Medical Weight Loss VS Functional Medicine Weight Loss

Programs – What’s The Difference?

First, let’s talk about our big fat problem. Over 70% of adult Americans are considered overweight or obese. That alone is not an issue, except for many of us we want to actually look healthy and being overweight is a sign that you are not healthy. The larger issue is that when you are overweight, you are, in fact, sick. You may not know it just yet, but your body is already struggling with high inflammation, insulin resistance, poor immune response and likely some gut dysbiosis, to name a few. Most overweight issues stems from underlying causes…but more about that later. Let’s talk about diets. There is a good reason why generic diets don’t help everyone lose weight.

Regardless of how hard you try, you can’t seem to lose the additional weight even though you know it’s terrible for your health. No matter how many diets you have been trying out, you won’t be successful in losing weight unless you address the real reasons behind your weight gain in the first place. One or more of a wide variety of factors may be contributing to your weight gain. It would be best to team up with a functional medicine practitioner who can tailor therapy to your specific needs, goals, and lifestyle. Let’s dive into what a “medical weight loss” program typically entails.

First, let’s have a look at Medical Weight Loss.

Medical Weight Loss – What Exactly Does It Include?

A medical weight reduction program is one in which a doctor or other medical expert works with you to lose weight. Most of the time, a medical weight loss consult includes a brief medical assessment, lab orders, and identifies if you are a candidate for pharmaceuticals to help lose weight. There is a one size fits all diet methodology, which is typically very calorie restrictive (500-700 kcal/day), and focuses on a small amount of food choices. Can you lose weight? Yes, initially, but this is not sustainable, nor is it healthy.

There are actually numerous problems with this pharmacy/calorie restrictive approach. First, the consult is assessing for a pharmaceutical approach, not getting to the root cause of why you gained or can’t lose weight, or addressing any other health issues. There are a lot of risks associated with this; these include medication side effects causing new or worsening of symptoms, not having an individual plan for nutrition, no health coach support, and even the lack of detailed analysis as to why there is weight gain or inability to lose weight at all.

Medications for Weight Loss

If your body mass index (BMI) is 30 or more, or if your BMI is at least 27 and you have a disease that may be connected to your weight, such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, would a doctor give you weight loss medication? Liraglutide (Saxenda), naltrexone-bupropion (Contrave), orlistat (Alli, Xenical), phentermine (Adipex-P, Ionamin, Pro-Fast), and phentermine-topiramate (Qysmia) are some of the prescription weight reduction medicines. These medications may provide some short-term weight loss, but, by not addressing the root cause of the weight issues, the weight will likely come back and you will still have inflammation, metabolic issues, gut health issues etc… The key to weight loss is actually focusing on getting healthy.

Surgical Weight loss – What Does It Entail?

Surgical weight losing procedures can be helpful, but there are risks. Bariatric surgery, often known as weight reduction surgery, can help extremely obese persons who have tried but failed to lose weight and are facing major medical issues. It’s not, however, a quick fix. People must put in a lot of efforts before and after the surgery in order to maintain their health. The most widely known, bariatric surgery, often known as weight loss surgery, is quite common and aids in weight loss by limiting the quantity of food the stomach can hold. The primary goal of these surgeries is to reduce the stomach capacity, which results in the feeling of being full after only a small amount of food. These surgeries act as instruments that assist affect the patient’s stomach and how they digest the food. So, following surgery, the patient will absorb fewer calories. The most well-liked is the Gastric Sleeve Surgery where the stomach is shrinked and less food is consumed.

There is always a high degree of danger involved with having surgery and should be considered a very last ditch effort at gaining health back. Your surgeon will discuss the risks of bariatric surgery, both immediate and long-term, with you and address any concerns you may have.

Regarding bariatric surgery, what are the most common risks and side effects patients face after the procedure?

Possible side effects of bariatric surgery include:

Reflux of Acid
Threats posed by anesthesia
Constant feeling sick and throwing up
Relaxation of esophageal smooth muscle
Disabled capacity to consume certain nutrients
Weight gain or inability to decrease weight, infection, stomach blockage
Hypoglycemia and malnutrition
Vomitingulcers
Colon blockage
Hernias

What Exactly Is Functional Medicine Weight Loss?

