Expectations from Your Doctor’s Office about Obesity: Medical Treatment for Obesity

Expectations from Your Doctor’s Office about Obesity can be very high however, your determination and acceptance of the condition is very important for progress to be made

When your efforts to losing weight are not working to your expectations, you may need to seek the expert’s opinions on the best way to go. Weight loss is a process and will take some time for it to be convincing to the patients. However when you visit a specialist, it is only natural that the expectations from your doctor’s office about obesity will be very high owing to the fact that your own efforts have not been pleasing. In that case certain prescription medications may be necessary for weight related health issues. While appreciating the fact that many people relay on over the counter supplement to lose weight, the best way to ensuring long term solutions will be based on behavioral weight loss measures which are readily available at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury. At this facility, our strategy when talking about behavioral weight loss measure is to target unhealthy dietary habits and incorporate physical activity into daily life. Remember that obesity associated eating disorders require treatment by a qualified therapist and may also require medication. When you visit this facility, we will explore all the treatment options for obesity professionally guided by the following:

• Your age, overall health, and medical history
• Extent of the condition
• Your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
• Expectations for the course of the condition
• Your opinion or preference

After evaluating your condition and determining the accuracy of your BMI, it will also be very necessary to measure your blood pressure and percentage of body fat and order for further blood tests to check cholesterol levels and determine how well your thyroid is functioning.

Expectations from Your Doctor’s Office about Obesity: Treatment Options

A good treatment for obesity is that which will not only target losing weight but also maintaining a healthy weight thereafter. The success of will involves a blend of diet, exercise, and other lifestyle modifications. Although some medications, herbs, and supplements may help you lose a little weight, you still must eat fewer calories and exercise more to see any real effect. And you must make those behavioral changes stick to keep weight off. For severe obesity, bariatric surgery (which physically restricts the amount of food a person can eat) may be a better option says doctor Akoury.

Lifestyle

Calories are the major culprit to losing weight. Therefore to effectively do this, you must eat fewer calories and increase your physical activity to burn more calories. The key to losing and keeping off weight is to set realistic goals, and incorporate effective lifestyle changes into your daily routine.

Exercise

Exercise can help you lose weight, especially in the first 6 months, and maintain your desired weight in the long term. Exercise not only contributes to weight loss, it also decreases abdominal fat and improves heart health, lowers blood pressure, and helps keep blood sugar levels in check. However if you are not used to exercising, you can start this gradually in small bits like 30 minutes daily consistently for at least five days in a week. Activities like swimming, walking or biking, strength training and stretching are ideal for a start. Nevertheless if you are extremely obese or have other medical problems, it will be very important that before the commencement of these activities, your doctor’s opinion would be highly recommended.

Expectations from Your Doctor’s Office about Obesity: Drug Therapies

It is important to note that while it is true that some medications may help in promoting weight loss, there are no drugs to cure obesity. Weight loss medications should be used in addition to diet, exercise, and other lifestyle modifications. Many of these drugs are available by prescription only and some have serious side effects.

Expectations from Your Doctor’s Office about Obesity: Prescription Medications

• Sibutramine (Meridia) boosts metabolism, enhances energy level, and promotes a feeling of fullness. Meridia is moderately effective; studies show that people who take Meridia lose about 10 pounds more than those who just followed a low calorie diet. Side effects include dry mouth and insomnia. Meridia cannot be taken by people with a history of stroke, seizures, or heart, liver, or kidney diseases.
• Orlistat (Xenical) reduces the absorption of fat from foods; side effects include oily stools, flatulence, and diarrhea. It is approved for over the counter sale in the U.S. as Alli.
• Phentermine suppresses appetite; serious potential side effects include pulmonary hypertension and heart valve defects. Phentermine is similar to an amphetamine and should not be taken by people with high blood pressure, heart disease, glaucoma, or those taking antidepressant medications.

Expectations from Your Doctor’s Office about Obesity: Surgical Procedures

Bariatric or weight loss surgery may be considered in cases where people are severely obese and lifestyle changes have not worked. It uses bands or staples to create a small pouch at the top of the stomach. The pouch reduces the amount of food that can be taken into the stomach. Physicians carefully select individuals for surgery, and patients must undergo psychological testing and counseling. It is important that patients who have had bariatric surgery must be monitored by their doctor afterward to make sure they get enough essential nutrients. Procedures include:

• Roux-en-Y procedure (gastric bypass) permanently reduces the size of the stomach; vomiting is the most common side effect.
• Gastric banding an adjustable silicone band is placed around the stomach, decreasing the amount of food that can be eaten. The band can be adjusted or removed.
• Laparoscopic vertical sleeve gastrectomy. The stomach is restricted by stapling and dividing it vertically and removing more than 85% of it. The stomach that remains is shaped like a very thin banana.

Expectations from Your Doctor’s Office about Obesity: Complementary and Alternative Therapies

In this arrangement diet plans are often very popular. They range from traditional low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets to high-protein, high-fat, and low-carbohydrate diets. The truth is, no specific diet works for everyone, and no diet works without the other essential components of weight loss exercise and stress management. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says a healthy diet:

• Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products
• Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts
• Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt, and added sugar

Among many weight loss plans available, the ones that generally result in a balanced diet include the Weight Watchers plan, the South Beach Diet, and the American Heart Association No Fad Diet. In everything you do concerning diet, professionalism is very ideal. Therefore beware of diets that promise quick, substantial weight loss because they often don’t contain adequate nutrients your body needs to stay healthy, and you’re more likely to go off the diet and engage in binge eating, gaining the weight back. Weight loss of about 1 – 2 pounds per week is considered safe and sustainable. Finally before you get into any diet, it is important to consult widely with your practitioner to determine which plan is right for you. If you are within reach then you can visit doctor Akoury in her office or schedule for an appointment with her for more in depth information that will be suitable for you.

Expectations from Your Doctor’s Office about Obesity: Medical Treatment for Obesity