What Is Medical Weight Loss?

More than one third of adults in the US are overweight, according to the National Institute of Health. More than two out of every five people are thought to be clinically obese.

Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and depression may all be made more likely by being overweight or obese, but treating the underlying causes of obesity is no easy task.

The prevalence of obesity and overweight has not decreased despite the vast amount of solutions offered to consumers in the weight loss area. This is, at least in part, because many “weight loss regimes” put expediency before sustainability.

The goal of medical weight loss is to alter this norm and set higher standards for efficient care.

Bariatrics is another name for the field of medical weight loss, however the majority of people only use the term to refer to bariatric surgery. Surgical procedures are not always necessary for medical weight loss. Instead, medical weight loss refers to weight loss under a doctor’s supervision.

When medical weight reduction is done right, it should comprise a multidisciplinary strategy for treating obesity or being overweight that is based on science, medicine, and medical research. Medical weight loss refers to any weight loss program run by a qualified doctor who specializes in obesity or overweight people.

Even programs that are run by doctors, meanwhile, should be approached carefully. There are some “medical weight loss treatments” that are not based on research, are risk-free, ineffective, or long-lasting. Some programs rely entirely on supplements, meal replacements, or dubious dietary advice, while others use drugs that are not meant for long-term usage.

Several medical weight loss programs combine prescription medication with a variety of lifestyle modifications, including dietary, physical activity, and behavioral adjustments. At VirtuMed Solutions, we make sure that every component of habit modification is supported by research, positions our members for long-term success, and enhances their overall quality of life.

The contentious background of weight loss by medicine

As previously said, medical weight loss is, at its finest, a method of treating obesity or overweight that is overseen by a medical expert and founded on medically supported scientific research that aims to address the underlying causes of obesity and weight gain.

Is medical weight loss effective? You’re not alone if you have doubts: Over the past few decades, the profession of “medical weight loss” has suffered because it has been appropriated by numerous dubious businesses and brands.

When the term “medical weight loss” was first coined in the 1990s and early 2000s, it was frequently used to refer to prescription weight-reduction drugs like Fen-Phen or possibly dangerous, unregulated supplements. Many people also mistakenly believe that high-risk weight loss surgery and medicinal weight loss are the same thing. With the proper direction from a medical specialist, non-surgical weight loss is entirely possible.

MEDICAL WEIGHT LOSS: HOW DOES IT WORK?

Evidence-based medical weight loss often begins with an initial consultation, some baseline laboratory testing, a program prescribed by a doctor that includes medication and lifestyle changes, and regular follow-ups for a time frame ranging from several months to a year or longer. Our program at VirtuMed Solutions is available for a complete calendar year.

Why take into account medical weight loss? Licensed medical experts are significantly more knowledgeable about the subject of weight loss than any fitness expert or wellness coach because they often have between 11 and 18 years of formal study in their field.

With the help of a doctor, you can identify and treat any medical issues that might be preventing you from losing weight as quickly as you could. Also, rather to relying solely on willpower, prescription drugs will assist you in achieving results by addressing your biology.

Medical weight loss vs. VirtuMed Solutions

The VirtuMed method is anchored in biology and places metabolic health at the heart of every effort—not simply the number on the scale—unlike traditional “medical weight loss,” which could mean many different things. Our approach is made to assist you in making minor adjustments to your eating, sleeping, exercising, and emotional health routines that are simple to maintain and tailored to your particular situation.

VirtuMed Can Help You Lose Weight Medically and Permanently.

With VirtuMed, medical weight loss extends far beyond the use of prescription drugs and professional advice. When you enroll in the VirtuMed program, a coach will also be assigned to you who will serve as your accountability partner and cheerleader, encouraging you to uphold your commitments.

You’ll also get unrestricted access to a comprehensive curriculum created by our Expert Council and Clinical Advisory Board while working with your VirtuMed Medical Team to track progress. The curriculum offers intense, evidence-based lifestyle interventions that can help you lose weight, improve your metabolic health, and increase the effectiveness of your GLP-1 medicine.

The Four Pillars of Metabolic Health—Food, Sleep, Exercise, and Emotional Health—are the focus of the VirtuMed curriculum. Together with your coach, you’ll aim to advance in each of these areas:

• FOOD: VirtuMed’s food philosophy will assist you in developing a sustainable and adaptable approach to diet that focuses on reducing quickly digested carbohydrates and choosing better options like fiber and healthy proteins and fats—without restricting or monitoring calories. You’ll feel more in control of what you eat thanks to these simple and long-lasting modifications to your meal plan, which will also help to lower blood sugar, enhance intestinal health, and improve overall health.
• SLEEP: A healthy metabolism and brain depend on getting enough sleep. Consistency is important, though: An increase in the risk of cardiometabolic health risks and irregular sleep patterns are strongly correlated, according to a 2018 study. At VirtuMed, you will discover how to create a routine that can enhance sleep quality and reduce cardiometabolic health risks with 7-9 hours of sound sleep each night.
• EXERCISE: It is well known that regular exercise can improve a variety of aspects of your health. Several studies have shown that exercise can enhance your mood, strengthen your bones, lower your risk of cancer and type 2 diabetes, and improve your heart health. In order to promote metabolic health, VirtuMed’s exercise program prioritizes 150 minutes of movement each week, makes it a regular and enjoyable part of the day, and gradually introduces weight training into the regimen.
• EMOTIONAL HEALTH: Everyone is familiar with the symptoms of stress, including stiff muscles, a tight throat, and an accelerated heartbeat. But, prolonged stress can negatively affect both your mental and physical health. It should come as no surprise that stress levels can affect the hormones that control your appetite, metabolism, and weight. You will learn how to implement stress-reduction techniques supported by science and identify emotional triggers that affect metabolic health using VirtuMed’s approach to emotional wellness.