The Importance of a Comprehensive Approach for Long-term Success in Weight Loss
Obesity is a chronic, complex disease that needs a management plan, and while medication is often a part of the plan, there are other components needed to achieve success. Long term, sustained weight loss requires a comprehensive approach.
“You can take medication and lose weight, but if you don’t make a lifestyle change, you’re not going to be successful in the long run,” Virginia M. Crawford, MD, with Hattiesburg Clinic Weight Management said.
A comprehensive approach in weight management may start with a GLP-1, but it is accompanied by nutrition therapy, exercise, behavioral therapy, sleep medicine and, in some cases, bariatric surgery.
Nutrition therapy involves the development of a nutrient-rich and calorie-restricted diet with foods that you enjoy eating. Exercise should also include movement that is both effective and enjoyable.
The psychological component of a comprehensive weight management approach is important because eating for reasons other than hunger is typically a behavior that stems from trauma or stress. To maintain long-term weight loss, those triggers must be addressed.
Sleep medicine also plays a crucial role in a comprehensive weight management plan because sleep is when hunger hormones are regulated. According to Dr. Crawford, “If you don’t get enough sleep, it’s hard to lose weight.”
For some people, a comprehensive approach to weight management may include bariatric surgery. “Bariatric surgery really is the gold standard for weight loss,” Crawford said. “It is the most durable treatment that we have for obesity.” Candidates for bariatric surgery include people with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 40 or a BMI greater than 35 with at least one comorbidity. Losing weight can be difficult, but research shows that with a comprehensive approach long-term success is possible. “It takes a plan,” Crawford said. “A doable plan, a livable plan, for you to be successful.”
For more information, visit www.hattiesburgclinic.com.
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About Hattiesburg Clinic Weight Management:
Hattiesburg Clinic Weight Management provides specialized care to individuals who have an increased body mass, with the goal to improve health by addressing excess weight as a chronic disease. Services include ongoing consultations and evaluations, meal replacement programs, diet and exercise recommendations and referrals for physical therapy.
Hattiesburg Clinic also offers a full range of safe and effective weight loss procedures, including the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.
About Hattiesburg Clinic:
Hattiesburg Clinic is Mississippi’s largest privately-owned, multispecialty clinic. Founded in 1963, Hattiesburg Clinic has expanded to include over 450 physicians and providers, along with 2,500 employees, serving patients across more than 17 counties in Mississippi. Hattiesburg Clinic is committed to being the health care provider of choice in the communities we serve.
