Weight Loss and Obesity Medications
At Dr. Amir’s Weight Loss and Metabolism Center, we understand that the key to safe and effective weight loss is to make changes in each patient’s diet and lifestyle. However, sometimes patients need additional support. In these cases we can prescribe weight loss and obesity medications as part of a comprehensive weight loss plan.
Which Patients Could Benefit From Obesity Medications
Some weight loss patients are ideal candidates for obesity and weight loss medication – while others may be better off with alternative methods of weight management.
Generally speaking, weight loss medication is considered for those patients who have a body mass index (BMI) of at least 30 and are this clinically obese. They can also be prescribed for patients with a BMI of 27 or more who have additional weight-related disorders such as type II diabetes.
“we can prescribe weight loss and obesity medications as part of a comprehensive weight loss plan.”
How Obesity Medications Work
Obesity medications typically change your behavior in the way you interact with food. They can be appetite suppressants that make you feel full and / or reduce feelings of hunger. Exceptions are drugs that prevent your body from absorbing fat or that treat underlying mood disorders that can lead to binge eating such as anxiety and depression.
Obesity medications do not work alone to achieve weight loss goals. However, they have been clinically proven to help patients lose 3%-12% more weight than diet and exercise alone. While this may seem small, compounded over weeks and months, the additional pounds you can lose can add up to included a much larger amount of weight than you would be able to lose using non-medicinal methods alone. In fact, using prescribed weight loss and obesity medications is one of the key advantages to medical weight loss with a board-certified bariatric doctor.
Side Effects
Oily stools, dizziness, constipation and more serious concerns such as birth defects and liver damage may result from taking different types of obesity medicine. In many cases, the consequences of the side effects may outweigh the benefits of taking the medications in the first place.
Because of these side effects and others it is vitally important that patients work closely with their prescribing doctor to select the medication that works best for them. Ideally, patients can reap the benefits of weight loss medication without being harmed by the side effects.
If you are experiencing side effects from your weight loss medication, your doctor can change the dosage or change the medication completely. In some cases, your doctor may advise avoiding medication entirely and work with you to achieve your weight loss goals through diet and lifestyle interventions alone.
Risk of Regaining Weight Lost
There is a real risk that patients can regain some or all of the weight loss achieved once they stop taking obesity medications. Because of this risk, Dr. Amir’s Weight Loss and Metabolism Center prescribes weight loss medication only as part of a comprehensive plan which includes diet and other lifestyle interventions. In many cases, if side effects are controlled and the medication is effective, we may prescribe the medicine indefinitely to avoid the risk of regaining the weight lost.
Dr. Amir’s Weight Loss and Metabolism Center
As a medical weight loss center, Dr. Amir’s Weight Loss and Metabolism Center can prescribe obesity medications as part of a customized weight loss plan. If you are suffering from being overweight or obese and have tried fad diets, exercise and other methods without success, you may benefit from following a scientifically-backed program that encompasses meal replacement, lifestyle interventions and may include obesity medication. Contact us today for your initial consultation.
