Six Factors to Fit
For the past 4 decades, I have treated patients who struggle with weight. And I have also identified a subset of individuals who are more tempted by the obesogenic food environment we all live in. “I think about food all the time.” “As hard as I try, I can’t clear my head from being preoccupied…
Seeking perfection in your diet plan is a set-up for failure. A common misperception my patients struggle with is thinking they have to strive for perfection in order to eat more healthfully. Whether it’s banning all carbs, sugar or fat from one’s diet, extreme food restrictions are hard to maintain for the long run. They…
I learned long ago that generic weight loss advice doesn’t work well for most people. That’s because managing weight is personal, influenced by your likes and dislikes, health goals and personal challenges. This applies whether or not you’re taking one of the newer anti-obesity medications. I wrote my book, Six Factors to Fit: Weight Loss that Works…
We are a weight-focused society but when it comes to managing weight long term, having a weight-only narrow focus can be detrimental. Throughout my 4-decade career I have stressed the importance of lifestyle modification being foundational for losing weight and achieving better health. Now with an average 15-20% weight loss with the new injectable obesity…
One of my yearly medical student classes I teach at Northwestern University is helping our future physicians learn behavior change strategies to improve their own health. Examples of targeted health behaviors may include not exercising regularly, not eating enough fruits and vegetables, eating too many sweets or fast food, not getting enough hours of sleep…
Healthy eating requires planning ahead. Though this does take some time, it doesn‘t have to be so time intensive. In this blog, I share some time-saving tips that help my family eat better and healthier. 1 – Try Convenient Apps for Shopping No time to go to the grocery store? Check out your neighborhood for…
I learned long ago that generic weight loss advice doesn’t work well for most people. That’s because managing weight is personal, influenced by your likes and dislikes, health goals and personal challenges. Different people have different struggles managing weight, depending on who they are and how they live their life. This applies whether or not…
Do you approach improving your weight and health with a more flexible or inflexible mindset? If you’re unsure, here are some questions to ask yourself: Are you someone who has strict rules you tell yourself you must follow? Do you have a long list of forbidden foods that you must not eat? Do you feel…
As a weight management expert, I’ve been encouraging my patients to take a more active role in their care for years. If this is something you’re interested in doing, engaging in shared decision making with your health care professional can be helpful. Shared decision-making is a process whereby health care professionals and patients come to…
Effective obesity care management begins with lifestyle modification (healthy eating patterns, increased physical activity and health behavior modification) for everyone as this is needed for optimal health. For select patients where lifestyle management is not effective enough to achieve improved health, medications or bariatric surgery can also be considered. As new and more effective medication…
