60 Minutes about to Blast the Sugar Industry! I am excited.

It appears that what the American Society of Bariatric Physicians has been saying is finally getting some press.

Tomorrow night 60 Minutes will be covering the risks of sugar in the diet. This year in Circulation, a key journal for heart doctors and weight loss doctors like myself, it was proven that sugar sweetened beverages increase risk of heart disease and risk markers.

In fact, your cholesterol, your levels of inflammation, your weight all go up with sugar sweetened beverages.

It was just 7 months ago when I lost nearly 30 pounds by burning fat first and knowing what's in my tank. But the most important thing I did was to research and train in bariatric medicine. What is crystal clear according to food researchers and my education is this.

Fat is not the enemy, Sugar is the enemy.

Now the media is covering it. You see, the real enemy is Insulin a hormone produced normally in little amounts at baseline. The real problem is when we cause our bodies to secrete large amounts of insulin. Insulin elevation has also been linked to inflammation, elevated fat in our blood stream and fat in our livers.

Worse than that is the fact that Insulin prevents your body from ever burning fat as an energy source. Insulin suppreses a chemical reaction called lipolysis. Lipolysis is responsible for burning fat as an energy source. This prevention leads to a significant craving of carbohydrates to fuel the human machine.

Sugar in small amounts is ok. Sugar added to Skim Milk? That's not ok and the industry needs to stop doing it. Immediately. For the love of the kids and the adults with obesity, heart disease and cancer everywhere!

Is a calorie just a calorie? 3 philosophies for smart diet choices

I was reading an op-ed in the NYT where the reporter interviews 2 food researchers who answer the age old question. "Is a calorie just a calorie?"

Well, at our weight loss program we have 2 views on this. They stem from 3 fundamental philosophies.

The First Philosophy: You can never keep weight off if you don't now how many gallons your fuel tank holds.

Meaning: If you don't know how many calories your body needs in a day, you are likely to overfill yourself calorically.

Why? We live in a non-filling food paradise where everything has too many calories and too many sugars.

The Second Philosophy: Once you are overfilled with calories, the fat on your body is the problem, not the weight.

Meaning: When you want to lose weight, the chemical secreted by fat make you hungry and make it tougher to lose weight.

Why? There are over 100 chemical secreted by fat cells and only 2 of them are salubrious.

The Third Philosophy: A little hunger is a good thing, a lot of hunger is a dangerous thing.

Meaning: Being overly hungry could mean you are dehydrated or not eating enough to feed your machine, resulting in lean muscle mass breakdown. Or worse, you are spiking insulin levels and your blood sugar is all over the place.

Why? Too much hunger makes us reach for quick fixes like carbs, resulting in the same cycle of hunger all over again. We chose lean protein over carbs because they fill us up. Similarly, high fiber veggies work nicely too.

So here's the deal. A calorie is just a calorie if you don't feed yourself too many of them. When you feed yourself too many calories carbohydrates are far more dangerous for you than just about anything.

Dangerous how? By causing diabetes, inflammation, heart disease and god knows what else.

So when looking at calories:

1. Know how many you need. You can do that by checking a resting metabolic rate Don't use a calculator they are almost always off. Do the testing!

2. Chose calories that will fill you up and reduce your hunger. In those cases, chose lean protein and high fiber calories.

3. If you have to overfill your tank, chose calories that won't cause the yo-yo of insulin and blood sugar.

So is a calorie a calorie? It depends.......But often the answer is No!

Botox and Juvederm in Greenwich Office. Dr Gamble.

I am very excited to let everyone know that Doctor Sarah Gamble will be joining practices with us. She will bring her aesthetic medicine specialty as well as her skills with plant based nutrition. Now you will be able to receive Juvederm, Botox, Radiesse and other treatments in our practices in Greenwich CT!

Yes, now not only weight loss, but also aesthetic medicine in our Greenwich Offices! 115 East Putnam Greenwich CT.

How to Integrate Weight Loss in a Medical Practice

I just want to take a few moments to tell you about Take Shape for Life.

Have you heard of it? I was amazed when at a Bariatric training conference this weekend, no one had heard of it. Yet at this same conference there were bundles of physicians who wanted to integrate weight loss into their practices. Most had no clue how to do it!

Here are the top 5 reasons why Take Shape for Life is great to integrate in your practice



1. It is a program for life. With behavioral components, it can really sustain weight loss and healthy living.

2. You do not have to carry inventory, yet still make profit from your meal replacement.

3. Patients succeed with the 5 and 1 program. Patients will always refer others if your plan works!

4. By utilizing the program training from this company, you can easily train your staff to become coaches!

5. Unlike franchises such as Centers for Medical Weight loss, you don't need to pay 15,000 USD to start!

I wish I had found Take Shape for Life first

If you are doctor looking to integrate weight loss into your practice, email me steven.murphy-at-greenwichdocs.com and check out the website

If you are a patient and want to lose weight, check out my site.

Best of health!

Medical Weight Loss is Tax Deductible!

Did you know that this year if you enroll in a medical weight loss program you can have those expenses tax free.


Caveat: I am not an accountant or CPA. Every case is different and you should consult your accountant PRIOR to filing taxes! But


Yes, what I said is correct. You can get a tax deduction for a medical weight loss program. Don't believe me? Here is what the IRS has to say about it! 


What is covered?
1. Electronic body scans. If your insurance doesn't cover body composition testing and you paid, then it is tax deductible
2. BP Monitors. If your weight loss program has asked you to buy and monitor your BP. This too is tax deductible. As is a Heart Rate monitor!
3. Lab testing. If you had lab testing not covered by insurance, it too is tax deductible!
4. Off Site Medical Retreats. If your weight loss program has an offsite or resort where they take you, you can deduct food and lodging if you received medical care there!
5. If your archaic insurance company doesn't cover weight loss and you had to pay out of pocket for the program, you can claim a tax deduction!
6. For my patients who pay for VO2Max testing and RMR testing. That is also tax deductible!


What is not covered?


The IRS Publication 502 lays out specifically what is NOT covered. You should review that closely.


Again, this is only a rule of thumb. You need to double check with your accountant. But as I read it, medical weight loss is tax deductible!


Keep Burning Fat First!
-Dr. Murphy