Practical Doctor-Led Strategies to Combat Obesity

Practical Doctor-Led Strategies to Combat Obesity. Discover effective, doctor-led strategies to combat obesity. Learn practical tips and evidence-based approaches to achieve and maintain a healthier weight.

Obesity, a chronic disease defined by excessive fat deposits that present a risk to health, affects billions of people across the world. In the United States, obesity rates have tripled over the past 60 years, and roughly 42% of adults in the U.S. now fall under the category of obesity.

Obesity increases the risk for many adverse health effects, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and certain cancers. It can also significantly affect an individual’s quality of life.

Doctor-led Multifactorial Approach to Obesity

Traditionally, the focus when it comes to treating obesity was to emphasize burning more calories than consumed. This means eating less and exercising more. However, these have not been effective enough to combat obesity rates, so doctors are continuing to find more ways to address this health crisis.

Personalized Nutrition Plans

The failure of fad diets has led to more research into sustainable ways to maintain a healthy way of eating. Research has backed more practical healthy eating patterns instead of strict calorie counting or restriction. Doctors can now refer patients to nutritionists, dietitians, or institutions that can help them create a more sustainable approach to their diet, depending on their health status and nutritional needs. Most of these diets focus on whole, unprocessed foods with a focus on non-starchy vegetables, grains, and lean protein sources.

Medication Management

In some cases, being obese or being overweight with associated medical conditions qualify a person for medications to aid weight loss. Prescription weight loss medication is monitored by medical providers and prescribed in conjunction with a specific diet and physical activity program.

Some hospitals have their own weight loss programs involving specialists’ coordinated efforts to manage patients while on medications. Some people prefer online or web-based programs for a more accessible approach, including easy-to-use tools such as food trackers, diet plans, and daily exercise prompts.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

For some people, it is easy to change their diet and maintain a physically active lifestyle by employing their own techniques. For those who struggle with making these changes on their own, behavioral therapy techniques, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), are an option to look into.

CBT targets the thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and physical sensations related to diet and exercise. People in therapy are taught how to make realistic goals, track their progress, and deal with negative emotions to handle better starting and maintaining healthy lifestyle changes.

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Weight Loss Surgery

This option used to be one of the last resorts to managing obesity. With more advanced and less invasive surgical techniques, an increasing number of post-surgery support programs, and broader insurance coverage, this has become a more feasible option for those who have severe obesity.

Qualifications for surgery in most areas include having a BMI of 35 and above or a BMI of 30 with chronic conditions such as diabetes and who have failed to achieve substantial weight loss with nonsurgical methods. Surgery has to be performed by a board-certified specialized surgeon at a center with a multidisciplinary approach to follow-up care.

Improved Monitoring and Support

Health professionals are now becoming more personal, stable sources of health information and support when tackling obesity. More doctors are getting specialized training for a more comprehensive approach to obesity. More regular monitoring of BMI has allowed for earlier detection of weight problems, as well as better progress tracking and treatment adjustments.

There is also more involvement in home and community strategies, such as starting obesity awareness in schools, parent education, and community nutrition and fitness programs.

Final Thoughts

Managing obesity can lead to decreasing the risk of diseases, and it is a priority to decrease its health burden. A wider range of doctor-led strategies available for people struggling with obesity can provide more opportunities to get tailored care, leading to better weight loss success, improved health, and better quality of life.