WEBVTT 00:01.301 --> 00:02.669 Support for Louisiana. 00:02.669 --> 00:06.139 The state we're in is provided by Entergy. 00:06.139 --> 00:09.142 Louisiana is strengthening our power grid throughout the state. 00:09.843 --> 00:13.646 We're reinforcing infrastructure to prepare for stronger storms, 00:14.114 --> 00:17.650 reduce outages, and respond quicker when you do need us. 00:17.751 --> 00:20.520 Because together we power lights. 00:20.520 --> 00:24.290 Additional support provided by the Fred B and Ruth B Ziegler Foundation 00:24.290 --> 00:27.427 and the Ziegler Art Museum, located in Jennings City Hall. 00:27.794 --> 00:31.865 The museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is an historical 00:31.865 --> 00:34.868 and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana. 00:35.702 --> 00:39.139 And the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting. 00:39.406 --> 00:42.409 With support from viewers like you. 00:42.475 --> 00:46.112 It's now legal in Louisiana to carry a gun without any training, 00:46.413 --> 00:49.983 but state police still encourage people to get certified. 00:50.550 --> 00:54.821 Lafayette is the world epicenter of Olympic trampolining. 00:55.021 --> 00:57.257 We'll introduce you to a couple of athletes 00:57.257 --> 01:01.661 going for the gold in Paris and the state of wait. 01:01.895 --> 01:06.332 Doctor Ronnie Whitfield looks at the pros and cons of those popular weight 01:06.332 --> 01:09.502 loss drugs. Plus, a walk through time. 01:09.836 --> 01:13.006 I'll take you to the oldest cemetery in the Louisiana Purchase. 01:13.306 --> 01:14.374 Let's get started. 01:25.885 --> 01:27.787 Hey, everyone, I'm Karen LeBlanc. 01:27.787 --> 01:30.423 Much more on those top stories in a moment. 01:30.423 --> 01:33.493 On this week's edition of Louisiana, the State we're in. 01:34.527 --> 01:37.497 But first, former President Donald Trump 01:37.497 --> 01:41.601 appears to be recovering well after an attempted assassination. 01:42.001 --> 01:45.505 He spoke Thursday night at the Republican National Convention, 01:45.672 --> 01:48.675 where he formally accepted his party's nomination. 01:49.008 --> 01:52.011 As expected, all 47 of Louisiana's 01:52.011 --> 01:55.115 GOP delegates cast their vote for the former president. 01:55.548 --> 01:59.652 Trump speech came days after he suffered an injury to his ear 01:59.919 --> 02:02.922 when a gunman opened fire at a campaign rally. 02:03.089 --> 02:05.758 A man in the crowd was killed before 02:05.758 --> 02:08.761 Secret Service took out the shooter. 02:08.761 --> 02:10.730 The shooting raises concerns 02:10.730 --> 02:14.734 here in Louisiana, where a newly enacted law allows people 02:14.734 --> 02:18.571 to carry guns without any training or permitting from the state. 02:19.072 --> 02:23.309 I spoke with the bill's author and the Louisiana State Police to discuss 02:23.309 --> 02:28.309 whether the measure makes us safer, or could lead to even more gun violence. 02:29.048 --> 02:32.018 We are announcing that the eighth district 02:32.018 --> 02:35.054 station will soon fit the definition 02:35.522 --> 02:38.525 of a vocational technical school, 02:38.925 --> 02:41.928 as described in Louisiana 02:42.195 --> 02:47.066 Art as 1490 5.6, 02:47.634 --> 02:50.170 and thus the area within 02:50.170 --> 02:53.773 1000ft of this district station 02:54.107 --> 02:57.610 will be a firearm free zone for 02:58.945 --> 03:01.614 the New Orleans police station in the French Quarter 03:01.614 --> 03:05.385 found a workaround to the Louisiana constitutional carry law, 03:05.685 --> 03:09.422 keeping concealed weapons away from the eighth district station 03:09.622 --> 03:12.091 and out of most of the French Quarter. 03:12.091 --> 03:15.495 State Senator Blake Mayaguez authored the constitutional 03:15.495 --> 03:19.399 carry legislation, which passed in the January crime session. 03:19.766 --> 03:23.937 He says the law empowers citizens with the ability to defend themselves 03:23.937 --> 03:25.538 and their loved ones. 03:25.538 --> 03:28.341 Why did you personally see the need for this legislation? 03:28.341 --> 03:32.912 We already have the ability to carry a concealed weapon with a permit. 03:33.513 --> 03:35.481 Well, we join all of our neighboring states. 03:35.481 --> 03:38.818 If you look at Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, as well as 28 03:38.818 --> 03:41.821 other states and having constitutional carry legislation. 03:42.088 --> 03:45.325 Well, I think it's a time where we decided to align our law here 03:45.325 --> 03:48.661 in Louisiana with our constitu, our Second Amendment rights. 