Our Exercise Physiologist and Nutritionist Elizabeth Cayanan was featured in the December issue of Active Magazine. Elizabeth completed her honours in exercise, sports science and nutrition with the University of Sydney and decided to take up a PhD scholarship to study the effects of weight loss on sleep apnea at the Woolcock Institute. This has further helped her to set up an allied health clinic within the institute to support the work of the sleep physicians, endocrinologists, ENT surgeons, dentists and psychologists.
Research has shown that carrying excess weight is closely associated with the severity of sleep apnea and that if a client can achieve a 10 per cent reduction in weight this results in a 24 per cent reduction in sleep apnea. Elizabeth says that research and our own patient experience supports an improvement in sleep quality and a reduction in obstructive events with regular exercise even for those patients who don’t lose weight.
About the Weight Loss Services at the Woolcock Clinic:
The inter-disciplinary team at the Woolcock Clinic are committed to helping you make the changes necessary to improve your lifestyle for the long term. A part of your health management may require you to lose weight.
Our weight loss service at the Woolcock Clinic will help you each step of the way, from the initial diagnosis, through weight loss, during health maintenance and along the road to a better lifestyle for the long term. Our ultimate goal is to aid you in attaining your best health outcome to minimise long term disease risk and ensure you reach your potential with a fulfilling lifestyle.
“Be the change you want for your future”
We understand that weight loss can be overwhelming and challenging, let alone when doing it without professional support. A lot of patients will have trialled various weight loss regimes previously that have not been sustained. This can make the journey somewhat confusing down the track. We are dedicated to making the challenge surpassable with a focus on positive health outcomes.
“Enjoy your lifestyle for all the healthy reasons. Don’t focus on deprivation.”
Our qualified exercise physiologist and nutritionist will help you each step of the way - starting with the first step: a committed plan and dedication to change. Our approach considers your needs while being strongly grounded in current evidence based medicine. The weight loss program has two available options, casual visits where appointments can be booked as needed and a structured 12 months program.
how weight loss can improve sleep outcomes
5 - 10% weight loss can improve sleep apnea by up to 26%*
Weight loss also improves diabetes management, elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure and insulin resistance which are often associated with obstructive sleep apnea
Weight loss will help to reduce daytime sleepiness, making it easier to keep active.
*JAMA 2000; 284:3015-3021
You can read the full article here.
View our brochure here for further information about our weight loss services at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research.