5 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 5 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 modifications to your daily routine 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.

Anti-obesity medications that have been approved by medical authorities are safe, clinically tested and scientifically proven to help reduce weight and keep it off. Medication can also help some people to reduce the risk of or improve obesity-related diseases.

Different medications work in different ways. Some anti-obesity medications help to regulate appetite and reduce food portions. This helps you to eat less and makes lifestyle modifications easier. Other medications prevent weight regain by managing your body’s biological responses to weight loss, such as persistent increase in hunger or help you lose weight by changing the way your body absorbs food. Your doctor will consider your medical history and any existing health considerations before recommending a suitable medicine for controlling your weight.

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.
 

These are just 5 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 may not be able to 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.