Around one in three adults and one in twelve school-aged children are considered overweight or obese. Being overweight is complex. It affects people differently and has many different causes. Genetics and family history, some medications, lifestyle factors, being stressed, peri or post-menopausal and even where you live can all contribute to weight gain. While some of these factors may be outside your control, there are many options available to help you lose weight.
What treatments are available to help me lose weight?
Being overweight is different to being obese. Obesity is a condition where you have too much body fat and it affects your health. Obesity can increase your risk of developing diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer; and create challenges with mental health, mobility and fertility.
Working with the team at South Sydney Medical Specialists on a weight management plan can help you lose weight safely, and most importantly, keep it off.
Most commercial weight loss programs only talk about losing weight. Very few ever talk about maintaining weight loss because it is not easy. As endocrinologists, we specialise in hormones and metabolism. By looking more deeply at the cause of your weight issues, we can make a plan for treatment that may include working with dieticians, exercise physiologists and prescribing medications or surgery for weight loss and weight maintenance. If needed, we can refer you to a suitable surgeon if weight loss surgery seems like a good option for you.
Are weight loss medications an option for me?
Making changes to your diet, activity levels and lifestyle can all help you better manage your health. For some people who are overweight or obese, additional medications or weight-loss procedures are also useful to help you lose weight. Our endocrinologists may prescribe different weight loss medications for you. We will go through the pros and cons of different options to design a tailored treatment that is best suited for your needs.
Reducing your risk of metabolic syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. You may be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome if you have several of these conditions together:
High blood triglycerides (cholesterol)
Low levels of high density lipoproteins (HDL) – the ‘good’ cholesterol
Excess fat in and around the stomach (abdominal girth)
Raised blood pressure (hypertension)
High sugar levels
Everyone is at risk of developing metabolic syndrome and the risk increases as you get older. Keeping your weight under control and staying healthy and active can reduce the likelihood of developing the condition. If you have been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, our goal will be to work together to help you get rid of metabolic syndrome though the right support and treatment.
How are insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome linked?
Insulin resistance means that your body does not use the hormone insulin as effectively as it should. To fight back, your body produces more and more insulin until eventually your insulin-producing cells wear out and your blood sugar starts to rise.
Insulin resistance is linked to metabolic syndrome and increases your risk for developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Losing weight, getting regular exercise and enough sleep can all help improve your insulin sensitivity and prevent diabetes.
South Sydney Medical Specialists weight management clinic can help you lose weight and reverse the effects of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. We can also help you manage your weight as part of comprehensive medical treatment for obesity and PCOS.