A Professional Perspective
Dr. Alan Koslow, M.D., discusses the importance of weight loss, and how Slendesta can help

Lee Swanson

Lee Swanson, President of Swanson Health Products®

Dr. Alan Koslow, M.D.

During my recent trip to Des Moines, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting with Dr. Alan Koslow, the vascular surgeon who conducted Slendesta's 20-week open-label trial. Dr. Koslow's academic career includes undergraduate and medical degrees from the State University of New York at Buffalo and internship and residency at Stanford University Medical Center. Although his medical practice specializes in vascular surgery, Dr. Koslow also has a particularly keen interest in preventive medicine. While in Des Moines I had a chance to visit with him concerning his thoughts on cardiovascular health, diet, exercise, weight loss and his experience in using Slendesta in his own practice. In this exclusive interview, Dr. Koslow shares his view on how all of us can optimize our health, well-being and longevity by simply bringing our body weight down to more healthful and manageable levels.

Slendesta Potato Protein Extract

Swanson: Thanks for taking the time to visit with us, Dr. Koslow. Can you please tell us how, as a vascular specialist, you became interested in weight loss?

Dr. Koslow: I realized early on that most of my patients got into the problems they have because they are overweight. Many were diabetic, which is really a result of being overweight. Because I was concerned with treating the whole patient, it became clear that while I had to address the immediate surgical needs, I also had to address the cause. So, several years ago I started counseling my patients in weight loss, exercise and lifestyle changes.

Swanson: As a practicing vascular surgeon, you see firsthand the health consequences of being overweight and obesity.

Dr. Koslow: Yes, that's true. People who are overweight have a greater risk for heart disease and kidney disease, but these risks don't seem to compel them to lose weight. The one thing that gets the attention of overweight people the most is diabetes, which really is the number one risk we run when we become obese. Most people think of heart disease and they think, "So, I'll have a heart attack and drop dead." They don't think of it in terms of suffering. They don't consider the debilitating effects of stroke. When they think of diabetes, they think of slow death. Almost everyone has a diabetic friend or family member who's been through one complication after another—the loss of sight, the loss of a toe, the shutting down of the kidneys—not to mention the daily insulin shots, the dietary concerns and everything else that living with diabetes requires.

Swanson: What do you tell your patients who need to lose weight? Do you have a program that you recommend?

Dr. Koslow: It's different for everybody, but there's one simple principle that applies across the board, and it's so easy to grasp but so difficult to achieve. To lose weight, the amount of calories we put into our bodies each day must be lower than the amount of calories we burn. It's really that simple. But in practice, that's difficult for many people, especially older people, to achieve.

Swanson: Why?

Dr. Koslow: Overweight and older people tend to be more sedentary, less active than younger people of healthy weight. But the question becomes, are they less active because of the excess weight, or do they carry excess weight because they are less active? I think it's a little of both. It's a vicious cycle. Also, we're conditioned in America to eat everything on our plates. It's an issue of portion control. In America, bigger is better. It's super-size fries and mega mug sodas. For instance, when I was growing up in the 1950s and '60s, a juice glass was four ounces, and the biggest glass in the house was eight. Today when you go to buy a set of glasses for the kitchen, the smallest glass is eight ounces or even 12. We're doing this to ourselves without even thinking about it.

Swanson: You're a strong believer in Slendesta. What is it about this dietary ingredient that is different from other products on the market today?

Dr. Koslow: What Slendesta does is absolutely unique. It's a natural proteinase inhibitor, known as PI2 in the medical literature, that is extracted from potatoes. That's what's great about it—it's natural; it's not a stimulant, and it has no apparent side effects. It works by triggering and sustaining the release of CCK, a substance naturally produced by the body. The fact that there are no known side effects is what makes Slendesta so attractive to me as a physician. It's tapping into the body's own natural mechanism of satiety. It's not stimulating your body so you forget about eating; it's not going to make you jittery; it's not going to compromise your cardiovascular health or your digestive health. It simply helps you feel full on less food so you can achieve that balance of calories in, calories out.

Swanson: You seem very enthusiastic about Slendesta's benefits.

Dr. Koslow: I'm not in the business of touting drugs or supplements; I'm just interested in helping people. It's been my experience and the experience of my patients that Slendesta works on a large percentage of people, especially when combined with increased exercise or calorie expenditure. And I believe it's important to support companies like Kemin—companies that strive to develop truly effective products under strict medical protocols. That's why I support Slendesta.

Slendesta Potato Protein Extract

Swanson: Thank you very much for your time, Dr. Koslow. Swanson Health Products is very proud and excited to bring Slendesta to our millions of customers throughout the United States and Canada.

Dr. Koslow: Thank you. It's been my pleasure. I truly believe that Slendesta can help individuals achieve their weight management goals and, most importantly, help in the right way. If you can push yourself away from the table just a few bites earlier, if you can pass on that 400-calorie cookie, that's all it takes to get your weight in a healthier range. And I know Slendesta can help everyone do just that.

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