WALK Raises Thousands of Dollars for those Suffering from Obesity

COVINGTON, LA –The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana, in conjunction with Southern Surgical Hospital, recently sponsored the annual American Society of Bariatric Surgery’s Walk From Obesity in Slidell, LA. This is the only annual nation-wide event to increase awareness of the life threatening disease of obesity and to raise funds for research, prevention and advanced treatments.

Michael J. Thomas, MD, FACS and Director of the Bariatric Surgery Program at Southern Surgical Hospital announced that over $14,000 was raised through sponsorships, raffle baskets, and walkers who collected pledges for every mile they walked. More than 110 walkers participated in the three-mile walk at Heritage Park.

Obesity has become a significant national health issue, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that 66 percent of all U.S. adults are overweight or obese. Morbid obesity is closely correlated with a number of serious conditions that severely undermine the health of overweight patients, including heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

The Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) has designated SSL physicians Dr. Chu, Dr. Lavin, Dr. Moore, Dr. Thomas, Dr. Stevens and Dr. Warden, ASMBS (American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons) Center of Excellence Surgeons. SRC is an organization dedicated to pursuing surgical excellence by creating rigorous surgical standards and expectations of quality outcomes. Surgeons with ASMBS Center of Excellence designations practice only top-quality patient care and their surgical outcomes meet the stringent demands set forth by SRC for ASMBS.

The Surgical Specialists of Louisiana (SSL) is a group of nine advanced laparoscopic weight loss surgeons with offices in Covington, New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette. Informational weight loss surgery seminars are free to the public and held on a weekly basis in various locations. To learn more about SSL, its surgeons, services and seminars, please visit www.whyweight.com or call 985-234-3000.