What is Excess Weight?
Excess weight refers to having more body fat than is optimally healthy for an individual. Medical Weight Specialists often measure excess weight using a combination of total weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, and other specific body measurements, such as circumferences and cross-sectional volumes.
Carrying excess weight, especially in the form of visceral fat around the abdomen, can lead to numerous health risks such as:
Heart disease
Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
Stroke
Sleep apnea
Joint problems like osteoarthritis
Certain cancers
In addition to these physical health risks, excess weight can also contribute to emotional and mental health challenges, including low self-esteem, body image issues, and social anxiety.
How is Excess Weight Treated?
Treating excess weight involves a combination of lifestyle changes, medical interventions, and ongoing support to achieve and maintain a healthier weight. The goal of treatment is not just to shed pounds but to improve overall health and well-being.
Lifestyle Modifications
Making sustainable changes to diet and physical activity is the cornerstone of weight loss treatment. Key strategies include:
Healthy Diet: Focus on a balanced diet rich in whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. Reducing the intake of processed foods, sugar, and unhealthy fats is crucial for weight loss. Creating a caloric deficit (burning more calories than consumed) is fundamental to losing weight.
Regular Exercise: Incorporating physical activity is essential for both weight loss and overall health. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week, such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming. Strength training exercises are also important for building muscle and boosting metabolism.
Behavioral Changes: Long-term weight loss success often requires changing habits and behaviors around food and exercise. This may involve setting realistic goals, learning portion control, addressing emotional eating, and managing stress.
Medical Treatments
For some individuals, lifestyle changes alone may not be sufficient to achieve significant weight loss, especially for those with obesity or related health conditions. In such cases, medical interventions may be considered.
Medications: There are prescription medications that can assist with weight loss by suppressing appetite, increasing metabolism, or reducing fat absorption. These medications are typically recommended for individuals with a BMI of 30 or higher, or 27 and higher with related health risks such as diabetes or hypertension.
Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT): MNT involves working with a registered dietitian or nutritionist to create a personalized eating plan for managing excess weight. MNT takes into account individual nutritional needs, medical history, and lifestyle, ensuring a realistic and sustainable approach. The dietitian helps identify unhealthy eating patterns, teaches portion control, and offers strategies for managing cravings. As progress is made, the eating plan can be adjusted to meet nutrient needs while promoting weight loss. Regular follow-up appointments provide accountability and support, leading to more lasting results.
Surgery: For individuals with severe obesity (BMI over 40 or over 35 with related health conditions), bariatric surgery may be an option. Surgical procedures like gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy help limit food intake and, in some cases, reduce nutrient absorption, leading to significant weight loss. Surgery is usually considered as a last resort after other weight loss methods have failed.
Ongoing Support and Monitoring
Weight loss is not a one-time effort, but a lifelong journey. Ongoing support and monitoring are essential to maintaining a healthy weight. This includes regular check-ins with healthcare providers, tracking progress, and adjusting the plan as needed. Support groups, counseling, or even weight loss coaching can provide encouragement and accountability throughout the process.
The use of at-home weight monitoring helps individuals track their progress regularly and provide motivation for continued success. Advanced body scanning provides more detailed analyses of the individual's body changes beyond just weight, such as body fat percentage, lean muscle mass, circumferences, and more.
Finding the Right Provider
Achieving lasting weight loss requires partnering with a knowledgeable and compassionate healthcare provider who can offer personalized guidance and support. Finding the right provider is key to creating a safe, successful, and sustainable weight loss plan.
When looking for a provider, consider the following:
Expertise in Weight Management: Select a provider who specializes in weight management and has experience assisting individuals with similar goals. This may include a dietitian or an endocrinologist, both of whom should be knowledgeable about the latest research and treatment strategies for reducing excess weight.
Personalized Care: The right provider will take the time to understand your individual risk factors, health goals, personal food preferences, and lifestyle to develop a personalized care plan. This plan may include dietary guidance, exercise recommendations, and medication if necessary.
Holistic Approach: Look for a provider who adopts a comprehensive approach to weight loss, addressing diet, exercise, emotional health, stress management, and behavior change. Be cautious of providers who heavily promote specific medications or clinics, as this may lead to biased treatment plans.
Ongoing Support: The best providers offer continuous support, monitoring progress, and adjusting treatment plans when necessary. They provide encouragement throughout the process, helping to keep individuals on track toward their weight loss goals.
Biometric Monitoring: Seek a provider who can monitor weight loss and conduct advanced body scans to ensure that weight is lost in a healthy manner. It is crucial to avoid undesirable muscle loss, making it necessary to complement treatment with appropriate lifestyle changes for safe and effective results.
Financial Assistance: Weight loss therapies can be costly, especially newer brand-name medications. Ensure that your provider will assist with prior authorizations, navigating health insurance, and accessing financial assistance programs, making treatment affordable and tim
