Obesity presents one of the greatest threats to healthy aging. In 2009, an estimated 200 billion U.S. dollars was spent to treat patients with morbid obesity. Over half of the U.S. population is estimated to be overweight, and about one third are morbidly obese. They have even come out with a new category called super morbidly obese! Obesity as a disease of Western society is expected to continue to increase markedly over the next two decades.
Obesity is defined as an increase in the number and size of adipocytes in fat tissue.
- Overweight is a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 – 29.9
- Obesity is a BMI of 30 -46.9
- Super-Obesity is a BMI of 47 or more
Obesity if classified as a disease, as the overall mortality rate of the morbidly obese population has been demonstrated to be approximately double that of the normal weight population. More staggering is the realization that in 25 – 34 year old males the same mortality rate is increased 12 fold! This increase in mortality is explained by the medical conditions or co-morbid factors frequently associated with morbid obesity.
Obesity is expected, within a few years, to become the number one preventable cause of death in the U.S. (currently it is ranked second)
Obesity is Responsible for Many Cases of:
- Hypertension
- Diabetes Type 2
- High Cholesterol and High Triglycerides
- Coronary Heart Disease
- Congestive Heart Failure
- Stroke
- Gallbladder Disease
- Gout
- Osteoarthritis
- Complications with Pregnancy
- Respiratory Problems, including Asthma
- Cancers of the Endometrium, Breasts, Colon, and Prostate
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- Infertility
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Menstrual Irregularities
- Hirsuitism
- Stress Incontinence
- Psychological Disorders
So, what can you do about obesity?
I treat many patients for obesity. I prefer to help my patients to get healthy and to have weight loss as a side effect of that.
Obesity rarely results from one single factor. It has many causes, including nutrition, activity level, hormones, stress, lifestyle, sleep, and genetics. Some researchers estimate that up to 70% of the variability in weight among humans can be explained by genetic influences, but it is extremely unlikely that changes in human genes account for the recent change in obesity prevalence. The good news is that most of the variables contributing to obesity can be prevented, limited, or managed through lifestyle choices.
Adherence to a specific diet has been shown to be the most important factor in achieving weight reduction. I like to use hCG injections with the very low calorie diet to basically reset the hypothalamus so that the body starts reacting appropriately to calories in versus energy out.
For long term maintenance of a healthy weight, a patient needs aggressive intervention that addresses all of the contributing factors – diet, exercise, hormone optimization, nutritional supplementation, diagnosis and treatment of any sleep apnea or other sleep issues, lifestyle improvements, and stress management. Moreover, lifelong success depends upon a personal commitment and self-discipline. The important thing to remember is that you need to get healthy to lose weight.
That is why we have designed our new year long weight loss program. I want to work with my patients to get weight off quickly, and then to establish habits so that they can keep it off and stay healthy for life. We will also systematically look for and treat any of the factors that have been making it impossible to lose weight and keep it off before.
If the hCG program is not for you, I have another year long program that does not use hormones or stimulants, and is even safe and effective for children as young as 10 years old!
Do yourself a favor and call and make your appointment NOW to get started. With a year long program where we give you complete support, you can finally lose your extra fat and keep it off. 512-537-8859. Ask for Chris Stockdale.
www.drliesa.com