03:48.661 --> 03:51.764 That that right shall not be infringed is our right to defend ourselves 03:51.764 --> 03:52.532 and our loved ones. 03:52.532 --> 03:56.369 Remember, Louisiana has been an open carry state for some time, 03:56.502 --> 04:00.340 which means you can walk outside with no requirements, put a gun on your side 04:00.807 --> 04:01.908 and be perfectly legal. 04:01.908 --> 04:05.678 A background check is still required to purchase a handgun. 04:05.979 --> 04:10.950 And the new law does have restrictions on where and under what circumstances. 04:11.084 --> 04:14.587 An individual can carry a concealed weapon without a permit. 04:14.654 --> 04:18.157 If a constitutional carry does not allow just free 04:18.157 --> 04:21.394 carry of a handgun, anywhere you go. 04:21.661 --> 04:24.998 So, you know, you still can't carry firearms in school zones. 04:25.665 --> 04:28.034 courthouses. You still can't have them. 04:28.034 --> 04:31.037 you can't have them in police departments, you can't carry them at churches. 04:31.704 --> 04:33.606 bars are another place. You can't have them. 04:33.606 --> 04:36.743 And in addition to that, you know, you cannot be under the influence 04:36.743 --> 04:40.380 of alcohol or drugs and be in possession of a concealed handgun. 04:40.813 --> 04:44.117 Law enforcement warns that you cannot cross state lines 04:44.117 --> 04:46.552 with a permit less concealed weapon. 04:46.552 --> 04:49.656 37 other states do have reciprocity 04:49.656 --> 04:52.659 for concealed handguns with permits. 04:52.892 --> 04:57.297 Critics of the law claims it sets the scene for the wild, wild West, 04:57.430 --> 05:02.402 where anyone can get and use a gun without proper screening and training. 05:03.336 --> 05:05.438 I'd say that's just, fear mongering. 05:05.438 --> 05:06.205 It's not the truth. 05:06.205 --> 05:09.208 You look at we have 28 other states that have constitutional carry. 05:09.309 --> 05:12.078 We haven't seen the wild, wild West in any other states. 05:12.078 --> 05:14.714 I think that's just fear of the new law going into place. 05:14.714 --> 05:19.085 And the legislature was very, empathetic about when we passed this legislation. 05:19.352 --> 05:21.821 It didn't go into effect in January when we passed a law. 05:21.821 --> 05:24.824 It went into effect on July 4th, on our Independence Day, 05:25.024 --> 05:27.093 because it allowed us to go into a regular session 05:27.093 --> 05:28.828 and make sure that we got the law correct. 05:28.828 --> 05:32.398 I brought probably a half dozen bills that tweaked the legislation 05:32.632 --> 05:35.601 to try to perfect it by the time it came into law. 05:35.601 --> 05:39.706 How does a Louisiana constitutional carry law impact traffic stops? 05:40.073 --> 05:44.344 So usually in a traffic stop, you begin that traffic stop inside your vehicle, 05:44.344 --> 05:47.347 and everyone knows that your vehicle is an extension of your home. 05:47.513 --> 05:50.516 So in those circumstances, while it is not required, 05:50.883 --> 05:53.986 we do encourage the public to notify the officer, the trooper, 05:53.986 --> 05:58.324 that you are in possession of a firearm because it just makes it say for yourself. 05:58.324 --> 06:00.093 And then that trooper as well. 06:00.093 --> 06:04.297 Now, once you exit that vehicle and you come out, you are required 06:04.397 --> 06:07.633 to notify that that officer that you are in possession of a firearm. 06:07.900 --> 06:11.003 A companion bill that also became law July 4th. 06:11.237 --> 06:15.708 The statutory civil immunity law incentivizes individuals 06:15.708 --> 06:19.445 to voluntarily undergo firearms training for a permit 06:20.113 --> 06:23.583 at Sb2 is just as important because it gives permit holders 06:23.583 --> 06:26.552 the ability to have a civil immunity, 06:26.719 --> 06:29.355 in self-defense shootings, under the law. 06:29.355 --> 06:32.225 The Louisiana State Police Headquarters offers training 06:32.225 --> 06:36.462 with state certified instructors for a concealed handgun permit. 06:37.663 --> 06:40.800 Do you see challenges to doing your job? 06:41.134 --> 06:43.703 Protecting the public? 06:43.703 --> 06:46.172 So we're trained properly again. 06:46.172 --> 06:49.909 whether the public has a firearm, doesn't have one on them. 06:50.243 --> 06:53.212 We just want to ensure that the public, you know, is trained 06:53.212 --> 06:56.215 to handle a firearm. 06:56.916 --> 06:57.850 Next week, 06:57.850 --> 07:01.788 the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics get underway 07:01.921 --> 07:06.492 with several Louisiana athletes representing team USA in various games. 07:06.859 --> 07:10.329 In the sport of trampoline gymnastics, Lafayette is 07:10.329 --> 07:14.000 a world class training ground for Olympic hopefuls. 07:14.400 --> 07:18.571 They come from around the world to train at Trampoline and Tumbling Express. 07:18.905 --> 07:22.608 I met up with two trampoline gymnasts representing team USA 07:22.809 --> 07:25.812 with high hopes for the Paris Games. 07:33.619 --> 07:34.954 Alexi show starts 07:34.954 --> 07:39.492 athletic career is soaring as an Olympic bound trampoline gymnast. 07:39.959 --> 07:44.864 The 2024 Paris Olympics will be his second attempt at going for the gold. 07:45.798 --> 07:50.269 I really do feel like I'm part of something bigger than just me. 07:50.903 --> 07:52.538 And so the medal 07:53.573 --> 07:55.675 that you know, we're all going after. 07:55.675 --> 07:58.678 For me personally, it's for the future of 07:59.345 --> 08:00.947 USA trampoline. 08:00.947 --> 08:05.384 Alexi is from Belarus and moved to Lafayette to train at Trampoline 08:05.384 --> 08:10.384 and Tumbling Express, known worldwide as the Training Ground for Olympians. 08:11.157 --> 08:14.660 His coach, Dimitri LaRouche, is also from Belarus. 08:14.861 --> 08:19.031 The two time Olympian competed with Alexis father, also a trampoline 08:19.031 --> 08:24.031 gymnast, in the 1996 Atlanta Games and the 2000 Sydney, Australia Games. 08:24.804 --> 08:29.342 I'm very even happy to send like this gym here for the most Olympians in the world. 08:29.475 --> 08:31.577 On in the trampoline world, of course. 08:31.577 --> 08:36.577 Alexi trained alongside Paris Olympics bound trampoline gymnast Nicole Eisinger. 08:36.816 --> 08:38.851 She moved to Lafayette from California 08:38.851 --> 08:42.221 at the age of 16 to also train with coach Dmitri. 08:42.889 --> 08:47.460 I'm really excited to be back, for my third Olympic team, 08:47.760 --> 08:48.728 but in a different role. 08:48.728 --> 08:53.728 I'm the alternate, so it should be an exciting role to cheer on team USA. 08:54.267 --> 08:56.969 Nicole competed in the 2016 Olympics 08:56.969 --> 09:00.873 at the age of 18, and again in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 09:01.073 --> 09:03.009 There, she was the only gymnast 09:03.009 --> 09:06.479 who represented team USA in the women's trampoline competition. 09:06.779 --> 09:09.782 She made history by placing sixth overall. 09:09.882 --> 09:12.952 That's the highest placement any American or 09:12.952 --> 09:15.955 I guess it tied it for the highest placement for an American. 09:16.355 --> 09:17.490 in trampoline. 09:17.490 --> 09:19.392 And I was like, oh my gosh, I'm on this high. 09:19.392 --> 09:20.927 Like, it's only three more years. 09:20.927 --> 09:22.795 I might as well try for it. 09:22.795 --> 09:26.332 And unfortunately, my body hurt a lot. 09:27.433 --> 09:30.269 so I ended up getting a whole body scan, 09:30.269 --> 09:33.739 and I tore everything in my ankle and tore everything in my shoulder. 09:34.307 --> 09:37.677 Nicole underwent surgery and rehab, working her way back 09:37.677 --> 09:41.647 to a regular training schedule for the 2024 Paris Games. 09:41.881 --> 09:45.785 Both Olympians are looking forward to a do over after competing 09:45.785 --> 09:49.455 under Covid restrictions in the 2020 Tokyo Games. 09:49.755 --> 09:52.592 I was grateful that I was able to fulfill my dream, 09:52.592 --> 09:55.561 but I knew like the day after, I was like, 09:55.761 --> 09:58.798 I want to go to Paris and I actually even made an Instagram post 09:58.798 --> 10:00.499 and I never really show this to anyone yet. 10:00.499 --> 10:03.703 But on my Instagram post in 2021, I wrote 10:03.703 --> 10:07.073 I will compete at the 24 Paris Games. 10:07.340 --> 10:12.211 It's definitely a crazy experience and I feel like I've had this like wild ride 10:12.211 --> 10:17.211 of a little girl that my dream was to go to the Olympic Games and now here I am 10:18.317 --> 10:22.688 making history, going to a third Olympics as an Olympic team member. 10:22.688 --> 10:26.192 No other woman has done that. in trampoline. 10:26.192 --> 10:29.862 So it's just it's just crazy to even think about it. 10:30.363 --> 10:33.466 How did Lafayette leap onto the world stage 10:33.466 --> 10:36.469 as an Olympic training ground for trampoline gymnast? 10:36.636 --> 10:39.639 Lafayette is like a set of trampoline in the world. 10:39.772 --> 10:42.875 Mr. Jeff Hennessy, who was a professor at UL. 10:43.909 --> 10:45.811 he also was the president of 10:45.811 --> 10:49.649 International Trampoline Federation Technical Committee. 10:50.416 --> 10:52.685 And he's the one who actually one 10:52.685 --> 10:56.222 of the pioneers of trampoline in the United States. 