{"id":7812,"date":"2025-08-20T18:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7812"},"modified":"2025-08-20T18:30:00","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T18:30:00","slug":"move-program-helps-cancer-survivor-and-spouse-slim-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7812","title":{"rendered":"MOVE! program helps cancer survivor and spouse slim down"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published:<\/strong> 2025-08-20T18:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n

Houston VA\u2019s MOVE! program helped a Veteran cancer survivor and his spouse lose over 100 combined pounds.<\/p>\n

In October 2022, Army Veteran Tom Howell was diagnosed with brain cancer by doctors at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center<\/a> and underwent chemotherapy through the Houston VA Cancer Center. From March to June 2023, he received stem cell treatment at the Seattle VA Medical Center.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe survived and they say he\u2019s a miracle,\u201d said Laura Howell, Tom\u2019s wife. \u201cIt\u2019s been two years since the transplant, and we finally got a definitive cancer-free diagnosis. We had a great team at VA.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite his recovery, Tom faced new health challenges, including heart and\u00a0respiratory failure and weight gain. Laura, who had taken on the stress of caregiving, also struggled with her own health.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ate my way through it for sure,\u201d said Laura. \u201cI don\u2019t do drugs, drink or smoke\u2014so food was my baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

A journey to better health<\/h2>\n

That\u2019s when Dr. Frank Ajatta, a primary care physician at Houston VA, stepped in and referred the Howells to MOVE!<\/a>, VA\u2019s national weight management program.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Ajatta is all about being healthy and gently nudged us to lose weight,\u201d said Laura. \u201cHe\u00a0told us weight loss helps your heart, lungs\u2014everything. We listened.\u201d<\/p>\n

From February to May 2025, the Howells participated in a 16-week MOVE! group that met weekly for one hour. The sessions focused on nutrition, physical activity, mindfulness and behavior change.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were floundering in a junk food ocean, and the MOVE! program<\/a> gave us direction and turned us back around to making good choices,\u201d said Tom. \u201cIf you stick to the program, you\u2019re going to lose weight.\u201d<\/p>\n

And they did\u2014together. Tom lost over 45 pounds, and Laura nearly 60. Laura also improved her A1C levels, and both saw better blood pressure numbers.<\/p>\n

\u201cAchieving and maintaining a healthy body weight reduces the risk of obesity related co-morbidities like hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, and arthritis, promoting a better quality of life,\u201d said Dr. Pallavi Raja Manuri, MOVE! clinical dietitian with Houston VA. \u201cFor cancer patients, studies have also shown that weight loss contributes to improved cancer treatment outcomes, higher remission rates and better prognosis.\u201d<\/p>\n

While commitment to weight loss is vital, Veterans also benefit from the involvement and support of their spouse\/caregiver.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can motivate the Veteran to ensure adherence to the program curriculum and celebrate victories along the way,\u201d she said. \u201cBoth benefit from their teamwork.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Howells continue to attend monthly MOVE! group sessions and remain committed to their health journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you really want to lose weight and you really want to be healthier, you can do it if you apply what VA teaches,\u201d said Laura. \u201cBut you have to do your part.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more about the MOVE! Program<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

This article was originally published on the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center site<\/a> and has been edited for style and clarity.<\/p>\n

\n

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Veteran and spouse lose 100+ lbs. combined with VA\u2019s MOVE! program after cancer recovery journey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":54,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family-caregivers"],"yoast_head":"\nMOVE! program helps cancer survivor and spouse slim down - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Veteran and spouse lose 100+ lbs. combined with VA\u2019s MOVE! program after cancer recovery journey.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7812\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MOVE! 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