Endocrine Problems and Their Relation to Unwanted Weight
Dr. Friedman’s main approach to weight loss is to rule out any endocrine problems, such as hypothyroidism, Cushing syndrome, or growth hormone deficiency, that may lead to weight gain. This is then followed by encouraging the patient to consume a low-calorie diet, and he often recommends eating a large quantity of vegetables, as they are low in calories with a large amount of nutrition, as well as to increase exercise.
He recommends using an app like Lose It! or MyFitnessPal to track calories. However, many patients need a jumpstart for the weight loss, and this is where weight loss medicine comes into play. Dr. Friedman often prescribes weight loss medications after other endocrine conditions are diagnosed/treated.
At Dr. Friedman’s most recent Endocrine Society meeting, it was pointed out that only 2% of patients with obesity are on weight loss medications. Imagine if only 2% or patients with diabetes were on diabetes medicines or 2% of patients with high blood pressure were on anti-hypertensive medications.