10:56.589 --> 11:00.092 Jeff Hennessy was an associate professor of physical education 11:00.326 --> 11:03.863 at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and director 11:03.863 --> 11:06.866 of the university's gymnastics and trampling program 11:06.999 --> 11:09.902 from 1959 to 1986. 11:09.902 --> 11:12.638 His coaching helped earn the university's 11:12.638 --> 11:16.609 trampoline gymnastics team 26 World Championships. 11:16.976 --> 11:20.513 Trampoline even made its first Olympic appearance at the 2000 11:20.546 --> 11:23.916 Games in Sydney with men's and women's competitions. 11:24.250 --> 11:27.253 So what happened to 16 men and 16 women competing? 11:27.920 --> 11:32.558 So it's like it is hard, like, to like out the whole world. 11:32.558 --> 11:35.995 Only 16 spots available to watch Olympic Games, 11:36.062 --> 11:39.065 but selection is quite hard. 11:39.632 --> 11:41.067 yeah, you have to be in the top. 11:41.067 --> 11:43.969 And plus the trampoline, that kind of sport. 11:43.969 --> 11:44.704 Like a little miss. 11:44.704 --> 11:49.704 They can destroy you completely and you will be out of that loop on August 2nd. 11:50.209 --> 11:54.480 The men and women's teams compete in qualifying rounds, with eight 11:54.480 --> 11:59.018 from each team advancing to compete in the final round for the Olympic gold. 11:59.251 --> 12:03.322 Those routines are actually judged off of, multiple elements. 12:03.389 --> 12:06.826 One of them being is execution, which everyone's familiar with. 12:06.826 --> 12:10.129 It's, how the routine looks, how pretty it is. 12:10.362 --> 12:14.767 The other one is, how far you deviate from the center of the trampoline. 12:15.568 --> 12:18.337 the third one would be how high you jump. 12:18.337 --> 12:20.706 So, you know, the high jump, higher scores. 12:20.706 --> 12:23.409 And then the fourth one would be the difficulty of your routine. 12:23.409 --> 12:26.145 Every single day I get to fly in the air. 12:26.145 --> 12:27.646 It's all power. 12:27.646 --> 12:30.649 It's technique, it's elegance. 12:30.983 --> 12:32.985 How you float in the air. 12:32.985 --> 12:37.656 It consists of ten skills, and it's the most difficult skills 12:37.656 --> 12:40.826 that you can put in a routine inside the gym. 12:40.826 --> 12:44.530 Trophy lined walls and banners on the ceiling chronicle 12:44.530 --> 12:48.134 the storied careers of many Olympians who trained at this gym. 12:48.400 --> 12:51.904 Outside, a sign congratulates the next generation 12:51.904 --> 12:54.440 of top trampoline athletes, continuing 12:54.440 --> 12:58.611 Lafayette's legacy as a world class trampoline training ground. 13:02.982 --> 13:03.382 Today's 13:03.382 --> 13:06.719 segment of our month long series, Life Pulse, examines 13:06.719 --> 13:11.190 the state of weight in Louisiana, from celebrities to consumers. 13:11.190 --> 13:14.193 Many people are turning to type two diabetes drugs 13:14.193 --> 13:17.763 like Ozempic and Munjal to shed some pounds. 13:17.763 --> 13:21.167 Now, originally, the drugs required a doctor's prescription. 13:21.367 --> 13:25.337 Now they are readily available as compounded versions, 13:25.604 --> 13:28.674 creating regulatory and quality control challenges. 13:29.074 --> 13:32.778 Doctor Ronnie Whitfield shares his medical insight on the benefits 13:32.778 --> 13:35.881 and consumer beware is tied to the weight 13:35.881 --> 13:38.851 loss medicines. 13:44.657 --> 13:47.193 In this episode of Life Pulse, 13:47.193 --> 13:51.630 we are focusing on the state of weight and in particular, 13:51.630 --> 13:55.201 all of the weight loss medication out there that is changing lives. 13:55.234 --> 13:58.437 Joining me right now is Doctor Ronnie Whitfield, 13:58.437 --> 14:01.440 aka the hip hop doc social media sensation. 14:01.440 --> 14:04.009 I love saying that right to share with us 14:04.009 --> 14:07.780 his medical expertise on this very, very timely topic. 14:07.780 --> 14:11.550 I mean, look, if you don't know someone on one of these 14:11.550 --> 14:15.354 prescription weight loss drugs, you've certainly seen the commercials, right? 14:15.688 --> 14:19.825 Tell me, first of all, what are the the top weight loss drugs 14:19.825 --> 14:23.262 right now that people are taking and seeing results with? 14:23.395 --> 14:27.032 There's nothing out there, by the way, for our listeners that actually burns 14:27.032 --> 14:30.369 or cut fat, all these things either prevent fat absorption 14:30.369 --> 14:35.040 or they suppress appetite and then now there's the GLP ones, 14:35.507 --> 14:40.079 glucagon like peptide one, which is produced in the the stomach 14:40.479 --> 14:43.782 when we eat these hormones or peptides are normally produced 14:43.782 --> 14:45.150 and they suppress appetite. 14:45.150 --> 14:48.654 Well now we've created a way to inject this into your body. 14:48.654 --> 14:50.456 And it lasts for one week. 14:50.456 --> 14:52.024 And they have become very, very popular. 14:52.024 --> 14:53.492 These were initially drugs designed 14:53.492 --> 14:56.495 to treat diabetes with the side effect of appetite suppression. 14:56.762 --> 14:59.765 And so when you're seeing somebody losing 15 to 20% of their body 14:59.765 --> 15:03.369 weight and over a year that can truly impact the diabetes 15:03.369 --> 15:06.872 and actually is the closest thing to bariatric surgery that we've ever seen. 15:07.439 --> 15:10.042 So as a medical doctor, 15:10.042 --> 15:14.079 are you encouraged by these medical weight loss drugs 15:14.380 --> 15:17.650 and are they suitable for certain patients? 15:17.650 --> 15:20.486 But do you have concerns at the consumer level? 15:20.486 --> 15:24.189 So for the young lady who's BMI, which is body mass index, 15:24.189 --> 15:25.991 and I'll define it in a minute. 15:25.991 --> 15:28.494 is 25 and she's got a wedding in a couple of weeks 15:28.494 --> 15:32.031 and wants to go on, semaglutide to lose 7 or 8 pounds. 15:32.031 --> 15:33.599 Not excited about that at all. 15:33.599 --> 15:38.599 But for my morbidly obese, patient live with obesity that's got a BMI of 40, 15:39.805 --> 15:42.808 with hypertension, diabetes, disease, drugs that have been life saving. 15:43.108 --> 15:47.446 I think a lot of people want to know, is this drug a temporary fix? 15:47.446 --> 15:52.017 In other words, once you quit taking the shot, does the hunger come back 15:52.017 --> 15:55.688 and the weight gain return 70 for 70% of patients 15:55.688 --> 15:58.757 who stopped taking the drug will regain the majority of that weight back. 15:59.491 --> 16:03.429 but what you're hoping when I'm talking this individualized treatment plan, 16:03.429 --> 16:06.799 when I'm talking to my patients, that you are motivated to lose weight, 16:06.799 --> 16:07.299 we're going to talk 16:07.299 --> 16:11.003 about behavioral modifications, lifestyle changes, not just taking this drug. 16:11.270 --> 16:14.640 One of the fears of taking drugs like semaglutide is muscle wasting. 16:14.940 --> 16:18.210 So some people will lose 10% of their body fat, but they also lose 16:18.444 --> 16:20.612 10% of their protein or muscle mass. 16:20.612 --> 16:22.548 And so they're still not very healthy by definition. 16:22.548 --> 16:23.415 They're still considered fat. 16:23.415 --> 16:25.651 They may be thinner, but they're not healthier. 16:25.651 --> 16:28.087 And so you have to individualize that treatment. 16:28.087 --> 16:29.288 Just like with bariatric surgery, 16:29.288 --> 16:32.291 you just don't go to the doctor and say, I need weight loss and need to surgery. 16:32.458 --> 16:36.061 The drug is now become available at the consumer level as a 16:36.061 --> 16:37.830 compounded version right. 16:39.064 --> 16:41.233 There have been some concerns 16:41.233 --> 16:45.504 about regulation of these compounding pharmacies. 16:45.504 --> 16:49.608 A drug is available at medical spas and and walking clinics. 16:49.608 --> 16:54.608 And, you know, do you as a doctor, have some concerns about the availability 16:56.015 --> 17:01.015 of this compounded version of these weight loss drugs that came about? 17:01.587 --> 17:04.857 There was a shortage of the prescription drug at some point. 17:05.024 --> 17:09.995 And so the FDA allowed compounding pharmacies to make the drug. 17:09.995 --> 17:12.731 And so when you have legitimate compound finance pharmacies 17:12.731 --> 17:14.767 that know what they're doing, I have a cake recipe, 17:14.767 --> 17:17.269 I give it a cake recipe, you can make that same cake recipe. 17:17.269 --> 17:20.639 They were allowed to do it when the shortage was over. 17:21.340 --> 17:23.742 compound pharmacies were just supposed to stop making it, 17:23.742 --> 17:26.945 but the Board of pharmacies find it very, very hard to regulate and control it. 17:26.945 --> 17:28.781 So some of these weight loss clinics 17:28.781 --> 17:31.650 walk in clinics are getting medicines from out of the state. 17:31.650 --> 17:32.885 They don't know actually what they're getting. 17:32.885 --> 17:34.920 So there could be contamination in the product. 17:34.920 --> 17:36.955 So there's definitely some concern there. 17:36.955 --> 17:37.623 Don't get me wrong. 17:37.623 --> 17:39.158 There's some legitimate compound pharmacies 17:39.158 --> 17:40.893 definitely right here in the state Louisiana. 17:40.893 --> 17:43.962 But again, some of these clinics are not following the rules and the standards. 