6 scientifically-proven obesity treatment options to manage weight

Obesity is a complex disease with many causes. Emeritus Professor Arya Sharma says that “No single management strategy will work for all patients.” As a clinician and former scientific director of Obesity Canada, Professor Sharma has specialised in treating obesity for the past 20 years. “Any successful management plan involves long-term coping strategies that help patients reduce their body weight and prevent weight regain,” he adds. 

Partner with your doctor to guide you through an obesity care plan, created just for you. Here's an overview of 6 scientifically-proven obesity treatment options* that can be a part of it.
 

Forget the miracle diet as an obesity treatment. When it comes to managing weight and obesity, there are a number of routine changes to consider.

Your doctor will take your eating habits and physical activity into consideration when creating your obesity care plan. Some of the things you can look at together include:

• Time. Is there a specific time of day when you're more likely to eat higher calorie foods?
• Place. Where do you normally eat? 
• Emotions. Do you eat higher calorie foods when you feel a certain way? For example, when you feel tired, stressed, or sad?
• Feeling full. How do you experience the feeling of fullness after a meal?

You can also discuss reduced-calorie diets with your healthcare provider. When prescribed by a healthcare professional, this is often referred to as moderate (1300-1500 kcal/day), low-calorie (900-1300 kcal/day), or very low-calorie (less than 900 kcal/day) diets. As a calorie restricted diet can impact other parts of your mental and physical health, it is important that you work with your doctor to find the right support team for you. 

Moving more and using more energy is another lifestyle modification that can help with weight management. Whether or not it results in a reduction in weight, physical activity can also improve many aspects of your life. Regular physical activity can result in health benefits for people in all BMI categories, such as improving cardiometabolic risk factors.

Start by adding a little extra movement into your everyday life. If you sit a lot during the day, standing up and moving around for a few minutes every hour can make a difference. So can walking to the shops or taking the stairs, if possible. Even doing small things can mean a lot. The goal is to have 150 minutes of physical activity a week. You can build up towards this goal by gradually adding new activities and routines into your obesity care plan.

Discussing these topics with your healthcare provider can help you understand what is making you gain weight or preventing you from losing weight and help your doctor create a more sustainable weight management plan.

This therapy uses principles from behavioural sciences and cognitive therapies to identify and replace behaviours with healthy alternatives. Behavioural therapy are programmes that help patients reach their behavioural or health goals.

Behavioural therapists work with the psychological aspects of weight management. They can help you identify patterns in your thoughts, emotions, and behaviour that make you eat more and gain weight. Eating large portions, snacking frequently, and/or eating or drinking when you're not hungry are just some of the patterns you may have around food. The focus of behavioural therapy is to empower people living with obesity to make sustainable changes that improve their health, as well as promote their self-esteem and confidence. Doing this can help you manage your weight in the long term, improve your health status, and quality of life.
 

Obesity medications are obesity treatment options that can work with the biological processes that are involved in the development of obesity.

There are different obesity medications available and they work in different ways. Some obesity medications help regulate your appetite and food cravings, which may make it easier to change your lifestyle.

Obesity medications can also help prevent weight regain. They do this by managing the way your body responds when you manage weight, such as the constant feeling of hunger. Other medications work through different mechanisms of action to help manage weight. For example, some reduce food intake, and others increase energy expenditure.

Gastric bypass and other weight-loss surgeries — known collectively as bariatric surgery — involve making changes to your digestive system to help you lose weight. Bariatric surgery is an obesity treatment that can lower your appetite and the amount of food you can comfortably eat in one sitting. They've been shown to change the body's metabolism and hormones, both of which play a major role in how your weight is regulated. For example, the hormonal changes from bariatric surgery work to prevent weight regain.
 

These are just 6 obesity treatment options that doctors have in their toolbox. Your doctor will help you consider all your options to create a personalised obesity care plan. But they can't predict how you'll respond to the different treatments that they recommend. We're all different and that means our response to the treatments will be highly individual too.

Your doctor may adjust your obesity care plan depending on your body’s response and your health needs. Different types of treatments may become more or less relevant as you make progress or experience roadblocks. And so, your obesity treatment plan should be tailored to your needs and may evolve over time.

Finding obesity care providers who are trained in helping people with obesity is the first step to get started. More and more healthcare providers understand the science behind the disease and how to treat it effectively, so don’t give up if it takes a little time to find one. If you’re unsure of how to start a conversation about managing weight and an obesity treatment with your doctor, this guide gives some tips for how to do it.