Are you tired of eating right and exercising to shed pounds, only to have the weight creep back? You’re not alone. Changes to our modern diet—loaded with processed, high fat and sugary products—have created an obesity epidemic nationally and globally. By 2030, half of American adults are estimated to have obesity, creating a public health crisis.

Prevention and treatment are key to reversing this devastating trend. Let’s explore how obesity physically affects us and weight management options to ensure this year is going to be a success!

The Health Risks of Obesity

Obesity is formally recognized as a chronic disease and has been linked to several medical conditions. These include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, sleep apnea, asthma, high cholesterol, and joint problems. However, obesity is also linked to deadly cancers, such as:

• Breast
• Colorectal
• Esophageal
• Kidney
• Gallbladder
• Uterine
• Pancreatic
• Liver

Alarmingly, obesity has led to a spike in the number of preventable deaths and costs the healthcare system $173 billion a year. There is also an indirect cost to the economy due to employee absenteeism and lost wages and productivity.

Many of us are seeking healthier habits to feel better and protect our health. Let’s unpack our options.

1) Self-Directed Plans

Weight Loss Keys

Many fad diets and medical procedures have come and gone over the years to help people lose weight with varying degrees of success. The key to any weight loss program is lifestyle changes that make managing your weight sustainable over the long term. Here are the steps of a healthy weight loss plan.

Make the Commitment

There could be several reasons you'd like to lose weight. You may have had family members who suffered from heart disease, you want to see your grandchildren get married one day, or you want to enjoy a long, healthy life into old age. These are amazing motivators.

Losing weight takes time and dedication over the long haul, not simply a few months. This requires a commitment to new eating habits and regular physical activity. Are you ready to make the commitment? Are there stressors you first need to manage before you can devote yourself to a new lifestyle? Do you have a support system in place to help you through the process?

Set Achievable Goals

In making a lifelong commitment to your health, it’s important to set realistic goals along the journey. This includes setting realistic weight loss goals, keeping in mind that 1 to 2 pounds a week is sustainable. This translates to burning between 500 and 1,000 calories more than you consume every day by making healthy food choices and being physically active.

Plan out achievable exercises you’d like to do. Make it simple, rather than overly ambitious because it will become rewarding to do over time. For instance, walk 20 minutes every day. Once this becomes part of your daily routine, you can increase the time to 30 minutes. Don’t over-exert yourself and potentially hurt your body because you’ll dread exercising and avoid it. The key is to make physical activity part of your routine and enjoyable.

Also, incrementally change your eating habits. For example, you could include a new vegetable in every meal each week and replace sugary drinks with low-calorie substitutes or water. The goal is to make doable changes that don’t leave you feeling defeated.

Keep in mind that there is no such thing as being perfect. If you don’t meet your weekly goals or lose weight at the pace you had planned, that’s okay. This is a journey, not a race.

Try Healthy New Foods

As we already discussed, reducing your calorie intake is crucial. And this means changing some of the foods that you regularly eat, without giving up taste or enjoyment. Eating plant-based foods is a key change that includes consuming more vegetables, fruits, and grains. Therefore, you should:

• Check product labels
• Drink more water
• Eat your biggest meal early in the day
• Fill up on fiber
• Eat whole grains
• Avoid white and brown sugar
• Consume lean meats
• Choose low-fat dairy products
• Don’t eat late at night

In addition, portion size matters. One-quarter of your plate should comprise proteins, one-quarter should be starchy vegetables and whole grains, and the remaining half should be non-starchy vegetables. These proportions optimally fuel your body.

Reward Yourself

Every time you achieve one of your goals, reward yourself to stay motivated. Whether it be getting a manicure, attending a fun event, or enjoying some essential oils, reaching intermittent goals should be celebrated!

2) Medical Weight Loss Programs

A specialized weight loss program, like medical weight loss, is a non-surgical treatment closely supervised by a medical professional. It’s an excellent option for anyone who would like personalized guidance and/or medications to support their weight loss journey.

What Is the Process?

Ongoing guidance and regular check-ins with your medical provider create a roadmap for your success that includes the following.

• Initial Consult: You first meet with your provider to discuss your goals and health concerns. This would accompany an initial blood draw to test your blood sugar levels and body composition, providing insight into your lean muscle versus fat makeup.
• Select Your Program: Based on your initial test results and health goals, you can choose a short-term, less intensive program or a more in-depth plan with prescribed medications.
• Your Personalized Plan: Once you’ve selected your program, initial test results provide your physician with a baseline and insights to develop a tailored plan based on your physical needs and goals. This includes a fitness plan, an eating regimen and/ or replacement meals, and self-monitoring tools.
• The Plan in Action: Your physician will provide regular testing and check-ins, ongoing support, and diet and fitness guidance to help you feel your best. This may include weight loss medications, meal replacement plans following a ketogenic diet, and metabolic rate testing.

There are several options available. You can discuss plans with your physician and determine the best protocol for you which could include the following.

Fasting Mimicking Diets

Fasting has been used to lose weight and boost the body, although extreme diets are harmful and impractical. However, scientists have found a middle-ground that provides the healthy benefits of fasting without the complete restriction of food: fasting-mimicking diets.

