About Me

Learning About Diabetes Diagnosis, Treatment and Research

Welcome to my site, my name is Jess Indaja. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes after struggling with my weight throughout my teen years and adulthood. My doctor informed me about all of the dangers associated with my diet and exercise habits. I was encouraged to change the way I ate and moved in an effort to reverse my blood sugar problem. I made the changes, but still struggle with controlling my blood sugar. After going through this trying situation, I decided to make a site that may help others with problems associated with type 2 diabetes. I will discuss diagnostic procedures, treatments and medical research concerning this disease. I hope you visit often and learn all you can to control your type 2 diabetes or help others with this condition.

Learning About Diabetes Diagnosis, Treatment and Research

Medical Weight Loss

by Carla Hudson

Obesity increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and some cancers. Obesity often requires long-term treatment to promote and sustain weight loss. So, it is important to know what obesity is and what the treatment options are.

What is Obesity ? How do we define it?

Obesity means having too much body fat. According to the the World Health Organization (WHO), 

  • Any BMI ≥ 35 or 40 kg/m2 is severe obesity.
  • A BMI of ≥ 35 kg/m2 and experiencing obesity-related health conditions or ≥40–44.9 kg/m2 is morbid obesity.
  • A BMI of ≥ 45 or 50 kg/m2 is super obesity.

What are the treatment options ?

Diet control and regular exercise are the treatments of choice. When the energy intake exceeds the energy expenditure, you will gain weight. Most people can manage to reduce their weight by diet and exercise but some people can't. In that case, what will be the next step ?

Medical weight loss will be the answer.

There are two types of medical weight loss treatment: medications and surgery.

What Prescription Medicines Are Used to Treat Obesity?

There are two main types; appetite suppressants and fat absorption inhibitors. Appetite suppressants trick your brain that your stomach is full and fat absorption inhibitors prevent your body from breaking down and absorbing fat eaten with your meals.

The followings are some useful prescription medications for weight loss:

1. Orlistat (Xenical)

  • It acts by inhibiting the absorption of dietary fats.
  • In one-year clinical-trials, between 35.5% and 54.8% of subjects achieved a 5% or greater decrease in body mass, although not all of this mass was necessarily fat. Between 16.4% and 24.8% achieved at least a 10% decrease in body fat.
  • It is contraindicated in malabsorption, hypersensitivity to orlistat, reduced gall bladder function, impaired liver function, pancreatic disease, pregnancy and breast-feeding.
  • Side effects can be gastrointestinal tract related because of the inhibition of fat absorption.

2. Lorcaserin (Belviq)

  • It is an appetite suppressant.
  • BLOOM-DM trial examined the effect of lorcaserin in patients with diabetes mellitus. 16.1% lost 5% or more weight under placebo, whereas 37.5% lost 5% or more under lorcaserin.
  • The most common side effect is headache.

3. Phentermine/topiramate (Qsymia)

  • It is a combination of Phentermine (appetite suppressant) and Topiramate (anticonvulsant with weight loss side effect).
  • In clinical trials, people treated with the highest dose of phentermine/topiramate ER in combination with a program of diet and exercise lost 10% to 11% of their body weight compared to 1% to 2% for those who received placebo.
  • It is contraindicated in pregnancy, glaucoma, hyperthyroidism.

Bariatric Surgery and Liposuction are surgical interventions for weight loss.  Bariatric surgery is a name used for a number of surgeries that can ultimately lead to weight loss. Generally patients would need to have a body mass index above 35 in order to be considered for the procedure. They also must be able to undergo surgery and participate in follow up. Liposuction is often portrayed as an operation where large amounts of fat are sucked out of the body, it is not used for major weight loss. The most weight a patient will lose in liposuction is only 10 to 12 pounds.

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