Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDietary ChangesPhysical ActivityBehavioral ModificationsWeight Loss MedicationsHormonal TreatmentSurgeryDevicesBrowning White Fat CellsOff-Label DrugsHealth RisksBest TreatmentNext in Obesity GuideHow to Prevent Obesity
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Dietary Changes
Physical Activity
Behavioral Modifications
Weight Loss Medications
Hormonal Treatment
Surgery
Devices
Browning White Fat Cells
Off-Label Drugs
Health Risks
Best Treatment
Next in Obesity Guide
Obesity is considered a disease because it can lead to numerous adverse health effects, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure, among others.There are a wide variety of treatment options to help you lose weight. Treatments include nutrition, exercise, medications, procedures, and other therapies that help people lose excess weight.
This article will touch on all of the treatment options so you can determine which is right for you.
Changing your diet can be critical for promoting weight loss. You gain weight when you consume morecaloriesthan you need. Hence, your healthcare provider may recommend diet changes to reduce energy (calorie) density while ensuring you get the necessary vitamins and nutrients.They may refer you to aregistered dietician (RD)to provide a personalized dietary plan to meet your needs.
A healthcare provider may recommend one of two evidence-based approaches to diet patterns, including theMediterraneanandDietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension (DASH)diets, which emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein.
Alongside dietary changes, increasing physical activity helps you burn more calories. As such, healthcare providers frequently recommend adopting aregular fitness regimenalongside nutritional changes.
Adults should get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, such as brisk walks or jogging. Alternatively, you can aim for 75 to 150 minutes of high-intensity exercise, such as running, weightlifting, soccer, and jumping rope. You can also combine moderate and high-intensity activities.
Behavioral modifications and therapies can help you take onweight-associated stigmasand support you in making lifestyle changes to manage obesity. Certain behaviors—such as how much you eat, your eating patterns, and what you associate eating with—all influence weight status. Behavioral modification therapy aims to recognize these and develop strategies to promote exercise, diet, and weight loss goals.
Obesity
A healthcare provider may prescribecertain medicationsto assist in obesity management. They don’t work alone and must be taken alongside exercise, dietary, and behavioral modifications. Several of these are available in the United States, includingSaxenda(liraglutide), Xenical (orlistat), Qsymia (phentermine-topiramate), Wegovy (semaglutide), Contrave (naltrexone-bupropion), and Zepbound (tirzepatide), among others.
Hormones in the gut regulate your body’s sense of fullness and are released to signal your body to stop eating. Injections boosting these levels, alongside other interventions, can reduce your caloric intake and alter your food preferences. Approved hormonal treatments in the United States includeSaxenda (liraglutide), Wegovy (semaglutide), and Mounjaro (tirzepatide).
Is Anxiety a Side Effect of Obesity?
There are three types of fat in your body:
WAT comprises the majority, forming as sugars break down to form fat content. BAT is brown and helps the body keep warm when cold, burning calories. In turn, beige adipose tissue resembles BAT and forms as WAT cells “brown.”
Additionally, some medications used for obesity and diabetes, such as glucagon-like receptor 1 (GLP-1) agonists like Trulicity (dulaglutide), or Saxenda (liraglutide), among others, can also promote the browning of WAT.
Are Off-Label Drugs a Good Obesity Treatment?
Health Risks Associated With Weight
Excess weight and obesity can significantly impact your health. These issues raise the risk of numerous diseases and health conditions, including:
What’s the Best Treatment for Obesity?
There is no singular “best” approach to obesity. Each medical approach has advantages and disadvantages, requiring lifestyle changes to achieve lasting results. It can take multiple attempts or methods to get results. Researchers have found that about half of those who’ve lost weight regain what they lost within two years, with this climbing to 80% of people after five years.
This means that, when considering your options, you’ll need to find the right combination of methods that work for you. Since there’s much misinformation and marketing about weight loss approaches and products, the best bet is to talk to your healthcare provider. They’ll be able to help you find a plan that enables you to achieve and maintain weight loss.
Tips for Starting Your Weight Loss Journey
Summary
Obesity and excessive weight can cause serious health problems, making weight management a critical component of overall health. Obesity treatments include changing your diet, physical activity, medications, and behavior and considering surgeries and other devices when other treatments are ineffective.Ultimately, the most successful treatment will best fit your lifestyle and goals; talk to your healthcare provider about your options.
16 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Defining adult overweight and obesity.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult obesity facts.Smethers AD, Rolls BJ.Dietary management of obesity: cornerstones of healthy eating patterns.Med Clin North Am. 2018;102(1):107-124. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2017.08.009National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Choose heart-healthy foods.U.S. Department and of Health and Human Services.Executive summary: physical activity guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition.