Originally published December 18 2005
Weight management made easier thanks to the Body Gem
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A portable device called the Body Gem can ascertain a patient's resting metabolic rate over the course of a few minutes, by virtue of sensor technology that measures oxygen consumption and provides bariatric specialists with accurate information at greater convenience.
Earlier this year, Dr. Kathleen Baskett's job got a little bit easier.
Thanks to a new hand-held device called the Body Gem, Baskett, a bariatric specialist and medical director at the St. Vincent Healthcare Weight Management Clinic, can accurately measure a patient's metabolic rate in just a few minutes.
And metabolic rate is crucial when it comes to helping someone lose, maintain or even gain weight.
"Metabolic rate refers to the amount of energy needed by your body to function," Baskett explained.
Resting metabolic rate is the number of calories the human body needs to maintain basic function throughout the day.
"The RMR is how many calories it would take for someone to maintain their body weight if the person was sitting in a chair reading a book all day," Baskett said, noting functions such as digestion and heart rate.
When two similar patients' RMR can differ by as much as 500 calories, it becomes crucial to know the specific number in each case for effective weight management.
The portable Body Gem uses sensor technology to measure oxygen consumption.
Research shows variation in repeated testing is less than 1.5 percent.
To use the Body Gem, a patient needs to abstain from caffeine, nicotine, exercise and food for four hours before testing.
"They just sit quietly, hold it and breathe into it for 10 minutes or so," Baskett said of the simple test.
"This has allowed me to better evaluate my patients with eating programs that are more appropriate for them."
Baskett said, for example, she has two female patients, age 44, who are 5 foot, 3 inches tall and weigh 200 pounds.
"The woman with the RMR of 1,950 is on an eating plan of about 1,600 a day to lose weight," she said.
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