Do weight loss pills work?
Weight loss
Who can benefit from weight-loss medications?
Are you an adult who suffers from major health issues as a result of your weight? Have you tried dieting and exercising but still haven't lost enough weight? A prescription weight-loss medicine may be a possibility for you if you answered yes to these questions.
Prescription weight-loss medicines, on the other hand, are used in addition to, not instead of, diet and exercise.
Who can benefit from weight-loss medications?
If you haven't been able to lose weight with diet and exercise and satisfy one of the following criteria, your doctor may recommend a weight-loss medicine for you:
Your BMI (body mass index) is more than 30
You have a BMI of more than 27 and a major medical condition associated with obesity, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
Your doctor will evaluate your medical history and current health issues before prescribing a medication for you. Then your doctor will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of prescription weight-loss medicines with you.
It's vital to keep in mind that weight-loss medications aren't right for everyone. Prescription weight-loss medicines, for example, should not be used if you are attempting to conceive, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
How effective are weight-loss pills?
When compared to placebo, prescription weight-reduction medicines approved for long-term usage (greater than 12 weeks) achieve significant weight loss. When weight-loss medicine and lifestyle changes are combined, weight loss is greater than when lifestyle improvements are made alone.
Over the course of a year, this can equate to a weight loss of 3% to 7% of total body weight in addition to what can be achieved with lifestyle modifications alone. That may appear to be a small sum. However, a prolonged weight loss of 5% to 10% can have significant health benefits, including reduced blood pressure, blood sugar, and lipid levels.
What you need to know about weight-loss medications
Nausea, constipation, and diarrhoea are all frequent adverse effects. They might become better with time. Serious negative effects are quite rare. As a result, it's critical to have a full discussion with your doctor about treatment alternatives.
Weight-loss medications can be costly, and insurance does not always cover them. Inquire about coverage with your insurance company.
When patients quit taking weight-loss medicines, they often regain part of the weight they lost. Adopting healthy living behaviours, on the other hand, may assist reduce weight growth.
How long does pharmaceutical treatment last?
The length of time you'll take a weight-loss medicine is determined by how effective it is in helping you lose weight. Your doctor may recommend that you continue taking the prescription indefinitely if you've lost enough weight to enhance your health and haven't experienced any major adverse effects.
If you haven't lost at least 5% of your body weight after three to six months on the full dose of a medicine, your doctor will likely switch you to a different weight-loss drug.
Weight loss vs. fat loss
Although the terms "weight loss" and "fat loss" are sometimes used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings.
Weight loss refers to a reduction in overall body weight due to carbohydrate, protein, water, and fat storage.
Fat loss, on the other hand, refers to weight loss caused by fat
Fat loss is a better objective than weight reduction, because weight loss can result in muscle and water loss.
Muscle mass is essential for maintaining appropriate blood sugar levels, reducing inflammation, and preserving mobility as you age.
While a normal scale cannot distinguish between weight loss and fat loss, you can boost your chances of fat loss by eating a high-protein diet and creating a calorie deficit by increasing your physical activity and lowering your overall calorie consumption.
Maintenance strategies for weight loss
The evidence to support dieting for long-term weight loss is mixed at best.
- Participants who lost weight through dieting regained more than half of the weight they lost within two years, and by five years, they had returned more than 80 percent of the weight they lost, according to an older study of 29 research. These numbers, however, should not deter you from focusing on your nutrition and weight loss in order to enhance your health and self-image. Furthermore, diets are only helpful if they enable you to create long-term healthy habits.
- Here are some food and lifestyle suggestions that may help you avoid regaining weight. Tracking your nutrition and exercise are examples of self-monitoring practices. Tracking your calorie consumption and exercise helps you become more conscious of your habits and how they affect your weight loss objectives.
- Choose an activity that you enjoy. Bike riding, walking, swimming, taking the stairs, and playing outside with your kids are all good ways to get some exercise. Find a hobby that you enjoy and engage in it on a regular basis.
- Healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, should be readily available at home. If you have more healthy items like fruits and vegetables at home than highly processed snacks like chips and soda, you've already made the decision to eat properly.
- Make sleep a top priority and manage the stressors you can. Many of life's problems, including a lack of sleep, can hinder your weight loss efforts. Establish good sleeping patterns and attempt to find solutions to cope with worries about things you can't change.
Put complete items on your plate. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats are examples of whole and minimally processed foods. These foods can help you feel full while also providing your body with the nutrition it needs to lose weight and stay healthy.
Take Away
Weight-loss medicines aren't a quick fix for obesity. However, they might be able to assist you in making the required lifestyle modifications to help you lose weight and improve your health.
