Weight Loss Medications: Your Guide to a Healthy Lifestyle
Patients have a grocery list of reasons why they hesitate to use weight loss medications. Often, they feel relying on prescriptions means they are taking an easy way out, and that weight is something they should manage on their own. For many years, our culture has placed judgment on people’s body shape and weight control, so it’s understandable that people feel uncertain when presented with the option of medication. However, patients and providers should treat obesity with the same intention and medical support as any other chronic disease – it’s time to let go of these old-fashioned beliefs!
In my previous discussion of obesity, I dove into the difficulties of weight loss, hoping to clarify the complexities surrounding healthy weight maintenance. Weight loss medications are not an “easy way out,” but an important accompaniment to lifestyle and behavioral modifications. There are several different mechanisms of action for weight loss medications. What matters to patients, and to me as their provider and advocate, is how medications change their attitudes and behaviors surrounding food.
A few benefits of weight loss medications include:
Improved satiety. Patients will report feeling full on smaller portions and thinking less about food in their day.
Decreased cravings. Declining a sweet treat, passing by the snacks in the checkout aisle, or forgetting about the half-eaten candy bar at the bottom of your purse becomes easier; patients report less inappropriate hunger.
They make you BELIEVE in your ability. After years of struggling with weight management, patients can lose hope and give up on exercise and nutrition efforts due to difficulty and lack of long-term results. When medication is added to their proverbial toolbox, they have a more complete set of tools to succeed.
Weight loss medications are not applicable to every patient. These medications are most appropriate for a patient with a BMI > 30 or a BMI > 27 accompanied by another medical condition such as high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea, or osteoarthritis; some may also reduce the frequency of migraines! It’s important to find a treatment that will be affordable for long-term use because these medications are typically used for several years.
As mentioned above, weight loss medications are used most appropriately when combined with a lifestyle that prioritizes healthy eating, physical activity, optimal sleep and stress management. We encourage you to identify a treatment plan that can align best with your lifestyle, comfort level, and medical history!