17:43.962 --> 17:46.632 And there are some risks when patients visit these places, 17:46.632 --> 17:49.168 especially not without consultation with their physician. 17:49.168 --> 17:50.736 What can consumers 17:50.736 --> 17:53.939 do to protect themselves if they're interested in taking this drug? 17:53.939 --> 17:57.376 First, let's talk about this BMI or the definition of obesity. 17:57.676 --> 18:00.245 Normal way to BMI, which is just taking your height and weight. 18:01.246 --> 18:01.647 if your 18:01.647 --> 18:05.150 BMI is 18 to 24, 19 to 24, you consider normal weight. 18:05.150 --> 18:07.486 Anything greater than 30 is obese. 18:07.486 --> 18:10.189 Anything greater than 40 is severely obese. 18:10.189 --> 18:13.292 So when somebody comes into my office for these medications, 18:13.292 --> 18:17.196 I'm looking at their BMI, but also their other comorbid illnesses. 18:17.196 --> 18:20.199 If they have hypertension, diabetes, had a heart attack or stroke before. 18:20.466 --> 18:23.802 If your BMI is 27 or less and you have hypertension, diabetes, 18:24.036 --> 18:27.039 you may actually qualify for that drug in my opinion. 18:27.139 --> 18:29.308 But this is all individualized. 18:29.308 --> 18:30.843 And we also should point out 18:30.843 --> 18:33.512 at the consumer level, if you walk into one of these clinics, 18:33.512 --> 18:36.515 you know you're not getting the same powerful dosage 18:36.815 --> 18:39.852 that a diabetic patient is getting with a prescription. 18:39.985 --> 18:41.520 You don't actually know what you're getting. 18:41.520 --> 18:44.022 And so you need to be very, very careful. Do your research. 18:44.022 --> 18:46.391 Make sure you research those claims before you go into them. 18:46.391 --> 18:48.193 There are some great legitimate clinics out there 18:48.193 --> 18:49.795 doing it the right way, but there are some there. 18:49.795 --> 18:53.132 And so at least you know, when I prescribe that penny with a pharmacy, pick it up. 18:53.432 --> 18:56.702 You're getting what I prescribe you and you're supposed to treat these drugs. 18:58.804 --> 19:01.874 by definition, monthly you increase until a patient reaches maximum benefit. 19:02.407 --> 19:04.610 but again, that's also individualized as well. 19:04.610 --> 19:09.114 Any concerns about long term effects of this weight of these weight loss? 19:09.314 --> 19:10.682 It's a relatively new drug. 19:10.682 --> 19:13.752 So it's being researched, just like the other 70 19:13.752 --> 19:16.755 plus anti-obesity drugs that are currently being researched. 19:17.356 --> 19:19.725 Ozempic slash will go over there. 19:19.725 --> 19:23.328 The same similar stat promises 15% of body weight loss in a year 19:23.929 --> 19:26.832 towards appetite or my general, I think 20%. 19:26.832 --> 19:30.102 And then there's one coming out I think pretty soon called triple G. 19:30.469 --> 19:32.804 That's 30% weight loss. 19:32.804 --> 19:33.872 We shall see. 19:33.872 --> 19:38.610 but I think, we will soon probably have an affordable pill formulation. 19:38.610 --> 19:41.580 There's actually a pill formulation of one of the semaglutide. 19:41.580 --> 19:43.415 It's called right below this, but it doesn't seem to cause 19:43.415 --> 19:45.317 as much weight loss as the injectables. 19:45.317 --> 19:47.352 But it does the same thing that mimics sensation. 19:47.352 --> 19:50.055 Satiety makes you feel full for about a week, 19:50.055 --> 19:51.657 and people tend to lose weight on it. 19:51.657 --> 19:56.461 Doctor Ronnie, final thoughts on the state of weight in Louisiana? 19:56.461 --> 19:59.765 All I can say is that in 1970, 15% of our country 19:59.765 --> 20:03.435 was overweight or obese, and now we're at 42%. 20:03.735 --> 20:06.138 Louisiana, I think, is somewhere close to 47%. 20:06.138 --> 20:08.240 This is a serious health issue. 20:08.240 --> 20:09.841 It's a public health crisis. 20:09.841 --> 20:13.178 It's a growing population of people in our country that we don't want to see. 20:13.545 --> 20:16.815 And so we have to get serious about our health and I recommend everyone 20:16.815 --> 20:19.885 to see their physicians and talk to them about options for weight loss. 20:20.552 --> 20:22.921 Doctor Ronnie Whitfield, thank you so much for joining us 20:22.921 --> 20:24.890 on this edition of Light Pulse. 20:24.890 --> 20:27.726 The state of weights and valuable information. 20:27.726 --> 20:28.160 Thank you. 20:35.701 --> 20:38.704 The oldest cemetery and the Louisiana Purchase 20:38.937 --> 20:42.941 resides in Natchitoches as a memory keeper of the state's origins. 20:43.308 --> 20:46.311 Today, the American Cemetery welcomes the public 20:46.311 --> 20:50.082 for walking tours of the gravesites and a walk back in time. 20:50.482 --> 20:54.086 Upkeep is a labor of love by a volunteer organization 20:54.319 --> 20:57.856 that has maintained the city owned grounds for more than a century. 