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This week I read an article at Yahoo! Shine titled Demi Moore: Hospitalized: Can Divorce Make You Sick? Of course, divorce can make you sick! Stress plays a major role in our physical health, and divorce is the second most stressful life event one can experience after the death of a spouse, according to the Homes and Rahe Stress Scale. On the other hand, I have talked with many clients who find the stress from a break up longer lasting because it includes rejection and the possibility of running into that person again. Loss of appetite and not eating are common after any break up. Many find sleep evasive as well. The strong emotional reaction can be physically exhausting, too.

Any time that we are stressed our immune system takes a hit, our digestion takes a hit, and our body is flooded with adrenaline which can have a variety of dangerous results. It was when I learned how adrenaline impacts our veins and arteries and increases the risk for blockage and heart attack that I stubbornly determined to control my stress. Perhaps it is because I am a therapist, but it seems that many people focus on the mental and emotional impact of stress, more than the physical impact of stress, which can have long term consequences. When dealing with daily stressors, it is essential to recover from the adrenaline response because most of the time “fight or flight” is not a helpful option whether you have a deadline, a complaining customer, or an argument with a spouse.
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Oh Demi! Has a series of bad or questionable decisions put her on the edge? Demi Moore, who put herself solidly into pop culture history with her appearance on the 1991 Vanity Fair Cover naked and very pregnant, has seemingly hit rock bottom.

Demi’s health has been in question for months now, as she appears to have been steadily losing weight since claims emerged of her estranged husband’s cheating ways.

Once known for her toned physique, she now looks like a shadow of her former self. To add insult to injury, she was recently hospitalized after a 911 caller reported she was semi-conscious after doing whippits.

Whippit is the street name for nitrous oxide contained in a small metal canister and usually used for recharging whipping cream cans in restaurants. The whippit charger is sold separately and users inhale it from the canister to receive a quick high.

The 911 caller, reportedly a friend, said that Demi has been going through a lot lately. On November 17 2011, she announced that after six years of marriage she was filing for divorce from her boytoy husband, Ashton Kutcher. In a statement she said: “It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have decided to end my six-year marriage to Ashton. As a woman, a mother and a wife there are certain values and vows that I hold sacred, and it is in this spirit that I have chosen to move forward with my life.”

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The first-ever endoluminal incision-free bariatric surgery was performed on January 22, 2012, at the 3rd Annual Apollo Bariatric Surgery Conference (ABSCON 2012) in Chennai, India. This operation was actually the first ever known endoluminal revision of a prior sleeve gastrectomy performed in the world.

The operation, which was shown via video link to 80 surgeons attending the ABSCON 2012 conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Chennai, was performed by New York bariatric surgeon, Dr. Elliot Goodman and assisted by Dr. Rajkumar Palaniappan of the bariatric surgery service of Apollo Hospital in Chennai.

The 27 year old, male patient had previously undergone a sleeve gastrectomy in 2011 and has since lost 33 pounds. However, his weight stabilized and he had actually regained 4 pounds within the past month.

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More obese Americans may be given the opportunity to have their weight loss surgery covered by insurance if device manufacturers have their way. Allergan Inc., makers of the LapBand gastric banding device, has been the most vocal in their efforts to give obese patients access to this life-altering surgery. Being able to have this surgery covered by insurance will give patients the tools they need to fight a host of life-threatening illnesses brought on by their obesity. Allergan proposes that allowing more people access to insurance coverage will save billions of dollars in healthcare costs for both the government and employers.

The Dilemma

Critics argue that bariatric surgery has high rates of complications which can reach into the thousands and that the surgery doesn’t change the underlying behavior.

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