Obesity is a chronic disease that affects more than 4 in 10 adults in the United States. Nearly 1 in 10 Americans have severe (‘morbid’) obesity. If you are struggling with your weight, it is important for you to know that obesity is a chronic condition and treatment can be successful – but it can also be a challenge.
Our body is built and behaves in such a way that even if the weight changes temporarily, the body “fights” to return to your highest weight. Therefore, understanding that the treatment of obesity is combined with behavioural changes, including healthy eating and increased physical activity is critical.
There are a number of medications that work in different ways to treat overweight or obesity. The decision as to whether you are suited to medication, and the type of medicine, is between you and your doctor and takes into consideration important factors such as side effects, other health problems, regular medication you take, and cost. Medicines do not replace exercise or healthy eating habits. Studies show that weight medications work best when combined with a lifestyle plan and can help you lose weight and keep it off.
If you have been prescribed weight loss medication, here are some tips that will help you get the best out of the treatment:
- Use the medicine according to your doctor’s instructions regarding dosage, time of taking, storage, etc.
- Buy your medication from a pharmacy approved by your health care professional.
- Know the side effects and warnings before taking any medicine and let your doctor know if you have troublein using it.
- If you feel that the medicine is not helping you, consult your doctor. Before stopping or changing it.
Adopt a maintenance plan
- Self-monitoring – this includes regular weighing and recording of food consumption and daily physical activity. The Dario App is a great help for these tasks.
- Make sure you have support and follow-up from a professional that consists of a schedule of regular weekly to monthly contacts by mail, phone, or in person.
- Physical activity – a combination of daily physical activity is the key to maintaining and losing weight successfully. Be sure to incorporate your recommended and favorite physical activity into your daily schedule.
- Problem solving – this is an acquired strategy. In it you acquire the skill to foresee high-risk situations, identify problems that threaten your success, prevent loss of control, and plan a preventive action plan that will restore control in the process you have chosen.
- Stress management – this is also an acquired technique critical for people who overeat in stressful situations. Exercise, social support and more can help you reduce stress.
Bottom line, weight loss medication can help you lose weight and maintain your weight loss — but only when added to an ongoing and clear plan that includes a healthy diet, regular exercise, stress relief, critical thinking skills, regular assessment by a medical team, use of an auxiliary application for monitoring and feedback – such as Dario.
It is important to understand that weight loss medication alone is not the answer to success in losing weight. Along with weight loss medication, you need to implement healthy habits and change your attitudes towards lifestyle choices. This is key to success in losing weight and maintaining the results for long period or forever.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ books/NBK221839/
https://www.healthline.com/health/ healthy-eating/diet-pills
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