obesity care
Most people don’t like taking medications – especially longterm. In fact, medication fatigue where individuals stop taking a new medication, like a statin or blood pressure pill, is commonplace. But the number of individuals stopping GLP-1 medications is especially concerning as studies show that over 50% of GLP-1 users discontinue the medication by 1 year…
I recently had the exciting opportunity to educate gynecologists and fertility specialists throughout India on the role of semaglutide in women’s reproductive health. This allowed me to take a deep dive into the research and medical data answering the question: can obesity treatments improve women’s health outcomes and fertility rates? The answer is a resounding…
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…
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…
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…
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…
The new, highly effective injectable obesity medications have brought a new focus to the advancing field of obesity medicine. Health care professionals from multiple specialties are moving beyond weight loss to focus more on health gains. That’s because the research is clear regarding the many health benefits of taking GLP-1 medications. Clinicians are doing their…
