Obesity, A Chronic Medical Condition with New Prescription Options to Help

Obesity is not simply an aesthetic problem. It is a recognized chronic health condition that affects millions of people. This medical problem can lead to many other diseases that can decrease quality of life and shorten your lifespan. Obesity can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), liver disease, cancer, and more. Evidence demonstrates that if significantly overweight an individual that can lose 5-15% of their total weight can improve these accompanying diseases as well. Research also shows that individuals that partner with a health provider lose up to five times more weight than when attempting weight loss alone.

Obesity is a chronic condition because keeping weight off is a challenge for 90% of people living with obesity. It is not a character deficit or lack of willpower but your body’s actual response to weight loss that makes it difficult. When you lose weight, your body actively releases a hunger hormone (ghrelin) in attempt to regain that weight. Simultaneously, other hormones that signal your brain that you are full decrease. Furthermore, when you lose weight, your metabolism slows down decreasing the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight.

Despite these challenges there are tools that can help. Most people understand that the first steps to weight loss are healthy eating and physical activity. Behavioral therapy can help you learn to change your eating and exercise habits. Additionally pharmacological management and surgical intervention are options for weight loss management.

If you are just starting on your weight loss journey or are searching for new and additional methods to assist, consider setting SMART goals. Other ideas that may be helpful are to share your goals with those around you, review your goals routinely to ensure they still make sense for you, reward yourself for progress, keep a journal to track your progress, and identify trends that might be affecting your progress. Smart goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time based. The key to reaching goals is to set challenging but attainable goals, not setting the bar too high which can backfire and slow or even stop your progress. Examples of smart goals for weight loss might be:

I will walk for 30 minutes four times a week.

I will lose 8 pounds in two months.

I will drink 8 glasses of water per day for the next 4 weeks.

I will eat at least at least 2 pieces of fruit on 5 days per week.

Check out this great resource in the linked article below for more information.

The Science Behind Weight Loss | Truth About Weight®