Reader's Digest - USA (2019-08)

toenjoylifeagainwithherfamily
andherdog.“Everythinghasgot
easier,”shesays.“It’slovely.”
For years, Claudine Canale’s
weightwaslikeayo-yo. Nowa
58-year-oldmanagementconsult-
ant,atherheaviestsheweighed 140
kilograms,a petitewomanwhohad
nevercompletelyshedthepost-baby
weightshe’dgained 27 yearsearlier.
Withfast-encroachingosteoarthri-
tis,walkingwasdifficult.Shefelt
strangersstaringatherwithwhat
sheimaginedwasdisgustetchedon
theirfaces.
By 2010 shecouldbarelywalk.She
wasalwaysoutofbreath.Thenone
night,whilewatchingTVathome
shelearnedaboutcentreswithmul-
ti-disciplinaryteamsthatspecialise
inobesityandweightloss,including
surgery.Hergastricsleevesurgery,in
whichherstomachwasreduced,took
placeinSeptember2011.
Sincethen,Claudinehaslost 45 per
centofherinitialweight.Grateful,
sheworksthroughanyremaining
pain,walkinganddoingclassessuch
asCrossFit.“Youaren’tthinsomuch
asa formerlyobeseperson.Myjoints
arestilldamaged.Butwiththe right
coach,I canhandlethat.”

INFEBRUARYLASTYEARDrCar-
losPiñeirochallengedtheresidents
ofhishometown,Narón, inthe
northwestofSpain,tolose100,000
kilogramsovertwoyears.Nearlya
quarterofthe40,000 residents were

overweightandanother 3000 were

officiallyobese.Whatheproposed

wasa wholesalelifechange,incor-

poratingexerciseandsmallermeals

fivetimesa daywithregulardoctors’

visitsandlots– andlots– ofcommu-

nitysupport.“Oncepeopleunder-

stoodthiswasa seriousprojectwith

thesoleobjectiveofimprovingqual-

ityoflife,it tookoff,”saysDrPiñeiro.

TeresaRodríguezFernándezis

partofthatcommunity,a 56-year-

old housewifeandgrandmother

whois1.53metrestalland,inMarch

lastyear,weighedahefty 84 kilo-

grams.Shewasalwaystired,had

type 2 diabetesandtwohernias,and

hadproblemswalking.So,whenDr

Piñeirosuggestedshejointhechal-

lenge,sheagreed.

Thehardestthingwasgivingup

fatty,saltyfoodssuchaschorizo,and

dairy,includingcheese.Instead,her

mealsrevolvedaroundfish,fruitand

unbutteredtoast;havinglost 20 kilo-

grams,she’sjustfinewithhernew

regime.“Istillgotothedoctortobe

weighedbutnowI’mtoldeverything

isgoingwell,andI nolongerhaveto

takemedicationtocontrol my blood

sugar,” she says.

MILLIONS OFPEOPLE

WILL BEBURDENED

WITHPREVENTABLE

CHRONIC DISEASES

76 Augus t 2019

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