Obesity treatment involves a number of approaches which include;
Making comprehensive lifestyle changes-These mostly involve incorporating better nutrition practices, weight management , reducing alcohol and smoking , and getting adequate rest.You will have to improve your nutrition by selecting nutritious foods including fruit and vegetables, fish , poultry , eggs, lean meat, low-fat dairy sources , unsaturated fats and sufficient amounts of water.To notice weight reduction, you will have to create a calorie deficit. This will involve you having to reduce your portion sizes. You will be guided to achieve this by a qualified dietitian. The dietitian may even design for you a personalized diet plan taking into account your body size, nutrition status, age, eating patterns, medications , medical history etc. Along with this, you will be recommended to enroll into a weight loss program.You will have to regularly attend counseling sessions and to monitor your progress. Normally, you may required to participate in 14 or more counselling sessions which you can partake in person, over the telephone, online or through email. You will also need to limit alcohol intake and smoking. You will need to have adequate rest.
Weight management A dietitian will encourage you to reduce sedentary lifestyle i.e. by reducing the amount of time you spend watching television, or on your computer etc.The dietitian may refer you to consult a practitioner to assess whether you are fit to engage in an exercise program. Once you are confirmed to be fit, you will be required to engage in anaerobic exercise for about 150 mins per week. Anaerobic exercises will aim to help you reduce body fat and preserve cardio-respiratory health. Over time, when you are well-adapted to the recommended exercise plan and its objectives met, depending on your tolerance, you may be advised to begin to incorporate anaerobic forms of exercise such as resistance training, to reduce muscle loss and enhance the uptake of glucose.
Fast weight loss should be discouraged especially if it involves employing very restrictive dieting , the complete omission of food groups or fasting for extended periods. Manage other health conditions- If patient has any other conditions e,g diabetes , hypertension they should be managed .Medications can be provided along with a proper diet plan.
Medications
Patients unable to maintain weight loss sustainably can be considered eligible for medications. The drugs prescribed should be continued if their effective –facilitate weight loss 5% within 3 months. Otherwise, they should be discontinued and others prescribed if weight loss is less than 5% within 3 months.
Avoid dieting-You will be discouraged from dieting because dieting is never sustainable. Instead you will be encouraged to promote healthy eating practices such as eating regular meals; and even though you will need to decrease your daily calorie intake to reduce weight, the calorie reduction should not be very limiting.
Fad diets
Surgery
In severe cases and where recommended treatment approaches such as lifestyle changes and pharmacology have not been effective, surgery may be considered for patients with BMI over 40.Patients with BMI greater than 35, and with serious health conditions may also be referred for the same. Though this is after a thorough evaluation has been conducted and it is proven that indeed alternative approaches are not as effective.
Behavioural modification
You will be referred to a behavioural therapist who will assess your behaviours and habits that contribute to poor healthy eating practices. The therapist will revise how those habits diet and snacking patterns contribute to excessive calorie intake. The therapist will further attempt to identify what factors trigger your eating patterns i.e. Do you eat when you’re bored, angry ? Do you eat more when you’re alone?Do you eat to avoid coping with your problems?How often do you do it?What types of environment predispose you to excessive eating ? etc Then, he or she will advise you on how to resolve those behaviours. For example, they could identify that you binge often when you are bored, and suggest you participate in various activities to keep yourself engaged and reduce the likelihood of being inactive.
Note that all forms of treatment for obesity including pharmacological treatment, weight loss, diet plans should be individualized.