20:58.290 --> 21:02.461 I'm taking you on a stroll through the past and present of life 21:02.461 --> 21:05.430 in Louisiana. 21:08.033 --> 21:09.501 The American Cemetery 21:09.501 --> 21:13.205 sits on the former site of a French colonial fort in Natchitoches. 21:13.605 --> 21:16.775 Today, a wrought iron arch greets visitors 21:16.775 --> 21:20.312 from its Second Street entrance, where people of all creeds, 21:20.579 --> 21:25.083 colors and social statuses share common ground in death. 21:26.385 --> 21:28.654 Hi. Hi. You must be pain. 21:28.654 --> 21:30.088 I am pain, Williams. 21:30.088 --> 21:30.756 Nice to meet you. 21:30.756 --> 21:33.392 I am well, thank you for taking a break. Sure. 21:33.392 --> 21:38.263 I know you're out here doing maintenance on the grave and working up a sweat. 21:38.297 --> 21:39.464 We are a little bit today. 21:39.464 --> 21:43.302 But you are a historian that actually wrote a book about the American cemetery. 21:43.302 --> 21:46.238 So you are the perfect person to talk to and give us a tour. 21:47.606 --> 21:49.841 Payne Williams grew up in Natchitoches 21:49.841 --> 21:54.646 and continues his family legacy of caring for the American cemetery. 21:55.047 --> 21:57.883 His great grandmother, Eliza Payne Williams, 21:57.883 --> 22:01.186 was president of the American Cemetery Association, 22:01.520 --> 22:04.756 a group of volunteers who formed in 1904 22:04.923 --> 22:07.893 to maintain the city owned graveyard. 22:08.193 --> 22:11.163 How old is the American cemetery? 22:11.530 --> 22:15.500 Well, the oldest grave that we have marked is 1797. 22:15.500 --> 22:18.270 So when we think there's gravestones that are 22:18.270 --> 22:21.406 that would have been or burials that would have been well before that. 22:21.840 --> 22:26.345 So they say this is the oldest cemetery in the Louisiana. 22:26.511 --> 22:29.514 It is the oldest European cemetery. Yeah. 22:29.614 --> 22:32.818 So it's this is where the French, the initial French residents and 22:33.151 --> 22:36.154 so forth were buried in these grounds. 22:40.225 --> 22:43.195 We stop at the gravesite of Doctor John Sibley, 22:43.195 --> 22:46.331 who donated the land for the American cemetery. 22:47.165 --> 22:49.935 He was a Revolutionary War soldier. 22:49.935 --> 22:54.406 He was sent by President Jefferson to this area to work as an Indian agent. 22:54.639 --> 22:57.542 And so he was writing letters back to, 22:57.542 --> 23:00.112 President Jefferson before the Louisiana Purchase. 23:00.112 --> 23:03.382 And they weren't he was explaining about the area, the various Indian 23:03.382 --> 23:06.385 tribes, the cultures, the food. 23:06.451 --> 23:09.654 And when he died, he donated the property to the city. 23:14.192 --> 23:16.461 Some people find cemeteries creepy. 23:16.461 --> 23:19.865 I find them fascinating as time capsules of history. 23:20.265 --> 23:23.268 And the American cemetery tells Louisiana's story 23:23.268 --> 23:26.271 from the start. 23:26.304 --> 23:27.339 The cemetery has 23:27.339 --> 23:30.809 people buried here that were in every war, from the Revolutionary War, 23:31.176 --> 23:34.179 through the Civil War, through the Korean War, through Vietnam. 23:34.613 --> 23:36.548 all the way up until just recently. 23:36.548 --> 23:39.584 And so this is the, Russell family. 23:39.584 --> 23:43.622 And they were members of the of the Confederates Confederacy, 23:43.989 --> 23:46.992 and they are buried here. 23:47.859 --> 23:49.628 The cemetery is open to the public 23:49.628 --> 23:52.631 for walking tours with a self-guided map. 23:52.664 --> 23:56.835 This plaque marks a popular spot to stop and look around. 23:57.202 --> 24:02.140 It was the scene of a funeral from the 1989 movie Steel Magnolias, 24:02.374 --> 24:06.178 which was filmed in Natchitoches all the way to Texas and back. 24:06.645 --> 24:07.746 But I don't. 24:09.881 --> 24:12.250 As we walked the property, I noticed 24:12.250 --> 24:16.154 several fenced in area surrounded by clusters of family graves, 24:16.621 --> 24:20.225 all tied to tragic tales of untimely death. 24:21.092 --> 24:21.827 And so this. 24:21.827 --> 24:26.198 You have four members just in this area here of the Tucker family, 24:26.932 --> 24:29.935 who all died at, before the age of two. 24:30.268 --> 24:33.171 And then over here, you see several more right here. 24:33.171 --> 24:36.241 And so I think we counted at one point, maybe up to 8 24:36.241 --> 24:39.211 or 9 of the family members, that red dot at a young age. 24:40.045 --> 24:43.081 Most of these that we see here were in the late 1800s. 24:43.148 --> 24:47.752 And it just shows you how, tough life was back in the day. Wow. 24:49.154 --> 24:52.824 Many of Nacogdoches notables were also laid to rest 24:52.824 --> 24:56.328 here, including former Mayor Theodore Edward Pullman, 24:56.595 --> 25:01.199 who was assassinated in 1922 by a disgruntled landowner. 