About Obesity
OBESITY IS NOT A LIFESTYLE PROBLEM.
It is a complex, chronic disease that affects nearly a third of the adult australian population. Two-thirds of Australians are either overweight or obese.
There are many lifestyle factors that can be modified that can contribute towards weight gain, such as overeating, soft-drinks, food choices, eating patterns, lack of physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, modern living.
There are also factors that you cannot control that may or may not be able to be modified that contribute towards weight gain such as medical conditions, medications, physiological states such as puberty, pregnancy, menopause and mental health conditions such as depression, stress and anxiety.
Furthermore, your genes strongly influence whether you are able to develop obesity or not (hence why some people can have extremely unhealthy behaviours and still not gain weight).
The way in which your genes are influenced by behaviour and the environment is referred to as “epigenetics” and this provides an explanation of how obesity occurs in a large number of the population.
Why is it so hard to keep the weight off?
Your body has “allostatic mechanisms” which essentially work to try to keep weight steady at what can be referred to as a “set-point”. Historically, our bodies see weight-loss as “bad” because it was associated with famine and illness.
As you lose weight, your body’s metabolic rate will slow, which is why weight-loss will eventually plateau. Neurohormonal signals that increase hunger and appetite can also make it more difficult.
These factors can then lead to weight regain, which is why we often see the yo-yo weight loss-gain cycling.
After weight-loss, an individual needs to continue to consume less calories to maintain weight-loss which can be difficult to sustain.
Treatments for obesity
Only a small proportion of the population seek out effective treatments to manage their weight, due to social stigma, lack of knowledge and information.
Access to effective treatments for weight-loss is poor because the government does not fund effective treatments such as medication and procedures, but instead prefers to focus on “prevention”.
It has been demonstrated in the past that population based interventions to promote healthy lifestyle does not work.
Due to the majority of the population being overweight or obese, it is not seen as big of a health issue as other diseases such as COVID.
The result is that many people who would benefit from interventions to help manage their weight, do not receive the help that they need.
The reality is that obesity has a huge health and financial burden to society. It contributes to many diseases, loss of ability to work, and decreased social participation. There are significant physical, mental and social effects on an individual.
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Optimise nutrition and diet
Regular exercise and physical activity
Manage stress and mental well-being
Get enough sleep
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Metformin
Duromine
GLP-1 Analogues (Liraglutide - Saxenda / Semaglutide - Ozempic / Wegovy)
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Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band
Sleeve Gastrectomy
Gastric Bypass
Duodenal Switch
You have a choice
Any intervention is better than none
Surgical procedures are the most effective treatments for long-lasting weight loss.
Non-surgical procedures are far more effective than lifestyle interventions alone.
Medications require you to take the medication indefinitely.
Lifestyle interventions have the highest chance of relapse, and typically lead to yo-yo weight loss-gain cycling.