Obesity affects millions of Americans. Over the last couple of decades, it has spread from the adult population to adolescents and children. Although it is often attributed to poor eating habits and a lack of exercise, the truth is really a bit more complicated than that. The process by which the body converts food into energy can be influenced by chemicals in the environment, over which we have little control, and by genetics, over which we have zero control. It is a complex combination of genetic susceptibility, biological pathways related to metabolism and body weight regulation, and environmental factors.1
World Health Organization Fast Facts on Obesity
• Worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975.
• In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 650 million were obese.
• 39% of adults aged 18 years and over were overweight in 2016, and 13% were obese.
• Most of the world’s population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.
• 39 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2020.
• Over 340 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight or obese in 2016.
• Obesity is preventable.2
Health effects from obesity
People affected by obesity have a higher chance of developing serious health problems, including:
• Asthma
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Ccardiovascular disease
• Stroke
• 13 types of cancer
Together, these are among the leading causes of preventable or premature death.
Combating obesity through medically assisted weight management
As many patients struggle (and often fail) to lose weight on their own, many physicians have developed a helpful solution to offer obese patients: medically assisted weight-loss programs. These programs are designed to help patients overcome their weight-loss challenges in a safe, healthy way that includes a customized diet plan, exercise routine, prescribed medication(s) and medical supervision to help promote healthy weight loss based on their individual needs.
Medically supervised weight-loss programs provide patients with the resources needed to lose weight and maintain it, as well as sustain a healthier lifestyle. Many patients who have taken advantage of these programs have experienced an improved quality of life and are now at a much lower risk for obesity-related illnesses — many of which can be life-threatening.
What Does a Medically Assisted Weight-Loss Program Monitor?
The best medically assisted weight loss programs monitor things like:
• Caloric intake
• Water intake
• Exercise routine
• Blood pressure
• Sugar levels
• Heart rate
• Reactions to medication
• Psychological state of mind
• Emotional state of mind
In Southwest Florida there are obviously many options for weight loss programs. Finding a doctor who genuinely cares for his patients is important. Dr. John Devine, MD, at Center for Urogynecology and Female Pelvic Health in Venice is currently accepting new patients looking to manage their weight in a safe and effective way. Patients visit Dr. Devine’s office for an initial consultation to discuss their current weight, their goal weight, current eating habits, exercise, diet and what they have tried in the past in terms of weight management. In this consultation, a diet and exercise plan is discussed. After this initial meeting, the patient is then sent for a blood work panel to assure they are healthy and able to take the medications that Dr. Devine will prescribe to aid in weight loss. The medication is a compound created in a specialty pharmacy that is tailored to meet each individual patient’s needs. After beginning the medications, the patient will return after a month to see if any adjustments are necessary and discuss progress. At this time, another blood panel is done to assure that everything is going well. After this, the patient will only need to come back every 3 months for checkups.
John B. Devine, MD
If you’d like more information, please visit
Dr. Devine’s website at:
www.johndevinemd.com/contactus