- New research shows lifestyle changes and weight Loss medications may help lead to a 10 percent weight loss.
- Losing weight in a sustainable and healthy way is usually very difficult.
- According to experts, this new data will help people who want to lose weight work safely with their doctors.
A new study shows that the combination of lifestyle changes and weight loss medications has helped obese and overweight people maintain weight loss of nearly 11% over up to five years.
According to researchers, weight loss of more than 10% has significant health benefits.
“If weight loss can be sustained, it can reverse metabolic disorders that have significant benefits for patients with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many other diseases for which obesity is the underlying cause,” the lead study said. Michael A. Weintraub, MD, Fellow of Endocrine Science, Diabetes and Metabolism, lead author Weil Cornell Medicine, told Healthline.
Waitraub and the team presented their findings at ENDO 2022, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society held in Atlanta, Georgia on June 12.
“Our actual study,” said Waitraub. “Anti-obesity drugs that accompany lifestyle changes can achieve significant weight loss of 10% of body weight, indicating that the loss is sustained over the long term.”
This study analyzed data from 428 patients at the Academic Weight Management Center.
“This study helps guide practitioners towards the design of personalized, accessible treatment regimens to assist patients in long-term weight loss,” he said.
All patients received counseling during their office visits after a hypoglycemic diet and exercise by an obesity medical expert and were provided with additional counseling by a registered dietitian.
Medical interventions included FDA-approved out-of-line weight loss medications, including metformin, phentermine, and topiramate.
By the final visit, patients were using an average of two medications for weight management.
After about 5 years of follow-up, participants maintained an average weight loss of 10.7%.
“In our study, we were amazed at the amount of weight loss achieved and maintained,” Weintraub said. “By adding an anti-obesity drug, patients lost and maintained an average of 10% of their body weight, which was 23 pounds in this cohort.”
He added that one-third of patients can maintain long-term weight loss of over 15%.
“Continuous weight loss can undo metabolic disorders that have significant benefits for patients with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many other diseases for which obesity is the root cause,” Weintraub said. Mr. says.
Brian Kebeman, MD, FACS, Obesity Surgeon, and Founder of the NEW Program in Orange County, California, says that for many people who are overweight or obese, a 10% weight loss means they will be moderately weighted. I said I wouldn’t.
“Yes, 10 percent weight loss offers some health benefits,” Quebbemann said.
He compared it to people with blood pressures above 200 and 140. They should be given medication that lowers blood pressure from 120 to 180. Even at that level, they are still considered hypertensive.
“Yes, they’re better, but they’re still a long way from achieving healthy blood pressure,” Kebeman said.
Suchitra Rao, MD, an obesity doctor at O’Connor Hospital in San Jose, California, said weight loss medications, when used properly, can help people safely reach their weight loss goals.
“But obesity is a chronic and complex relapsed disease,” she said. “You may need to continue them for a long time to maintain weight loss and prevent weight recovery.”
Rao has benefited lifestyle interventions to promote and maintain weight loss, including behavioral changes to adapt lifestyles to eating a healthy diet, learning to stay active regardless of age, and stress. He added that it includes management, and getting enough sleep.
According to Minisha Food, MD, an endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, all medicines have potential side effects, but the real question is whether the benefits of the medicine outweigh the risks.
“In the case of obesity, the benefits often outweigh the risks,” she said. “Metformin, topiramate and phentermine have been used for many years and have been successful in a safe way.”
Sood pointed out that these drugs have manageable side effects that can be easily discontinued if someone experiences intolerable side effects.
However, if you stop taking the medication, you may gain weight.
Jonathan Patel, a registered dietitian at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, said that relying solely on lifestyle changes to lose weight does not work for many.
“The two most common are hypothyroidism and PCOS, which require prescription drugs as well as lifestyle changes,” he said.
Asked if weight loss drugs are the best option for those who don’t seem to be able to lose weight on a diet or exercise alone, he said they could be a useful tool.
A new study found that the combination of weight loss medications and lifestyle changes can lead to significant long-term weight loss.
According to experts, weight may return when you stop taking medication.
They also encourage people trying to lose weight to thoroughly assess their lifestyle and make healthy changes that promote weight loss.
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