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obesity At the Center for Obesity Management, the staff believe that the only way for you to achieve and maintain permanent weight loss is to change your lifestyle. Unfortunately, there are no “quick fixes”. Rather, a team of specialists will work together to help you modify your eating habits and increase or intensify your exercise regimen. If you are unable to maintain long-term weight loss despite these modifications, medical and surgical therapies are available. It is important to consult with your primary care physician before beginning any weight-loss program. If you do not have a primary care doctor, the Center for Obesity Management can help find the right one for you. NUTRITION COUNSELING AND LIFESTYLE EDUCATION Weight loss and maintenance require a life-long commitment to proper nutrition. At the Center, registered dietitians will initiate treatment with a “lifestyle assessment”, through which your eating habits, food preferences, work schedules, medical problems, and levels of physical activity will be reviewed. Based on your assessment, a personalized calorie-restricted diet will be created. At the Center for Obesity Management, you will be taught to alter your lifestyle by learning how to interpret food labels, control food portions, modify cooking techniques and recipes, shop for low-fat food, and integrate healthful food choices into your daily life. Ongoing counseling is available in individual and group settings. THE ROLE OF EXERCISE IN OBESITY MANAGEMENT Scientific evidence strongly suggests that long-term weight loss depends on incorporating exercise into one's daily routine. At the Center, a physical therapist will evaluate your current level of energy expenditure and tailor an individual exercise program to meet your needs. Exercise programs include a variety of options, including low-impact, low-intensity activities such as walking, biking, and swimming. MEDICATION Medication has proven to be a significant aid for many people trying to lose weight or keep weight off. At the Center for Obesity Management, obesity is recognized as a chronic disease for which successful treatment frequently entails the careful and responsible use of medication. When medication is deemed appropriate, patients receive: a thorough medical and nutritional evaluation, from which appropriate medications, if any, are determined a clear explanation of the potential benefits and side effects of medication follow-up care to monitor progress and manage difficulties BEHAVIORAL COUNSELING FOR LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION If you are unable to maintain diet or exercise regimens, or you are not an ideal candidate for medical or surgical treatment, behavioral counseling is often beneficial. This counseling includes weekly meetings with a psychologist who will devise a plan for behavioral change. Thereafter, half-hour meetings will be scheduled biweekly to monitor progress. Through behavioral counseling you will learn to: monitor your calories identify and modify lifestyle habits that contribute to problem eating manage cravings and resist binges cope with social and interpersonal situations that may promote overeating manage stress that may contribute to unhealthy eating explore strategies for sustaining the motivation to exercise SURGERY FOR THE TREATMENT OF OBESITY If other treatments fail to produce satisfactory results, you may consult your doctor about surgical treatment, which often provides long-term, significant weight loss. Surgery is an aid to modifying eating habits and is successful for the majority of patients. Surgical treatment is part of a multidisciplinary approach that also includes: nutritional counseling exercise training long-term follow-up care. |
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