SIGNATURE THE
SIGONELLA, SICILY
April 4, 2014
Vol. 31 No. 13
cnic.navy.mil/sigonella
U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella’s Healthy Weigh program is a new frontier for the U.S. Navy made such great strides that she no longer requires blood pressure medication. Another patient began eating healthier in the program and saw her husband’s blood sugar drop significantly because the diet change reached the entire household. Diet, of course, is a large part of the battle.
Getting over you
Chief Culinary Specialist Angela Campbell conducts a Zumba class. Since joining the program, Campbell has lost more than 25 pounds using the multi-disciplinary approach that Healthy Weigh teaches. (U.S. Navy photo by Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Matthew Clutter/Released) by HM2 Matthew Clutter U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella
NAS SIGONELLA, SicIn March 2013, U.S. Naval ual. Combined, these aspects all ily - This was the breaking point: Hospital Sigonella began a new steer the individual towards the When the cold plastic of a meas- program aimed at helping obese ultimate goal: a healthier lifestyle. uring tape hit Chief Culinary Spe- and overweight patients to lose The foundation cialist (SW/AW) Angela Camp- that unhealthy weight. Now in It all begins with a consulbell’s hips in Feb. 2013. its second iteration, the 12-week tation with a medical provider. That’s when she became fed program is the first of its kind in Here, participants will be given up. Those hips that were geneti- the Navy and uses a multi-disci- a physical exam and assessed for cally gifted to her from her par- plinary approach to foster an en- any underlying medical issues ents weren’t going anywhere. The tire lifestyle change for patients. before getting the green light to weight between them was a differ- Run in conjunction with Medical continue with the program. Any ent story. Home Port, Health Promotions identified issues will be addressed, Campbell is quite vocal on her and Mental Health, the goal of the and blood work and testing will be distaste for the measuring tape, program is far from singular. done if indicated, though Broom that dreaded plastic noose that has “The focus of this program is says she routinely conducts a full suffocated many a Sailor’s waist- not weight loss,” says Lt. Cmdr. lab workup on all her patients. line during the semi“This is all in order annual Body Compo“The focus is making sustainable to keep the provider sition Assessment. She changes for maintaining a healthy as part of the team,” had promised herself Broom says. “Part of in February that it was lifestyle and thus a healthy weight.” mitigating the risk for the last time and that - Internal Medicine Physician Lt. Cmdr. Kimberly Broom diseases is maintainchanges would come. ing a healthy weight. “I was tired of being taped,” Kimberly Broom, Internal Medi- That starts with the initial evalushe says. “I know that it’s not a cine Physician and developer of ation. We evaluate the patient’s bad thing. But being in the posi- the program. “I guarantee you health status and future disease tion I’m in [as a Chief], I feel it has participants have lost weight nu- risks.” a negative stigma. Some people merous times in the past only The first exam can be benlook healthy but still have to be to regain it. The focus is making eficial in many ways. Broom says taped. For me, being taped is just sustainable changes for maintain- she has caught diabetes in one of telling me that I’m overweight.” ing a healthy lifestyle and thus a her patients during this routine So she stood there with that healthy weight.” exam, an early catch that enabled tape measure around her. DisTo do that, participants in the a tailor-made program to be cregusted. Fed up with her weight. program go through a variety of ated for this patient. The program Ready for a change. Luckily for health care visits. Each step along itself carries a host of benefits. AcCampbell, her lifestyle epiphany the way focuses new attention on cording to Broom, one patient in came at exactly the right time. a different aspect of the individ- the Healthy Weigh program has
About 75 percent of those participating in Healthy Weigh regularly see the hospital’s staff nutritionist. The biggest hurdle for participants, according Lt. Christina Bologna, is themselves. “I know that sounds odd,” Lt. Bologna says, “but a lot of people come in saying, I don’t think I can do it or thinking they do not have time for planning out meals and snacks for the day.” To remedy that, the nutrition phase of Healthy Weigh begins with two days of educational classes that teach general nutrition, such as the difference between a carbohydrate, a protein and a fat; how to set up a plate properly; how to read a food label; and how to shop for food in the commissary. Bologna then looks at the individual’s comprehensive diet plan, tweaking it as necessary. “I don’t give out blanket meal plans,” she says. “Not everybody is going to like the same things. So I try to be realistic with their schedule, what foods they like, and what their diet is like already and make adjustments for eliminating excess empty calories while incorporating healthier choices.”
With this new nutrition plan in place, participants then set goals.
Chasing the dream
As the program’s wellness coach, Giuseppe Licari essentially streamlines the goals for each individual. Fifteen of the current program’s 22 participants meet regularly with him. “My role is to fit all these different pieces into one single plan,” Licari says. “So what I do as a coach is help the patient develop their own individualized plan.” Each plan is different and specifically formulated for each individual’s overall wants and needs. And the approach is three-tiered. Patients begin by setting a two-year goal. “We call this the dream phase,” Licari says. It’s asking a patient to determine where they want to be in two years if all goes as planned. Next, a three-month goal is set. This is known as the action phase. These are realistic and attainable goals, according to Licari. Most importantly, they are action based. “It’s not ‘I want to lose 30 pounds,’” Licari says. “It’s ‘In order to lose 30 pounds, I’m going to work out five days a week for one hour.’” Lastly, patients set weekly goals. These are the small steps that will help patients achieve their three-month goal and ultimately their two-year goal.
Mind and body
Another prong in the Healthy Weigh program is Mental Health, See 'HEALTHY,' Page 5
Lt. Christina Bologna gives participants in U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella’s Healthy Weigh program a tour of the commissary. The tour provides helpful tips on how to stay healthy when shopping for food. (U.S. Navy photo by Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Matthew Clutter/Released)
Around Sigonella:
Base 2 Base Run:
Sig Citizens:
Check out what's happening around Sigonella!
Check out the action from the biggest MWR Fitness event of the year!
Learn how a group of Sigonella Citizens came together for a young man from Naples.
PAGE 3
PAGE 8
PAGE 10
Scan for direct links to NAS Sigonella