This month’s Healthy Actions column, which is a monthly look at a medical topic of interest with a local expert, focuses on medical weight loss programs coordinated by a physician.
Dr. Manjinder Kaur is an endocrinologist and director of the Medical Weight Loss Program at Western Reserve Hospital in Cuyahoga Falls.
More:Betty Lin-Fisher: Links to Healthy Actions columns
Kaur said there have been advancements in anti-obesity medications and other treatment tools in recent years.
This is an edited version of my interview. There is also a Beacon Journal podcast of the interview available.
More:Links to other Beacon Journal podcasts
What is a physician-supervised medical weight loss program?
We have a non-surgical weight loss program and a surgical weight-loss program at Western Reserve. In our program, we offer patients non-surgical tools, lifestyle changes, medications, guidance and support.
When would a patient come see a specialist?
Obesity is a chronic medical condition and it should be identified as such. When we think of any medical problem like high blood pressure or diabetes, we go seek help from from our physicians. For obesity, patients feel like they need to take care of this themselves and somehow they have to figure it out.
Since it is a medical problem, they should seek help from their primary care physician or medical weight loss specialist to help them get to their goal weight.
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Obesity can increase the risk of various different metabolic diseases like diabetes and hypertension. Weight loss can make a huge impact on those patients.
Patients can start with their primary care physician and get a referral or they can call us directly.
Generally, a patient with a body mass index greater than 30 or a BMI greater than 27 with a weight-related condition like diabetes, hypertension or sleep apnea …….