Weight Loss Options and Education

Obesity Health Risks

For people with obesity, losing weight is about so much more than looking thinner. There are many side effects of obesity as well as conditions related to obesity that can be reduced or even fully resolved by effective and sustained weight loss. Health risks related to obesity, referred to as comorbidities, include:²

Weight Loss for Quality of Life

Obesity is a disease that can impact every area of a person’s life as well as their family’s lives. People with obesity are more likely to suffer from mental illnesses such as clinical depression, anxiety, and more. Obesity is also expensive: people with obesity face average annual personal costs of up to $17,000 more than people who are at a healthy weight.³

Breaking the Cycle: Losing Weight and Keeping it Off

The best way to combat obesity and the many health risks associated with this disease is to lose a significant amount of weight and keep it off.

Working with a licensed dietician is a great way to adapt food habits in a way that encourages healthier eating while maintaining a sense of satisfaction. It may also be helpful to learn more about some diet plans that have made weight loss possible for others, such as:

Keto Diet: The ketogenic (keto) diet focuses on low-carb, high-fat foods to induce weight loss. While the keto diet has gained popularity because it can help people lose weight quickly, many experts believe that it does not provide adequate nutrition and that the high-fat focus of this diet does not support heart health.

DASH Diet: The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) was developed to help lower a person’s blood pressure and it may also help with weight loss. This diet limits saturated fat, sugar, and sodium and focuses on whole grains, lean protein, low-fat dairy, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Mediterranean Diet: Based on the eating habits of the generally healthy people from this part of the world, the Mediterranean diet avoids simple carbohydrates and red meats while filling up on fresh vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats like olives. This diet is very heart-healthy but may not aid in weight loss as it does not limit grains and starch.

Plant-Based or Vegan Diets: A strict vegan diet avoids all foods derived from animals, including meats, fish, dairy, and even eggs. A vegan diet may be especially difficult for a person with obesity to adapt to, and may also prevent dieters from getting the full nutrition they need.

Commercial Diets or Weight Loss Systems: Mail-order food services that distribute smaller portions of low-calorie food (like Nutrisystem) and other diet plans like Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, and Medifast may help people lose weight initially. However, these plans are sometimes expensive and some require substantial lifestyle changes that may not be sustainable for every person trying to lose weight and keep it off.

• Work out with a friend. Not only does this make exercise a more pleasant, social experience, but it adds motivation and can help you and your friend hold each other accountable.
• Listen to upbeat music or an audiobook while you work out. Not only will this make the experience more fun, but it can help keep your mind focused while your body does the work.
  Set fitness goals like a number of reps or miles, and reward yourself when you meet them.
• Create a fitness calendar. When you write out a schedule for your workouts, you are more likely to stick to it.

Exercise for Weight Loss

People with obesity often suffer from decreased mobility, arthritis, and other conditions that may make working out difficult. Still, there are plenty of ways you can get moving, and exercise gets easier the more often you do it. Consider a few of these low-impact, aerobic, and strength training exercises as a good way to get going:

• If it is difficult or painful for you to move, water aerobics can be a fantastic, low-impact way to burn calories more comfortably. You may also try yoga (or chair yoga) or a walk at a slow but steady pace.
• Aerobic exercises focus on vigorous movement to increase the heart rate. Still, nobody expects you to start out with a marathon or a high-tempo Zumba class. Consider swimming or cycling at a slower pace at first, and you will naturally increase your speed as your body becomes accustomed to the activity.
• Try strength training or weight lifting. Not only do these activities help burn calories, but they increase muscle tone and overall health.

Weight Loss Surgery

Weight loss surgery, or bariatric surgery, involves altering part of the digestive system so that a person is able to take in far less food and his or her body processes that food more efficiently. For many people with obesity, bariatric surgery is the most effective way to achieve significant, sustained weight loss and the reduction or reversal of most obesity comorbidities.

Medical Weight Loss

Medical weight loss is a comprehensive, team-approached way for people who are not candidates for bariatric surgery to lose weight. This often involves working with a physician or nurse practitioner, a dietician, a personal trainer, and potentially a therapist to help make the lifestyle changes necessary to support and sustain weight loss. Your weight loss doctor may also prescribe certain medications that can help you lose weight in a healthy way.

 
 
¹ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult Obesity Facts. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html. Accessed October 26, 2020.
² Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult Obesity Causes & Consequences. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes.html. Accessed October 26, 2020.
³ Thompson D, Edelsberg J, Colditz GA, Bird AP, Oster G. Lifetime health and economic consequences of obesity. Arch Intern Med. 1999 Oct 11;159(18):2177-83. doi: 10.1001/archinte.159.18.2177. PMID: 10527295. Available: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10527295/. Accessed October 26, 2020.
⁴ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Defining Adult Obesity. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/defining.html. Accessed October 26, 2020.