manage weight
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…
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…
Planning your meals and snacks is a proven strategy for eating better and improving health. Though this does take some time, it doesn‘t have to be time intensive. In this blog, I share 3 tips that help our family stay on the healthy eating track: 1-Eat Better with Theme-Based Meals Themed meals break from the…
Obesity affects nearly 40% of Americans age 65 and over, leading to an increased occurrence of heart disease, arthritis, high blood pressure, and impaired mobility among many weight-related diseases and complications. Though using a GLP-1 medication in this age group is an effective treatment for weight reduction, these drugs can also cause reduced muscle mass…
We’ve known for a long time that the more you enjoy your healthier lifestyle, the better chances you’ll have of making health habits that can last a lifetime. Over 10 years ago, I took up ballroom dancing with my wife Nancy, who’s also my Patient-Centered Weight Management and Six Factors to Fit co-author. We immediately…
Responses to treatment for overweight and obesity care vary across different subgroups and individuals. This has implications for both patients wanting to manage weight better as well as their treating clinicians. When studies report average responses to lifestyle modification interventions, medication therapies or surgical treatments, this means that some individuals exceed expectations while others lose…
With exciting new obesity medication treatments available, I’ve seen clinicians from all specialties showing interest in the latest obesity care breakthroughs. For example, cardiologists, liver specialists, gynecologists, orthopedic surgeons and even dermatologists are paying more attention than ever before. Specialists along with their team of advanced practice physician assistants and nurse practitioners typically work within…
Recently published papers and news articles are covering exciting findings related to obesity complications, co-morbidities and treatments. There are over 200 such complications that are related to obesity. Three of the complications may go unnoticed but have been shown to improve with treatment by one of the new highly effective obesity medications: Sleep apnea, a…
We live in an obesogenic environment where high calorie foods are plentiful and physical activity has been engineered out of our daily lives. Despite your best intentions, this makes it hard for you to carry out your healthy lifestyle behaviors. In my 40+ year career helping patients manage weight and boost health, PLANNING AHEAD has…
