Medical Weight Loss Doctors and Physicians
Medical weight loss is the scientific approach to losing weight and improving a patient’s health status, in terms of fitness or any chronic conditions caused or aggravated by being overweight or obesity. A medical doctor or physician specializing in weight loss will be best suited to ensure that you not only lose weight but can also manage any pre-existing medical condition and assist you with your recovery as you start your life with a normal BMI (body mass index).
Weight gain affects one’s health and even if it does not immediately lead to a chronic condition, it does reduce energy levels and impair physical fitness. Being overweight or obese does not only mean that you have larger stores of fat. Your hormone levels, organ functioning (especially the heart, pancreas and lungs) and metabolism are all integral parts of survival that are impaired to varying degrees by being overweight or obese. In order to effectively lose weight, your doctor or physician has to overlook all aspects of your health – physical, mental and emotional – to ensure that you return to your optimal level of functioning without a risk of relapsing or complications.
A medical doctor or physician specializing in weight loss will treat your case holistically. Blood tests, urine and stool analysis and a cardiopulmonary evaluation will allow your doctor to assess your current state of health and level of physical fitness before you stat on your medical weight loss plan. It will also allow you doctor to decide on the best medical options for weight management, which will usually involve more than one course of treatment. This may include :
- weight loss surgery (like gastric bypass surgery)
- medical weight loss diet
- weight loss drugs
- physical exercise program
- psychological counseling
- support groups
Most of these treatment options are not available from a non-medical weight loss consultant. Furthermore, should you start on a diet or exercise program that can lead to medical complications, like a heart attack, a non-medical weight loss consultant cannot be held liable. Most health insurance plans and medical aid schemes will not pay for medical weight loss plans overseen by a doctor or physician. However, you can rest assured that with a medical professional overlooking your program, you are more likely to find lasting results with few or no complications.