Eating for a Healthy Weight: Q&A With Carolyn Newberry, MD

By Carolyn Newberry, MD, as told to Alexandra Benisek

In the WebMD webinar “Eating for a Healthy Weight,”Carolyn Newberry, MD, of Weill Cornell Medicine of Cornell University and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, answered viewer questions about how to create a healthy diet for weight management.

A lot of this depends on your personal health history. For somebody who doesn’t have a history of heart disease or coronary artery disease, it’s OK or even possibly better to eat butter that’s less processed, even if it’s higher in fat. You just want to watch your portions. Eating a little bit of fresh, farm-made butter on a piece of whole-grain toast is completely fine. 

Some products may seem healthier if they have a “low fat” or “low sugar” label. But when you really dive into the food labels, these have a lot of additives, artificial sweeteners, or other ingredients that aren’t in the natural food product. These things could lead to other health issues. There’s also data that shows that more artificial sweeteners eggs Mediterranean-style diet. It has more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. This diet is high in fiber, and a lot of its protein comes from plants, nuts, or legumes. There’s also some seafood in there for omega-3s.

They tend to be a lot more expensive, so I don’t know if the organic option is always better than the non-organic option. But it’s good to stick to less-processed foods that have fewer ingredients.

It’s not realistic for most people to buy all organic. You can also buy a bag of frozen fruits or vegetables. They are frozen at the time that they are fresh, so they still have a lot, if not all, of their nutrient content. That’s just a much cheaper way to consume food.

It depends on your medical history. If you have certain health conditions, alcohol should be avoided. But a modest amount of alcohol supplements. For example, people who are postmenopausal may need calcium and vitamin D supplements. A lack of iron is also common, especially if you’re on a plant-based diet. So you may need an iron supplement. But there are a lot of good plant sources of iron as well like spinach, green beans, or legumes. Just make sure you eat enough to get the right amount of iron.

If you’re vegan, you need a B12 supplement because B12 is only in animal products.

Honestly, there isn’t a lot of information that supports anything to naturally slow down or suppress your appetite. No supplement is FDA regulated, so you never really know what you’re getting.

It’s not that supplements don’t work; most just haven’t been researched enough.

I can’t suggest a supplement that’s been shown to lower appetite. But you can do things to feel more full: eat balanced meals; have snacks that have carbs, fat, and protein to feel full all day; eat a lot of fiber; and drink a glass of water before every meal.

I would definitely urge people to talk to their doctors when they start any supplements, since none of them are regulated.

There are many national programs like Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig. These may help with accountability, help regulate what you eat, and also give you a support system. 

There are also medically supervised weight-management programs if you qualify for them. Usually you need to have a certain amount of extra weight to lose to be in a program like that. A BMI greater than 30 usually can make you eligible for things like medications and procedures to use with diet and exercise changes. 

I definitely urge people to get professional help because obesity is a chronic disease and can be treated just like any other long-term disease.

Many people do well with small meals eaten often during the day. Intermittent fasting Hydration “Eating for a Healthy Weight.” 

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