Obesity develops from consuming more calories than you expend. Doctors define you as obese if your body mass index, or BMI, is more than 30. The BMI is calculated by your height-to-weight ratio. Genetics, diet and inactivity play roles in becoming obese. Obesity increases your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Doctors help you find the right treatment for obesity after an examination.
Doctor's Examination
Health care providers examine obese patients before prescribing obesity treatments. They ask questions about your medical history, diet and exercise routine. Blood tests tell medical professionals if you have thyroid problems that contributed to your weight gain. Blood tests reveal liver conditions, cholesterol and other obesity-related health problems. They measure body composition by doing a skin fold measurement. Your primary care physician may send you to a special facility that has equipment to measure body composition. Health care providers outline a treatment plan after a full examination.
Behavior Modification
Health care providers recommend behavior modification to treat obesity before any medical intervention. This includes changing your diet and exercising. Your physician may provide nutritional guidelines based on your health and caloric needs. You may have a team of professionals working with you and your doctor, including a dietitian or nutritionist. They help you set realistic weight loss goals, learn count calories, read food labels, prepare food and choose healthy alternatives to your old diet. Keeping a food diary helps you see what you are eating and what triggers food cravings. Healthcare providers may recommend a personal trainer or simple exercises that you can do based on your health and size. Counseling may be included in behavior modification treatment. Other behavior modification programs include Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig.
Pills and Supplements
Health care providers may combine behavior modifications with supplements, over-the-counter diet products or prescription diet pills. These supplements suppress your appetite and make you feel full faster. Doctors prescribe these treatments to obese patients with no outstanding health problems because the side effects of many of these produces are heart palpitations and elevated blood pressure. Talk to your doctor before taking herbals supplements or over-the-counter diet pills because of the health risks involved.
Weight Loss Surgery
Weight loss surgery is a last resort to treat morbid obesity. Morbid obesity is defined as being more than 100 pounds overweight. Men with a BMI of more than 40 and women with a BMI of more than 35 are considered morbidly obese. Health care providers recommend this surgery for morbidly obese patients with health problems who have documentation that they have tried other weight loss methods. Bariatric surgery entails placing a band around the stomach to reduce the amount of food consumed. Gastric bypass surgery involves rerouting the digestive tract. You lose weight rapidly at first and experience health improvements.
Maintenance
Obesity treatments vary for each patient. An obesity treatment that works for you may not work for another person. To maintain weight loss, you have to continue eating healthy, exercising and reducing overeating triggers. According to the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital website, approximately 85 percent of people who lose weight gain it back. Maintaining weight loss is a lifelong effort.
