Family physician Jeffrey Levine, M.D., of Hillsborough, N.J., a contestant on the second edition of NBC's The Biggest Loser weight-loss reality show this fall, took center stage at the Conference on Patient Education Nov. 17-20 in Orlando, Fla.
TV Reality Show Star Dishes Up Fitness Tips
By Jane Stoever
12/5/2005
Accustomed to cameras after his stint on The Biggest Loser, FP Jeffrey Levine, M.D., poses with Conference on Patient Education participant Alva Redwood-Kiddoe, M.B.B.S., M.Sc., D.M., a physician from Kingston, Jamaica.
Levine, 43, weighed in at 370 pounds when he started The Biggest Loser; he left the show 103 pounds lighter. He now weighs 217 pounds, having lost a total of 153 pounds.
In the opening plenary session at the conference, he shared the reasons he lost control of his weight years ago, his experiences on the show, and tips for helping patients and family members become fit.
"I am not an obesity expert; I consider myself an obesity survivor," Levine said. "I have struggled with my weight most of my adult life and need to address it every day to keep it in remission."
In the opening plenary session at the conference, he shared the reasons he lost control of his weight years ago, his experiences on the show, and tips for helping patients and family members become fit.
"I am not an obesity expert; I consider myself an obesity survivor," Levine said. "I have struggled with my weight most of my adult life and need to address it every day to keep it in remission."
Sporting a tie styled after the popular children's game, Operation, Levine speaks with second-graders about bones and bone health. At this point in his life, Levine's own health was taking a back seat to that of his patients.
Thin in his boyhood and an avid basketball player in adolescence, Levine had no weight problems during early adulthood, the early years of his marriage and into medical school. "The problem came with residency," he said. "I used food to help keep me up at night (at the hospital), I used food to help me relax, I used food to help me concentrate, and I used food as a reward for a job well done. I literally became addicted to food."
The combination of poor eating habits, sleep deprivation and lack of physical activity prompted his weight gain, Levine said. By 2002, his obstructive sleep apnea caused him to fall asleep during a staff meeting and then, during a patient visit. He suffered from recurrent thrombophlebitis in his legs; degenerative joint disease in an ankle; and elevated blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol. "I had a scare, had a chest pain, ended up in the emergency room," Levine said. Although he got a referral for bariatric surgery, he didn't take that route, he said, because he could still remember being thin and thought he could get his weight under control through diet and exercise.
Levine's wife Doris helped him prepare a video to apply to the reality show, and his colleagues said they'd cover for him during the time he was in the competition, which ended up being 12 weeks.
"I was taken out of the stressful environment that got me started on the road to obesity," Levine said. The contestants learned about portion control and how to respond to triggers of hunger; they also did lots of exercise. "I gained my physical and mental health back. I no longer have any pain when I walk and can play basketball again. And I'm able to inspire patients. They say, 'If he can do it, I can do it.'"
A new member of the advisory panel for the Academy's Americans in Motion fitness initiative, Levine encouraged patient educators at the conference to use the AIM tools. He encouraged his audience to make changes.
The combination of poor eating habits, sleep deprivation and lack of physical activity prompted his weight gain, Levine said. By 2002, his obstructive sleep apnea caused him to fall asleep during a staff meeting and then, during a patient visit. He suffered from recurrent thrombophlebitis in his legs; degenerative joint disease in an ankle; and elevated blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol. "I had a scare, had a chest pain, ended up in the emergency room," Levine said. Although he got a referral for bariatric surgery, he didn't take that route, he said, because he could still remember being thin and thought he could get his weight under control through diet and exercise.
Levine's wife Doris helped him prepare a video to apply to the reality show, and his colleagues said they'd cover for him during the time he was in the competition, which ended up being 12 weeks.
"I was taken out of the stressful environment that got me started on the road to obesity," Levine said. The contestants learned about portion control and how to respond to triggers of hunger; they also did lots of exercise. "I gained my physical and mental health back. I no longer have any pain when I walk and can play basketball again. And I'm able to inspire patients. They say, 'If he can do it, I can do it.'"
A new member of the advisory panel for the Academy's Americans in Motion fitness initiative, Levine encouraged patient educators at the conference to use the AIM tools. He encouraged his audience to make changes.
- Ask yourselves, "How fit are we as health providers?" he urged.
- Set realistic goals for yourself and your patients. Levine's goals included walking without pain and doing things with his children, such as square dancing at a father-daughter dance.
- Learn what , when and how much to eat. "You don't need to starve yourself," he said.
- Learn how to exercise. "Make sure your patients start low and go slow" toward reaching a target heart rate. For those with young children who say they can't exercise because they don't have time, integrate their exercise with their children's activities. "Being creative in helping patients find the right exercise is the fun part," he said.
- Understand the value of good sleep.
- Stick to reasonable schedules and regimens.
- Find outlets to stress that are different from eating.
"None of these things will work -- none would have worked for me -- if I didn't start making time for myself," said Levine. "You need to be a little selfish and carve out the time to eat healthier and exercise."
Levine encouraged innovative patient education. For example, he said he gives cooking and exercise demonstrations during screening sessions at indigent health centers. His practice is doing group visits for obesity and getting reimbursed. He also asked conference participants to connect patients with community resources such as Overeaters Anonymous and with recreational centers.
Accenting the Future of Family Medicine report's call for interdisciplinary care, Levine said he was glad to speak to the audience of family physicians, residents, nurses, nutritionists and other health educators. "How much better it is when you include the nurses and other staff in talking with patients about lifestyle changes," he said.
The annual Conference on Patient Education, which this year had about 300 participants, is co-sponsored by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine and AAFP.
Levine encouraged innovative patient education. For example, he said he gives cooking and exercise demonstrations during screening sessions at indigent health centers. His practice is doing group visits for obesity and getting reimbursed. He also asked conference participants to connect patients with community resources such as Overeaters Anonymous and with recreational centers.
Accenting the Future of Family Medicine report's call for interdisciplinary care, Levine said he was glad to speak to the audience of family physicians, residents, nurses, nutritionists and other health educators. "How much better it is when you include the nurses and other staff in talking with patients about lifestyle changes," he said.
The annual Conference on Patient Education, which this year had about 300 participants, is co-sponsored by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine and AAFP.
