Experts Available to Discuss Survey Shows Mississippi Most Obese State

--(Business Wire)--
ExpertSource:

TOPIC: A survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention found Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee are the most obese
states in the nation, according to an article by The Associated Press.
Since 2004, Mississippi has weighed in the heaviest. The other
Southern states are usually not far behind. Nutrition experts suggest
the traditional Southern diet, which includes high-fat and fried
foods, is contributing to the South's weight problem. Results from the
telephone survey of 350,000 adults appear in the CDC's Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report.

EXPERTS: ExpertSource can offer several highly qualified experts
to comment on this story:

Dr. Daniel Kirschenbaum is Clinical Director and Chief Program
Officer of Wellspring. He is a licensed clinical psychologist in
Illinois and California, Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
at Northwestern University Medical School, Fellow and Diplomate in
Clinical Health Psychology of the American Psychological Association
and former president of its Division of Exercise and Sport Psychology.
He has served as a consultant to the United States Olympic Committee,
the National Basketball Association, the Ladies Professional Golf
Association, the Chicago Bears, numerous professional journals, and
several major corporations. Dr. Kirschenbaum has provided addresses at
many professional conferences worldwide, received numerous grants for
research, and published 9 books and 125 journal articles on weight
loss, sport psychology, and related topics. Dr. Kirschenbaum's books
include: Treatment of Childhood and Adolescent Obesity (1987) Weight
Loss Through Persistence (1994) The 9 Truths About Weight Loss (2000)
The Healthy Obsession Program: Smart Weight Loss Instead of Low-Carb
Lunacy (2006)

PR Contact: Meredith Schneider

919-277-1165

mschneider@fwv-us.com

Renowned clinical psychologist, Gerard J. Musante, Ph.D. founded
Structure House in 1977 and understands firsthand the struggle faced
by overweight people. After spending his overweight adolescent years
trying countless diets that never worked, he devoted his professional
life to developing and teaching the principles of behavior
modification for overweight people. Today, his internationally
respected weight control program, Structure House, has helped more
than 30,000 people change their attitudes, perceptions and lifestyles
with diet, exercise and education. Structure House is a residential
center for weight control and lifestyle change in Durham, N.C. Dr.
Musante was the first person to adapt the principles of behavior
modification to the eating habits of significantly overweight people
and food abusers alike. Thousands of people have benefited from his
methods and guidance at Structure House. Participants learn why they
have been making negative food choices and move on to learn about
taking personal responsibility for their food choices and habits to
maintain a healthier lifestyle.

A respected leader in the field, Dr. Musante testified as an
expert witness on obesity before the U.S. Senate Committee on the
Judiciary in October 2003 in support of Sen. Mitch McConnell's
Commonsense Consumption Act. He also serves on the N.C. Health and
Wellness Trust Fund Commission's Study Committee for the Prevention
and Treatment of Childhood Overweight/Obesity. Dr. Musante is the
author of The Structure House Weight Loss Plan (2007). Additionally,
he has been quoted in publications such as the New York Times, the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Newsweek and People magazine. Dr.
Musante has appeared on national television shows, including a feature
segment on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, and with Morley Safer on the
acclaimed CBS news program "60 Minutes" as well as "Donahue" and "Good
Morning America."

He wrote the introduction to James Coco's book, If I Can, You Can.
Dr. Musante's road to personal success - the loss of 50 pounds - and
professional success began when he undertook the study of obesity as a
psychologist at Duke University Medical Center. He developed the
techniques that not only enabled him to lose the weight, but to keep
it off. He says, "Once I realized that my relationship with food
needed to change, and that food was for nutrition, not for comfort and
support, I lost the weight and kept it off." Dr. Musante received his
professional training from New York University, the University of
Tennessee, Duke University Medical Center and Temple University
Medical School. He is a member of a number of professional
organizations, including the American Psychological Association and
the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy. He has served
on the editorial board of Addictive Behavior, and as a consultant to
the National Board of Medical Examiners. He also continues to serve as
a consulting professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences for Duke
University Medical Center and the Duke University School of Medicine.

PR Contact: Meredith Schneider

919-277-1165

mschneider@fwv-us.com

Leonard J. Ram, MD, is a board certified physician specializing in
gastroenterology. Through his direct experience in treating stomach
and intestine-related diseases in his many years of private practice,
Dr. Ram has cultivated a keen understanding of, and expertise in,
obesity-specific preventive medicine. Dr. Ram's passion for helping
people fulfill their life's dream of permanent weight loss and healthy
weight management led him to author The Ram Nut Diet - a book for
'do-it-yourself dieters' and for those wanting to learn a unique and
innovative approach to healthy eating. As a result of his studies, Dr.
Ram is certified as a Physician Nutrition Specialist by the American
Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists, and is the only
physician/diet book author in the United States certified in both
Gastroenterology and Nutrition practice areas. Dr. Ram has since
leveraged his years of medical experience and field research to
develop TrimTalk - a one-of-a-kind program designed to help
individuals achieve long-term weight loss through a comprehensive,
on-demand telephone-based support program. Dr. Ram's TrimTalk meets
the needs of dieters seeking a lasting solution by addressing the
three primary components of successful weight loss: nutrition,
exercise, and emotional support. Dr. Ram earned his medical degree at
State University of New York located in Brooklyn, NY. He is a member
of the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Society for
Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the North American Association for the
Study of Obesity (NAASO) - the leading scientific society dedicated to
the study of obesity.

PR Contact: Merilee Kern

858-577-0206

merilee@kerncommunications.com

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