Functional Medicine focuses on your overall health and getting you to be at your highest, most optimal health status. By taking the “let’s get you healthy” approach, weight loss is simply a side effect. Along with improved energy, eliminating brain fog, correcting hormone imbalances, improved sleep, reducing autoimmune symptoms, beautiful, youthful skin, and the list goes on. If you’re having trouble losing weight despite your best efforts, getting treatment from a Functional Medicine practitioner may be just what you need to succeed.

To promote sustainable weight reduction, functional medicine takes an integrated approach by examining several factors that may have led to an individual’s weight gain. The mission of weight loss through functional medicine is to identify the root cause of the problem, i.e. systemic health issues contributing to your weight battle and assist you in making the necessary changes.

Why is the Root Cause of Obesity the Key to Long-term Health?

Overweight and obese individuals are continually stigmatized and held responsible for their condition. Many individuals, including medical professionals and politicians, fail to recognize obesity as a chronic condition. They chalk it up to laziness or an unwillingness to “eat less and exercise more” as the root cause. Obesity is a chronic condition, and its causes go far more profound. Issues may originate from several sources, including genes, psychology, society, the economy, and the environment.

For example, with 650 million people affected, diabetes is a complex chronic condition, and the current method of dealing with it has failed. Recognizing and comprehending body weight as a crucial modifiable behavioral risk factor for contemporary cardiovascular disease is more critical than ever. Many people are struggling with food addictions, which is real. Food addiction can be reversed but wreaks havoc on a person struggling with weight loss. Functional medicine helps to eliminate food addictions and cravings because they are real and biologically based.

What Are the Latest Obesity Stats in the US?

Obesity, as defined by medical researchers, is characterized by an excess of body fat that negatively affects one’s quality of life and serves as a risk factor or marker for several severe conditions. Body mass index (BMI) is only one of the many methods used by doctors to evaluate if a patient is overweight or obese. The overweight range is defined by researchers as a 25-30 BMI, whereas a BMI of 30 is considered obese.

We have a serious obesity issue, and nobody has to tell you that, yet, the numbers are shocking. More than 100 million Americans are overweight or obese. As these rates continue to rise, experts predict that by 2030, almost half of the world’s adult population will be overweight or obese. Studies demonstrate an obesity pandemic across all age groups and in both industrialized and developing nations. The Guardian stated in 2017 that 124 million youngsters throughout the globe are overweight or obese.

Obesity rates in the United States have skyrocketed over the last two decades. As of this day, no state has an obesity rate lower than 20%.

Obesity prevalence was between 20% and 25% in 6 states and the District of Columbia.
At least 25% of adults in 19 states and Puerto Rico were overweight or obese.
Obesity prevalence between 30% and 35% was found in 21 states and Guam.
The obesity rate was 35% or higher in four states: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Virginia.

Weight Loss Through the Lens of Functional Medicine

Precisely what is driving the rising rates of obesity? This is a very complex and individualized question. What we do know is that we are consuming more environmental contaminants and eating a higher diet of highly processed and inflammatory foods. Insufficient exercise is a problem for many of us since we spend our days sitting at our desks. Foods high in gut-healthy probiotics and prebiotics are under-consumed.

At Benehealth, we investigate the interplay between your metabolism, gut health, hormones, and the external environment to identify the root causes of your symptoms and weight gain.

How Can Benehealth Help You Out with Weight Loss?

We strongly believe that everyone who walks through our door is uniquely different. We take the time to get to know our patients, investigate how their health deteriorated and how weight gain occurred, and develop an individualized plan that takes into account their resources, goals, and preferences. Although it may take some time and work, this all-encompassing method will ensure that you attain and maintain your ideal weight and enjoy excellent health throughout your lifetime. We include science-based approach for lab work and biological testing to best understand each person as an individual.

We help you get to the root cause of the weight gain, and our team of functional medicine experts will closely monitor your weight and reversing symptoms to be sure that everything is on track and is as planned. We offer lab analysis and consultations with expert nutritionists and health coaches to make further your journey easier and fast.

So, are you ready to lose weight and gain health? It’s your best chance – to get in touch with our weight management experts at Benehealth! Because good health is everything!

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