Dr. Oz: Diet, exercise key to good health

The key to a long, healthy life is making it easy to make the right choices, according to author and television celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz.

For more than 1,500 patients in the southern end of Iredell County, the HealthReach Community Clinic on Statesville Avenue is one step toward a healthier life.

On Friday, Oz lent his celebrity to the free clinic to raise some much needed funds during an appearance at the Charles Mack Citizen Center.

A lot of people know Oz from the "Oprah Winfrey Show" and others might have read one of his books, "You: The Owner's Manual," "You: The Smart Patient" and "You: On a Diet. "

He was in Mooresville on Friday thanks to the clinic's long-time benefactors John and Christy Mack.
Mooresville native and Morgan Stanley investment firm CEO and Chairman John Mack is also the chairman of the Board of Trustees at New York Presbyterian Hospital, where Oz is the director of the Cardiovascular Institute.

Mack and his wife, Christy, are friends with Oz, and his wife, Lisa, and persuaded him to visit Mooresville on the facility's behalf.

The clinic's client base rose 173 percent in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. The increased number of patients has taken its toll on the clinic's $303,000 budget, Rory Crawford, the clinic's executive director, said. The clinic recently took out its first-ever loan to cover overhead costs, he said.

He believes the money raised by the attendance of more than 300 attendees, who paid between $25 to $100 a ticket, and the $20,000 donated by the John and Christy Mack Foundation, will help put the clinic back in the black.
The Macks made the original donation that allowed the clinic to move into its current suite.
Oz recently visited a free clinic in Eureka Springs, Ark., for an "Oprah" segment. He recently learned that around 3 million people nationwide use free clinics, such as HealthReach.
"I never thought about how many there were," he said.
Mack said it is critically important to have facilities like HealthReach available to those who are in need.
"A lot of that is prevention and you can stay healthy," he said.
Crawford said the 1,200 free clinics nationwide and the 80 in North Carolina are a crucial link in the country's health care system.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 45.7 million Americans were uninsured in 2007. In North Carolina, more than 1.8 million lack health insurance coverage, Crawford said.
Oz said people should think of their bodies like they would their houses. If he can get them to consider what foods and exercises they need, then their bodies will be stronger and may not become susceptible to conditions like osteoporosis.
"I see you as an army to go forth and spread the word," Oz told the crowd.
Gail Sears, who attended the event with her husband, Rick, said it gave attendees focus and direction.
Most of his speech followed the topics in his three books about maintaining health. In order to improve your health, you have to be willing to adapt to change and take advantage of the opportunities presented to you, such as free clinics, he said.
People need to have opportunities and the knowledge to help them lose weight or lift weights to prevent osteoporosis, Oz said.
"We need to make that feasible," he said. "Prevention is about adopting better practices to improve your health."
Patients have to go to the doctor to be treated for diabetes in order to avoid complications that lead to life-altering procedures, such as leg amputation, he said.
Oz took time to see patients at the HealthReach clinic after the fundraiser.
Working in the free clinics in Mooresville and in Arkansas gave him a new perspective, he said. By sitting down with patients and giving them preventative tips to improve their health, the message became the medicine.
"I never appreciated how important it was for a patient to feel like their doctor cares about them," he said.