Professional & Medical Weight Loss Help

For the average person, starting a new diet or exercise program usually does not require a visit to a doctor or physician. While the warning to do so is on every piece of exercise equipment and as a disclaimer on all diets, diet pills and diet supplements, most of us feel no ill side effects from engaging in behavior that will make us healthier in the long run. However, when your weight begins to have an effect on your health and you suddenly are placed in a high risk group for diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol, consulting a doctor is necessary before beginning any sort of weight loss program. Obesity can wreak havoc on your body and on your health and there are options to help aid weight loss that for most people are not necessarily the right fit. Prescription diet pills and gastric bypass surgery are often last resorts for people that have tried diet and exercise but to no avail.

            For prescription weight loss pills, there are basically two specific types on the market at this time. Sibutramine (Meridia™) works within your brain chemistry to make you feel fuller quicker. This sensation of being full should trigger your body to stop eating thus reducing the amount of food you eat and in turn reducing the amount of calories you consume. Common side effects include increased blood pressure, dry mouth, insomnia and constipation. Because of the risk of increased blood pressure, it is important to take your medicine properly and have regular checks by your doctor. The other prescription diet pill available is Orlistat (Xenical™). Orlistat works differently from sibutramine in that it works to block the absorption of fat in your intestines. By combining this drug with diet and exercise, it helps increase weight loss by decreasing fat absorption. Common side effects of this drug include frequent bowel movements, diarrhea, bloating and abdominal pain. While the two prescription diet pills work in very different ways, both require the constant monitoring by your physician as well as diet and exercise. These pills are not meant to replace diet and exercise and are most effect when used in conjunction with the two. It is also interesting to mention the similarities between prescription diet pills and herbal diet supplements that are available. Hoodia Gordonii, which has come into the national spotlight within the last few months, acts similar to Subutramine in that it also creates the sensation of feeling full. Hoodia Gordonii also increases energy and without the effects of dizziness and jitters. Cha de burge, another new and popular herbal weight loss supplement, also helps trick the mind into feeling full on smaller portions and has a wide variety of other health benefits. Herbal supplements are often regarded as folk remedies but work in similar ways to prescription drugs. For many who chose prescription drugs, it is often as a last resort to lose weight and need the monitoring of a doctor to do so properly.

            Gastric bypass is another medical form of weight loss that has been in the news recently due to several popular celebrities undergoing the treatment. Gastric bypass is not a weight loss option that is readily available to most people and can carry serious complications. The procedure requires potential candidates to under a physical and psychological screening to deem them ready for the procedure. The psychological screening is used to determine if a candidate is ready and willing to truly change there lifestyle before and after the procedure. Gastric bypass is not a miracle surgery that cures obesity but rather a step in the right direction for a healthier life. Gastric bypass is used only in extreme obesity cases in which the risks of surgery outweigh the risks of obesity. A gastric bypass surgery creates a small pouch at the top of your stomach and then creates a bypass around the rest of the stomach and to the small intestines. The pouch is then sealed off from the rest of the stomach resulting in a pouch that can contain approximately one ounce of food. The small intestine that is connected to the pouch also plays a role in weight loss, as it connects the pouch to the lower small intestines that allows for limited calorie intake. Even though the lower stomach and upper small intestines are not being used, they remain healthy and active during the whole procedure. For twelve weeks following the surgery, the patient follows a very specific dietary progression of liquids, then pureed and soft foods and finally regular food. Weight loss often begins to occur relatively soon after the surgery and can continue for up to two years. Gastric bypass is by far the most popular form of weight loss surgery but there are other options available. They include: adjustable gastric banding, which divides the stomach into two portions by an adjustable band and creates a small channel between the two; vertical banded gastroplasty, which is similar to adjustable gastric banding but replaces the band with staples; and biliopancreatic division, which requires part of your stomach to be removed and the remaining part of your stomach to be attached to your lower small intestines in which very few calories are absorbed. These surgical weight loss options have about the same success rate as gastric bypass surgery but still require a drastic lifestyle change.

            Medical weight loss is not for everyone and should not be viewed as a miraculous way to lose weight. Prescription weight loss pills can carry some serious side effects and need to be taken exactly as prescribed and while under the care of a doctor. Surgical weight loss options are only available to those severely obese and who have tried other options. Both medical options need to be combined with diet and exercise to see the maximum weight loss and more importantly to keep the weight off. As with any commitment to losing weight, it is equally as important to change the habits that caused you to gain weight in order to maintain weight loss.