Patient Centered Weight Management
The effects of game-changing GLP-1 medications on individuals and society was the topic of my recent keynote address at the Northwestern University Alumni Association event in Naples, Florida. Individuals on GLP-1 medications are changing how they eat, shop, live, play and get their healthcare and companies are taking notice. We usually think of big tech…
With the advent of powerful obesity medications that address the biological basis of obesity, the field of obesity care is rapidly shifting. To reflect this, the first Standards of Care on pharmacologic treatment of obesity published by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) were just released. I had the honor of serving on the ADA Professional…
Obesity care is a team sport. One clinician does not have to shoulder all the responsibility nor is expected to have the necessary expertise in all aspects of care. And yet, in some circles, you may think that team-based obesity care is a thing of the past as individuals get prescriptions for obesity medications with…
I enjoy speaking to healthcare professionals helping them identify efficient and effective approaches to patient-centered obesity care. One of the most interesting questions I received recently from physicians is how to approach the topic of weight with patients when they themselves are not comfortable with their own weight – be it higher than they want…
Before I help patients develop a personalized weight management plan, I want to better understand each person’s weight journey, that is, how they got to where they are today. Since no two patients are alike, providing personalized obesity care requires knowing more about each patient’s personal struggles, resources and life stressors. However, in the midst…
As you can see in this picture, I was a gymnast in high school. Being a gymnast was a part of my identity and I loved it – until I fell off the high bar during our state competition. Over time, my exercise identity changed to become a runner and more recently, a ballroom dancer.…
Despite the many recent breakthroughs in obesity medicine, misunderstandings about the disease of obesity persist among patients, clinicians and insurance providers. The disease of obesity is a complex, relapsing condition that requires multimodal therapies. It is not a personal choice or a failure of willpower. And yet people with obesity can be blamed and shamed…
How do you educate professionals about obesity care? I recently had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion about obesity medication (semaglutide) for the treatment of high-risk patients with cardiovascular disease (SELECT trial) and its 2-year outcome results (STEP 5) at the Obesity Week and American Heart Association meetings. It was sponsored by Novo…
This great line (adapted from the movie, Field of Dreams) reminds me of the trajectory of the field of obesity medicine as well as my career in it. When I started my career in the 1980’s, colleagues questioned my decision to develop a weight management program at a major academic medical center. Who knew that…
Lifestyle modification is foundational to all obesity care. This applies even to those taking the newer, highly effective obesity medications. Though the disease of obesity is complex, lifestyle modification can be simplified and should be targeted. One size does not fit all. This is the basis of my Six Factor approach to managing weight and…