25:01.900 --> 25:03.168 He found Mr. 25:03.168 --> 25:06.071 Pullman on, I think it was Saint in East Street and shot him. 25:08.273 --> 25:09.040 From humble 25:09.040 --> 25:13.144 headstones to the chiseled tree stump designs on grave markers 25:13.378 --> 25:17.549 of Modern Woodmen of America members, to the large stone monuments, 25:17.849 --> 25:22.621 people from all walks of life found their final resting place here. 25:23.421 --> 25:25.857 The initial grave that really caught my attention 25:25.857 --> 25:28.860 was the one we're going to see next, which is John Gideon Lewis. 25:28.927 --> 25:32.597 He was born in Toronto in 1851 and then eventually 25:32.597 --> 25:35.600 made his way to Natchitoches, and he started the Prince Hall Masons, 25:36.601 --> 25:39.337 which is a group that has, 25:39.337 --> 25:41.606 significant amount of members. 25:41.606 --> 25:44.309 and so he had their newspaper started here. 25:44.309 --> 25:47.312 this is the only mausoleum we have in the American cemetery. 25:47.512 --> 25:49.247 He died in 1931. 25:49.247 --> 25:53.652 And so for this gentleman who was black to have the only mausoleum 25:53.652 --> 25:55.253 in the cemetery, obviously, 25:55.253 --> 25:57.956 it shows the respect that he had from the entire community 25:57.956 --> 26:01.259 and throughout the state to the American cemetery, 26:01.259 --> 26:04.863 with its modern day homages to deceased loved ones 26:05.297 --> 26:09.501 and historic relics of iron crosses and weathered headstones, 26:09.901 --> 26:13.338 Chronicles early life in Louisiana and continues 26:13.338 --> 26:16.641 to serve as the final resting place for the community. 26:17.342 --> 26:20.312 Any idea how many bodies are buried in the American cemetery? 26:20.445 --> 26:22.080 a couple thousand for sure. 26:22.080 --> 26:26.518 We have a map that shows where every marked and unmarked grave is. 26:26.885 --> 26:28.987 Can bodies still be buried in the cemetery? 26:28.987 --> 26:30.355 Where is it? Closed for business. 26:30.355 --> 26:33.558 It's, It's gotten to the point where if it's not close, it's 26:33.992 --> 26:35.393 very close to being closed. 26:35.393 --> 26:37.329 And so what we're going to have to do is inspect 26:37.329 --> 26:40.332 some of the areas where we're in the what we call the old section 26:40.632 --> 26:44.703 and look and see if we have any area that we think may be available. 26:45.036 --> 26:46.972 But at this point, it's pretty much 26:48.006 --> 26:48.873 sold out. 26:48.873 --> 26:50.342 Sold out, if that's the right. 26:50.342 --> 26:54.512 No more real estate in the American cemetery where everything's negotiable. 26:55.146 --> 26:58.149 So it might help with those preservation dollars. 26:58.383 --> 27:01.386 Yeah, exactly. 27:03.655 --> 27:05.190 That's our show for this week. 27:05.190 --> 27:10.190 Remember, you can watch anything LPB, any time, wherever you are with our LPB app. 27:11.062 --> 27:13.965 You can catch LPB news and public affairs shows, 27:13.965 --> 27:17.802 as well as other Louisiana programs you've come to enjoy over the years. 27:18.203 --> 27:21.840 And please like us on Facebook and Instagram 27:22.140 --> 27:25.076 for everyone that Louisiana Public Broadcasting. 27:25.076 --> 27:27.812 I'm Karen LeBlanc. Until next time. 27:27.812 --> 27:30.815 That's the state we're in. 27:42.694 --> 27:44.029 Support for Louisiana. 27:44.029 --> 27:47.532 The state we're in is provided by Entergy. 27:47.532 --> 27:50.535 Louisiana is strengthening our power grid throughout the state. 27:51.236 --> 27:55.040 We're reinforcing infrastructure to prepare for stronger storms, 27:55.507 --> 27:59.010 reduce outages, and respond quicker when you do need us. 27:59.144 --> 28:01.946 Because together, we power lights. 28:01.946 --> 28:04.082 Additional support provided by the Fred B 28:04.082 --> 28:07.085 and Ruth B Ziegler Foundation and the Ziegler Art Museum. 28:07.085 --> 28:12.057 Located in Jennings City Hall, the museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists 28:12.257 --> 28:15.660 and is an historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana 28:17.362 --> 28:19.998 and by Visit Baton Rouge. 28:19.998 --> 28:23.268 And the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting. 28:23.268 --> 28:25.370 And viewers like you. 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