As part of a more intensive program, fast-mimicking dieting is low in calories, protein, and sugars but high in unsaturated fats. Following this diet for three months, participants lowered their body fat, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

In addition, scientists have found fasting-mimicking diets jumpstart your health by:

• Correcting metabolic disorders
• Improving cognitive function
• Reducing cancer risks
• Reversing aging

ProLon

One of the most intensely studied diets is the ProLon diet. With $32 million of research and development over 20 years at numerous universities, ProLon was developed by Dr. Valter Longo at the University of Southern California. The ground-breaking ProLon diet consists of plant-based meals designed to nourish your body while safely guiding it into a fasting state.

Between age 40 and 70, you experience aging symptoms with muscle mass loss, stubborn weight gain, mood and focus change, blood sugar, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and inflammation. However, our ancestors defended against accelerated aging and rejuvenated younger cells by fasting for 3 days or longer.

When fasting, the body uses its reserves (fat and glycogen) for the first 2 days but when done for 3 days or more, the body undergoes autophagy. This lowers your biological age—the amount of damage and aging in your body—compared to your chronological age so that you stay healthy now and increase your chance of delaying the onset of illness. A younger you at any age helps your metabolism better fight weight gain, muscle loss, blood sugar, metabolic markers, inflammation, and other age-related health issues. Ultimately, a ProLon diet:

• Curbs food cravings
• Boosts energy
• Protects lean body mass
• Enhances focus
• Promotes cellular repair
• Improves sleep
• Rejuvenates skin
• Supports healthy aging

HCG Diets

Beyond fasting, there is an option to combine a calorie-restricted diet with hormone supplements. It is called the HCG diet—or human chorionic gonadotropin diet—in which the HCG hormone produced during pregnancy is paired with a low-calorie daily diet. HCG has been shown to suppress appetites.

Who is a good candidate? Individuals with moderate to severe obesity who are facing serious medical conditions would be eligible for this medical treatment. Patients must be under constant medical supervision to avoid nutritional and protein deficiencies.

What are the side effects? On a restrictive-calorie diet, nutrient deficits, irritability, constipation, gallstones, and depression are possible.

What are the additional risks? Disordered eating behaviors are a serious risk. Moreover, HCG has not been studied for long-term impacts and should only be used in special cases. Medical professionals recommend healthy lifestyle changes as a sustainable weight management plan.

Semaglutide Injections

A recent addition to medical weight loss programs is semaglutide. Recognized under brand names like Ozempic, Rybelsus, Zepbound, and Wegovy, these medications treat type 2 diabetes; however, recent studies have shown that they also effectively treat obesity.

What do semaglutide injections do? Stimulating the pancreas to produce insulin, these medications lower blood sugar, curb food cravings, and slow your digestion to help you feel full quicker and, in turn, eat less. When combined with exercise and dietary changes, this combination accelerates weight loss.

What are semaglutide injections used for? Intended as a diabetic treatment, semaglutide has been used as a weight loss medication for individuals with a body mass index (BMI) over 30 (18.5 to 24.9 is considered a healthy weight range). It is possible for people at a normal weight who do not have diabetes to use these medications, but the risks are currently unknown so it isn’t recommended.

What are the side effects? Patients can experience dizziness, headaches, fatigue, digestive issues, bloating, depression, or even suicidal thoughts. All possible side effects should be discussed with your healthcare provider.

What is the cost? Semaglutides are costly at approximately $1,000 per month. Your insurance may cover a portion of the cost, but no generic versions are currently available.

Who should avoid semaglutide injections? Anyone trying to conceive, pregnant, or breastfeeding, or if you have a history of thyroid cancer, pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2.

What else do I need to know? Acting as an appetite suppressant, research has revealed that patients tend to regain weight after stopping their medication. Therefore, weight loss must be approached holistically with regular exercise, a healthy diet, good hydration, and plenty of sleep whether you are using a semaglutide or not. Also, the long-term side effects of taking these newer medications are unknown, so it’s important to discuss safety concerns with a healthcare provider.

3) Weight Loss Surgery

A final more intensive weight loss method is available to those with a BMI of 40 who have not lost weight with diet and exercise or have a serious health condition. This treatment is called bariatric surgery.

First, why would bariatric surgery be performed? Bariatric surgery modifies your digestive system to limit how much you can eat and/or how many calories you absorb.

Second, are there any risks with surgery? Digestive complications and malnutrition can occur and you should ask your general physician about the risks of surgery.

Finding a Sustainable Weight Loss Plan

Many weight loss trends and gimmicks can temporarily help you lose weight, but not keep it off. That’s why a full lifestyle change is key, including identifying stressful triggers, modifying your diet, regularly exercising, gauging your progress, and celebrating your successes.

If you’re looking to lose a significant amount of weight, a medical weight loss program would be a great fit for you. Your healthcare provider can discuss your specific options, the pros and cons of each treatment, and chart a healthy plan to guide you to your goals.

The benefits of losing excess weight are endless: boost your energy, improve your mobility, reduce your risk for diseases, improve your metabolic health, sharpen your mental clarity, level up your confidence, and live a long, healthy life!

Take the first step to a new life with a weight management program today!