paint-brush
Hacking Weight Loss Once And For All [Infographic]by@brianwallace
4,215 reads
4,215 reads

Hacking Weight Loss Once And For All [Infographic]

by Brian Wallace2mDecember 29th, 2021
Read on Terminal Reader
Read this story w/o Javascript
tldt arrow

Too Long; Didn't Read

Less than 50% of physicians in the U.S. have the proper training to give the best weight loss advice. Obesity leads to a death rate three times greater than that of the overall population. Mental illnesses can cause toxic stress that impacts the brain’s ability to function leading to problems with anxiety, impulsivity, mood control, and impaired memory. Depression can even lead to food addictions that cause similar physical patterns and behaviors to those that form from substance abuse. Obesity slows down the metabolism to the point that losing weight and keeping it off becomes almost impossible.

Company Mentioned

Mention Thumbnail
featured image - Hacking Weight Loss Once And For All [Infographic]
Brian Wallace HackerNoon profile picture

Many people are concerned about their weight and therefore try to find ways to lose the excess weight.  However, weight loss is rarely a simple feat.  It is made harder when few doctors even know how to address the topic of weight loss as less than 0.5% of physicians in the U.S. have the proper training to give the best advice.  

As a result, there is a growing need for a better way to address weight loss that is safe, effective, and professional as several overweight patients do not get the treatment they need due to being judged by their primary care doctors.  Studies done by Johns Hopkins show that overweight patients are more likely to switch doctors often, and researchers believe that unpleasant comments and unwelcomed weight advice play a role.  This causes a probability of at least 85% of these overweight patients to ultimately land in the emergency room compared to normal-weight patients. 

Many doctors also do not prescribe weight loss prescriptions to the majority of eligible patients even though there are many safe and effective options available, such as Contrave (which was FDA-approved in 2014) and semaglutide.

Mental health issues caused by exposure to long term toxic stress can additionally affect people’s health and the ability to lose weight.  Toxic stress which can result from trauma experiences as early as childhood impacts the brain’s ability to function leading to problems with anxiety, impulsivity, mood control, and impaired memory, making it more difficult to maintain motivation and adopt necessary behaviors that will help with weight loss.

Obesity leads to a death rate three times greater than that of the overall population. And, people that are overweight tend to move less which slows down the metabolism to the point that losing weight and keeping it off becomes almost impossible.

Depression can have a significant effect on weight as well.  Living with depression can make people feel hungrier than they usually do or lose their appetite.  Depression can even lead to food addictions that cause similar physical patterns and behaviors to those that form from substance abuse.  

With more attention to weight loss tactics now more than ever, a new approach to weight loss is necessary that can help people where they are in their weight loss journey and for the long term.