Wayland Resident Wins 'Lifestyle Change Awards'

One Wayland resident, Dr. Jonathan Smith, was among the winners of the first-annual Lifestyle Change Awards recently presented by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and the American Heart Association (AHA). The awards, presented at a ceremony at BIDMC, recognized Boston-area individuals who have made dramatic lifestyle changes that have improved their heart health.

Dr. Smith is a physician at BIDMC-Wayland who lost twenty pounds by keeping up with a regular gym routine and eating healthy portion sizes. 

“We think it’s important to recognize individuals who, thanks to their successful commitments to make healthy lifestyle changes, serve as role models to others,” said Kamal R. Khabbaz, MD, chief of cardiac surgery at BIDMC and Co-Chair of BIDMC’s 2014 Walking Campaign along with Susan Wornick, former anchor of WCVB-TV5.

According to Dr. Khabbaz, there were a significant number of nominees, and almost all of them stressed the importance of walking as part of their exercise routines. 

According to the AHA, some of the benefits of walking include improving blood pressure and blood sugar levels, maintaining body weight, and lowering the risk of obesity, coronary heart disease, osteoporosis, and type 2 diabetes. For more information on walking, visit the AHA’s “Start Walking Now” website.