St. John Providence Weight Loss Patient Embarks on State to State Bike Tour to Combat Obesity
DETROIT, Sept. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Five years ago Bill Streetman was 54 years old, but the prospects of a 55th birthday seemed bleak. He weighed 404 pounds and his health was failing. His obesity was putting his life at risk. Countless diets and weight loss plans had not worked for him. But on October 4, 2010, Bill underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery at the St. John Providence Weight Loss Center of Excellence in Detroit. That procedure changed his life forever.
Today, Bill weights 190, and instead of watching life pass him by, he is embarking on a 600 mile bike ride to increase awareness of the dangers of obesity. Bill's destination is the ObesityHelp annual conference in Cary, North Carolina, October 16-17, where he will be the keynote speaker. He will leave his home in Westerville, Ohio on October 2 and arrive in Cary for the conference on the 14th.
"The surgery provided me with a tool to manage my eating," according to Bill. "It's important that people realize that it's never too late to take control of your health. You can defeat obesity and reclaim your active, healthy and productive life."
At the ObesityHelp conference, Bill will share his "Simple, Not Easy" presentation, in which he outlines the strategies he used to make his weight loss journey easier and shift the odds of success in his direction. After his surgery, Bill implemented a vigorous exercise program and over the next 12 months lost half his body weight. He has maintained his weight loss for four years and has returned to hiking, skiing, playing soccer and riding his bike. He calls his experience a "Journey to Fitness" and today shares his story with people all over the world through lectures and blogging.
"I was worried that I was too old to make the kind of lifestyle changes that both surgery and ongoing weight management needs would require. I feared that if eating well would be difficult, exercising, especially at advancing age and after years of inactivity, would be extremely difficult… and painful… maybe impossible. But I am living proof that it can be done."
"Weight loss surgery has helped millions of people shed excess weight and live healthier lives," according to Dr. Gary Katz, St. John Providence Weight Loss surgeon. "It is a common treatment option for people with severe obesity who have been unsuccessful with other weight loss methods. Weight loss surgery works because it also includes education to transform eating habits to maintain an ideal weight and thus live a healthier life."
While childhood obesity is itself a major issue in the USA, Bill says the needs of obese seniors are unique and often not adequately addressed by the weight loss industry. Bill has focused on helping others in their personal weight loss journey, with a special focus on the needs of people 55+ years old.
The Route and Schedule
Ohio: Lancaster, Logan, Athens
West Virginia: Charleston, Beckley
Virginia: Roanoke, Danville
North Carolina: Greensboro, Chapel Hill, Raleigh-Durham, Cary
St. John Providence Weight Loss is one the Midwest's leading centers for weight loss surgery. St. John Providence Weight Loss offers an individualized, comprehensive approach to help people lose weight and keep it off. Surgical weight loss options include the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass, Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy and LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band.
SOURCE St. John Providence Health System
Related Links
http://www.stjohnprovidence.org
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