Transforming Your Health: The Benefits of Medically Supervised Weight Loss Programs

Carisse Armada • June 2, 2023

Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for your overall well-being, but for many people, shedding those extra pounds can be a daunting task. The abundance of fad diets and quick-fix solutions may promise rapid results, but they often need to provide sustainable outcomes. That's where medically supervised weight loss programs come in. These programs, offered by trained medical professionals, provide a personalized approach to weight loss that considers an individual's unique health needs and goals.

This article will explore the benefits of medically supervised weight loss programs and how they can help you achieve a healthier lifestyle.

What is a Medically Supervised Weight Loss Program?

A medically supervised weight loss program is a specialized weight loss program designed and overseen by healthcare providers. It typically involves a combination of dietary changes, physical activity, behavioral therapy, and, in some cases, medication or surgery. These programs are more effective and safer than commercial weight loss programs because they are based on evidence-based medical practices and are closely monitored by healthcare professionals that include:

physicians
nurses
nurse practitioners
physician assistant
registered dietitians
psychologists

Depending on your program, you may not require assistance from each health professional. Programs typically offer customized services catering to patients' needs and health conditions.

Health Benefits of Medically Supervised Weight Loss Programs

Losing weight can be challenging, but you don't have to do it alone. You can become healthier and happy with the assistance of caring healthcare workers.

Medically supervised weight loss programs can help you reach your objectives for losing weight safely and effectively by giving you several benefits.

1. Techniques Tailored to the Patient

The doctors will make a program to address the underlying issues contributing to weight gain and create a personalized plan to reach weight loss goals. This will allow the program to be more effective in helping you achieve your weight reduction objectives.

Your doctor will formulate a personalized plan for you after considering your existing state of health, weight, and lifestyle. A tailored program can better meet an individual's particular weight loss requirements.

2. Effective and Safe

Licensed healthcare experts like physicians and dietitians will design medically monitored weight loss programs. These specialists supervise you and your progress throughout the process, guaranteeing that the program implemented for you is safe and effective.

3. Complete Medical Care

Medical weight loss programs offer comprehensive primary care consisting of the following:

medical evaluations
nutritional counseling
planning for physical activity
ongoing patient support

The various services help form good behaviors that you can continue to use in your weight loss journey for years to come.

4. Better Outcomes Regarding Health

The chance of developing chronic diseases, including diabetes and heart disease, can be significantly decreased with medical weight loss programs, which can assist patients in improving their overall health.

Additionally, losing weight can help.

improve your sleep quality
lessen the pain in your joints
boost your energy levels

5. Long-Run Success

According to a weight loss study, participants who attended weight loss programs in a supportive setting lost weight and kept it off permanently.

In addition, medical weight loss programs encourage patients to adopt healthy behaviors that will last over time, achieving long-term success. The program offers patients ongoing support to assist them in maintaining their progress toward their weight loss objectives and staying on schedule to achieve those goals.

Different Types of Medically Supervised Weight Management Programs

There are many ways to lose weight under a doctor's care, from changing your food and exercise to invasive surgery. Most of the time, the patient and doctor decide together which method to use based on the patient's health wants and goals.

Here are some common ways to lose weight under a doctor's supervision:

1. Meal Replacement Plans That Come Ready-Made

The medically supervised weight loss program based on pre-packaged meal replacement plans gives patients meal replacement products to help them lose weight. It has different types, but most plans teach people how to create healthier homecooked meals instead of eating out or ordering in.

There are existing programs like

Advanced Health System (AHS)
OPTIFAST
Health Management Resources (HMR
New Direction (Robard Corporation)
Medi-fast

2. To Change Behavior

One way to lose weight is behavior modification, especially how much you exercise and what you eat. It involves training to be more mindful of what you eat and what you do.

Most of the time, this is the first chosen weight loss method. Even when combined with other programs, these changes are essential to the success of any weight loss program overseen by a doctor.

With the help of doctors and technology, patients can keep track of what they eat and deal with being unable to eat the foods they're used to. They can also adapt exercises tailored to their bodies and fitness levels, which is especially important for keeping weight off in the long run.

3. Through Pharmacotherapy

This refers to weight loss through medications. Even though diet and exercise are the most common and suggested ways to lose weight, medically supervised weight-loss programs will use pharmacotherapy if the other methods don't work or if there are health problems.

Medication can help patients lose weight. Weight loss medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) include phentermine products like Adipex-P® or Suprenza®) which is for short-term use, as well as orlistat (Xenical® or alli®) and lorcaserin for chronic use.

Further, it is vital to remember that you should not base your decision to use any of the medications listed above solely on the information provided in this article. Getting a prescription from a doctor is highly recommended while using any medicine.

4. By Surgery to Lose Weight

Surgical weight loss has become more common as surgeons have learned how to do their jobs better, and patients have had better results over the past few decades. The best way to treat obesity is via bariatric surgery.

It usually includes three different kinds of surgery:

Gastric bypass is a procedure creating a small stomach pouch and connects it directly to the small intestine.
Sleeve gastrectomy reduces the stomach to the size of a long sleeve or a banana.
Gastric banding is when patients restrict their food intake by wearing a temporary artificial band around their stomachs.

Take Control of Your Health and Transform Your Life With the Experts

Looking up "medically supervised weight management Houston" or "Houston medically supervised weight loss program" will give you the Houston Family Practice, the best clinic to help you lose and maintain weight.

If you're tired of dealing with your weight and feeling like you're not getting anywhere, think about a weight loss program overseen by a doctor. Our weight-loss expert, Dr. Chandni Choudhary, can help you lose and maintain weight through healthy lifestyle changes. We'll work with you to make a program that fits your needs and enables you to get the desired results.