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Last summer a friend from Northern Europe (Latvia) visited and I was intrigued when I asked him how old he was.Now this particular friend, (His name is Janis, pronounced Yah’–nis), like many persons from this geographic area, is highly active.

Obesity has become a global health crisis, affecting over 650 million adults worldwide, with rates more than tripling since 1975. In the U.S. alone, more than 40% of adults are classified as obese. This pandemic contributes to various chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers, increasing healthcare costs and reducing quality of life. Given this alarming trend, weight loss solutions are more critical than ever.

Teaching has always been a passion of mine, and you could say it runs in my blood. My father finished teacher’s college in Latvia, but World War II uprooted our family, leading him to pursue a career in engineering after we emigrated to Canada. My siblings followed his early path, attending teacher’s college and dedicating their lives to education. Even during my high school years, I enjoyed helping classmates with subjects they found difficult.

As plastic surgeons, our daily work revolves around helping others enhance their appearance and confidence. But what some of you might not realize is that both of us have personally experienced the benefits of facial rejuvenation surgery. This journey has given us a unique perspective on the motivations that drive people to seek cosmetic surgery.

This past weekend, we had the pleasure of hosting dear friends from the UK, who share our passion for history. Where better to explore the roots of American democracy than in Massachusetts? We kicked off our adventure with a guided tour of the Freedom Trail in Boston.

Yesterday was granddaughter, Kinley’s birthday, and today she returns to school, marking the unofficial end of summer.

In our nearly 40 years of experience as plastic surgeons, we have seen the field evolve in countless ways. However, the most transformative change in our professional lives has been the shift toward teamwork.

While visiting Latvia last month, during the first and last weeks of the July, we were struck by the fact that our local host, plastic surgeon extraordinaire, Dr. Janis Zarecķis, was on vacation for both of those weeks.

July was an incredibly busy month for us as we were required to take two trips to Europe, related to our consular corps activities. We were in Riga, Latvia at the beginning of the month for the biannual meeting of Latvian honorary consuls from around the globe.

Last week I wrote about our trip to Riga, Latvia and described our Consular meetings. It is amazing to me how many people commented about the article, but many did not have any idea where Latvia was. I will take this opportunity to familiarize you a little more with Latvia.