Weight management offered by medical weight loss clinics is holistic.
It focuses not just on BMI (body mass index) alone but also on the behavior that leads to weight increase. Medical weight loss is done with the assistance of qualified nutritionists and experienced physicians, and it has long-term effects.
This is due to their understanding that being overweight can result in different health issues which must be handled accordingly, as well as caused by some diseases. Furthermore, one needs to adopt new lifestyle changes to have a good rapport with eating and physical fitness.
Different forms of medical weight loss will be discussed in this article.
What Is Medical Weight Loss?
What is meant by medical weight loss? It means losing weight under the supervision of a healthcare professional. Their knowledge is used by qualified doctors, dietitians, and nutritionists to help overweight people lose weight.
This usually means making up meal plans and workout routines as well as prescribing medications. The thing that makes this method special as a tool for managing obesity is that it addresses not only physical but also psychosocial barriers to losing weight.
Who Can Benefit From Medical Weight Loss?
Both men and women can benefit from medical weight loss. Medical weight loss approaches are designed with overweight or obese individuals. They can also be beneficial for individuals suffering from health conditions like hypertension, sleep apnea, and diabetes.
Its approach is to offer doable, long-lasting weight management tactics. Additionally, it is done under the guidance of a medically trained dietician, nutritionist, and general physician.
Clinical Approach To Medical Weight Loss
The following is a list of clinical approaches to medical weight loss-
1. BMI Health Assessment
Before developing a meal plan, the initial step that centers approach is evaluating your BMI. BMI or Body Mass Index is a screening tool for health conditions. It calculates a person’s body fat composition by dividing their weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters.
Clubs use this index to screen for various illnesses such as heart disease, osteoarthritis (OA), infertility, and anemia among others caused by being under or overweight. A complete blood count (CBC) together with other tests and the current health status of an individual are considered while making this personalized medical weight-reduction plan based on BMI values only.
2. Hormone Replacement Therapy
An individual gains weight through imbalanced hormones that bring about excessive or too little hormone release. The production increment or reduction of hormones will result in a number of body parts dysfunctioning.
This triggers constant sluggishness, fatigue, and depression. It becomes difficult for one to engage in exercise when they always feel this way. The failure of our bodies to burn fats without physical activities causes fat storage instead.
Anyone can suffer from hormonal imbalances at any age. Nonetheless, they are quite widespread among men aged 55 years and over as well as post-menopausal women.
When weight gain is related to hormonal imbalance, patients are prescribed HRT or Hormone Replacement Therapy. Administered in the form of pills, injections, and creams, HRT restores hormonal balance in our body.
Once hormonal balance is restored, our body begins to function properly. Energy is restored and improvement is noticed in the overall sense of well-being. Therefore, people find the motivation to be physically active once again.
It is important to iterate that on its own HRT will not lead to weight loss. It is only when a person starts exercising and eating healthy along with HRT that changes can be noticed.
3. Appetite Suppressants
Some people suffering from obesity or being overweight can be prescribed appetite suppressants so as to help them lose weight. The medication can be used to suppress the hunger for food therefore making an individual get full quickly after eating.
A low calorie consumption results into weight loss. Like hormone replace therapy (HRT), a combination of a good diet and regular exercise is recommended while on these drugs for effective results.
Drugs given for this purpose usually are those that inhibit the synthesis of hunger-causing hormones, neurotransmitters or peptides in the body.
Moreover, a person may have type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels plus joint pains as their medical history. However, abusing them could lead onto having chronic complications though they tend to work faster than expected.
4. Nutrition and Dietary Counseling
Nutrition and dietary counseling is another vital clinical approach to effective weight loss. It involves seeking guidance from a registered dietician to create a meal plan that meets required nutrition goals.
The focus of this counseling is on nutrition because malnourishment may lead to weight gain. To craft a personalized meal plan, the dietician helps the person considering what they wish to achieve, their nutrition needs and food preferences.
Therapists or dietitians can show the importance of timing meals and controlling portions through their advice. They can also assist with the development of managing cravings and emotional eating.
5. Weight Loss Medication
Many fantastic drugs that are designed to help lose fat can both improve overall health and prevent metabolic diseases. People use semaglutide as a medicinal drug for managing weight loss. The medication is also utilized to treat type 2 diabetes, which causes the body to have high sugar levels.
It enables individuals to shed off some extra pounds by stimulating hormones responsible for insulin production and increasing satiety feelings among patients.
Another name for tirzepatide is chronic weight management medicine. It is like semaglutide in that it prompts the body to produce more insulin hence controlling spikes of glucose levels plus making one feel fuller for longer periods.
This drug should be prescribed to overweight persons who suffer from high cholesterol, high blood sugar and are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Tesofensine is a serotonin and dopamine reuptake inhibitor used to regulate one’s appetite as well as boost energy spending during weight loss management.
6. Vitamin Injections
Lipotropic vitamin injections are used in conjunction with other weight loss approaches. These injections contain safe quantities of vitamin B12, vitamin B-6, choline, phentermine, and amino acids.
They are injected into areas of the body with excess subcutaneous fatty tissues. The injections help lose fat by increasing endurance and energy during exercise.
7. Monitoring Progress
This is a crucial but oftentimes neglected approach to medical weight loss. Carefully tracking and monitoring the weight loss journey helps the patient lose weight effectively.
It does so by creating an accountability system where they count calories to make better food choices. It also helps your doctor or physician evaluate the effectiveness of the medications and diet.
Conclusion
Medical weight loss clinics offer evidence-based and comprehensive approaches to weight management.
It does so by combining medical expertise with personalized support. Weight loss management plans are created with the person, their medical history, food preferences, and current health in mind.