affordable options, buying such items on credit makes the whole transaction worth it. The lack of interest means you don’t end up paying more for the equipment than what was stated on the price tag. It also allows you to get going with your workouts that much faster!