Posted on 11/27/2017
Many people struggle with being overweight, or even obese. It’s a common topic at office visits. As a doctor, I know that excess weight is associated with potentially serious health conditions — high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol — not to mention sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, and back and knee problems, among other things. Patients may also worry about their appearance.
Whether a patient is at risk for medical problems due to being overweight, or if it’s a personal health goal, then it’s my job to provide counseling.
In my experience, most patients consider weight loss drugs or surgery only as a last resort. “I want to lose weight naturally,” they say. Once we screen for (and treat) any contributing medical problems that could be ca...