weight management

Strive to Try New Things as You Progress in Your Weight Management Journey

Dr. Robert Kushner September 2, 2022 1 Comment

Living a healthier lifestyle and better managing weight have many benefits you may be unaware of. I’ve found that as individuals get healthier, many also start feeling motivated to try new things. I especially enjoy seeing my patients having new confidence as they set and attain new goals previously thought unachievable: One patient ran a

A dark haired with the word "FOCUS" stamped on the back of her hand

The Weight-Focused Visit

Dr. Robert Kushner August 3, 2022 No Comments

Whether you’re a patient or a provider, you know how quickly time can pass during a health care encounter. Your provider’s priorities may be to discuss your chief complaint, medications, lab results and other chronic medical problems. This doesn’t leave a lot of time to counsel you on managing weight. That’s why I recommend that

Time to Update Your Heart Health

Dr. Robert Kushner July 20, 2022 No Comments

The American Heart Association has a new checklist for lifelong good health. It’s called Life’s Essential 8, which was recently updated by a panel of experts who reviewed 2500 scientific papers since 2010. Better cardiovascular health helps lower the risk for heart disease, stroke and other major health problems. The 8 factors correlate well with

Shared Decision-Making in Weight Management

Dr. Robert Kushner July 13, 2022 No Comments

Shared decision-making is a process whereby health care providers take into account each person’s personal preferences, priorities and goals before selecting a specific treatment plan. As a weight management expert, it’s a process I’ve been using for most of my career to help my patients lose weight and get healthier. Getting to know each patient

Stop Unhealthy Habits to Achieve Better Health

Dr. Robert Kushner June 25, 2022 No Comments

As you move through your weight loss journey, you will encounter two kinds of habits – healthy habits you want to create (such as eating more fruits and vegetables) and less healthful habits you want to stop (such as drinking sugar-sweetened beverages). You will find that it’s more challenging to stop an unhealthy habit than

Is Lifestyle Modification for Weight Management Still Worth Your Time and Effort?

Dr. Robert Kushner May 15, 2022 No Comments

With all the exciting new drugs being developed to help people better manage weight, you may wonder if the time you’re spending on improving health habits are still worth your time and effort. Choosing healthier foods, becoming more active, getting more hours of restful sleep and better managing stress do take lots of time and

Rethinking Weight Goals

Dr. Robert Kushner April 24, 2022 No Comments

In my practice, patients often have high hopes of losing a large amount of weight in a short period of time. I tell them that it’s important to have realistic expectations about what is practical and achievable; otherwise, they will be disappointed. I also discuss the importance of putting weight into the context of overall

Nutritional Nudges to Improve Your Health

Dr. Robert Kushner April 13, 2022 No Comments

I am a firm believer that making small changes to what you eat and how you prepare foods can help improve your health. That’s because small diet changes are easier to incorporate into your life and can be easier for your family to adapt. In my weight management counseling, I always start with where the

Tips to Improve Health Care Encounter when Talking about Weight

Dr. Robert Kushner March 27, 2022 No Comments

If you’re someone who struggles with weight, you may also struggle talking about weight with your health care provider. I know this because for the past 40 years I have talked to thousands of patients about weight and have seen firsthand how difficult this conversation can be for many individuals. Difficulties can range from people

Different People, Different Struggles, Targeted Weight Management

Dr. Robert Kushner March 12, 2022 No Comments

I recently gave a webinar presentation for The Obesity Society on personalization in weight management. I shared the latest research on the importance of taking into account each person’s traits, habits and attitudes when developing an individualized treatment plan. One size does not fit all when it comes to helping people manage weight. I also