Dr. Oz makes a house call to county

A surgeon famous for his appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show swung by Prince George's County last Friday to deliver his message of empowerment.

No topic was too silly or sensitive for discussion, as Dr. Mehmet C. Oz fielded questions from flatulence to racial differences in health maintenance.

Before the presentation, County Executive Jack B. Johnson recognized Dr. Oz "for his tireless efforts to improve the quality of life and health for people around the nation."

During the question and answer period, Sybrenda L. Queen, who works for the State's Attorney's Office, felt free to speak up about her addiction to ice.

Queen's doctor had advised her to stop eating ice, but Dr. Oz said it shouldn't affect her health. It might be bad for her teeth, though, he teased.

Between such unusual habits and your more mundane ones — what food you eat, how much you exercise, whether you stress out — you control 70 percent of how well and long you live, said Dr. Oz, who heads the Cardiovascular Institute at Columbia University Medical Center.

Waist size figures prominently in the part of your health that you can change. The circumference of your waist should be no more than half your height, said Dr. Oz. Waist size, relative to height, is a better indicator of your fitness than weight, he added.

Building muscle mass enables you to start losing weight, said Dr. Oz. Whereas fat is designed to store calories, "muscle is like a furnace" that burns them.

As a start, Dr. Oz recommended 30 minutes of exercise per day.

"Walking is the number one bit of advice that I give people," he said.

Food is another part of the equation. You make the big decisions at the supermarket, not in the kitchen, said Dr. Oz.

Queen, who has a 4-year-old child to look after, has decided to phase out buying sweets.

"Right now we can go to the pantry and get the Pop Tarts, the lemon tarts and the Twinkie," she said.

A high-fiber breakfast can also help. It fills you up and helps you consume fewer calories overall, said Dr. Oz.

Even averaging 100 fewer calories per day will suffice, he said. Achieving that by better eating and exercise should offset the 1.8 to 2 lbs. that the average 20-to-40-year-old gains per year, according to a February 2003 report published in Science.

Chantay Crews, a county government worker who attended Dr. Oz's presentation, plans on watching her food intake. With a family history of diabetes, she wants to avoid unhealthy, high-caloric foods.

Obesity increases your risk of diseases such as diabetes. In November 2004 the Centers for Disease Control found a strong correlation between obesity and diabetes: About 55 percent of adults with diabetes were obese, compared with just over 30 percent of adults overall.

Stress control is another part of Dr. Oz's regimen. Take a tip from the Eastern religions and practice "good, deep belly breathing," he said.

Lastly, change your relationship with your doctor. Studies show that patients either forget or remember incorrectly half of what doctors tell them, he said.

The solution? Ask questions, engage your doctor in dialogue and get a second opinion. One-third of second opinions will produce a different treatment plan, he said.

Queen knows the value of a second opinion. After the presentation, she filled her plastic cup to the brim with ice.