Treating Obesity
What are the Treatments for Obesity?
Weight loss is about burning more calories than you consume. In other words, energy out must be greater than energy in. If you don't use the energy you put into your body as food, then it will be stored, often as fat.
If you wish to lose weight and maintain weight loss long term, it is important to modify your diet and be involved in physical activities to lose excess weight.
There are many options available to help you lose weight and to treat Obesity. In order to make an informed decision about which treatment is right for you, it is important to consult your GP and a specialist to make a thorough assessment and to discuss options for treating your Obesity.
Non-Surgical Weight Loss Options
As anyone who has tried to lose weight will know, there are many non-surgical weight loss options available, and most people will often have tried more than one method of weight loss.
There are a number of
Non-Surgical options available for those wanting to treat their Obesity:
- Diet - Healthy eating habits
- Exercise - Physical activity helps to control your weight by using excess calories that otherwise would be stored as fat
- Medication - Most available weight-loss medications are "appetite-suppressant" medications. Appetite-suppressant medications promote weight loss by decreasing appetite or increasing the feeling of being full. These medications decrease appetite by increasing serotonin or catecholamine - two brain chemicals that affect mood and appetite. Prescription weight-loss medications should be used only when there is increased medical risk because of your weight and not for cosmetic reasons
- Behavioural Modification - Therapy teaching techniques to alter eating and physical behaviours
Surgical Weight Loss Options:
For those who have tried all Non-surgical Weight Loss methods and have been unsuccessful maintaining weight loss and for those who have increased obesity related health risks, then it is recommended that you discuss your Surgical Weight Loss options with a qualified specialist.
Weight Loss Surgery for Obesity promotes weight loss as it changes the normal digestive process by decreasing the quantity and or absorption of nutrients and thereby reducing the calorie intake.
It is important that you discuss Weight Loss surgical options with a qualified specialist to assess whether you are a candidate for surgery and to discuss which procedure would be best suited to you.
There are a number of
Surgical options for those wanting to treat their Obesity. The most common procedures in Australia are:
Non-Surgical Weight Loss Methods vs Weight Loss Surgery:
While Non-Surgical Weight Loss methods can work, more than 95% of people regain the weight they lose within a few years after these non-surgical approaches, as they find it difficult to adhere to diets and exercise programs.
There have been landmark studies published highlighting the benefits of Weight Loss Surgery and comparing different weight loss procedures.
Numerous Research studies throughout the world have compared non-surgical methods (dieting & exercise alone) with surgical methods and have proven Weight Loss Surgery to be the most effective and sustainable method of weight loss.
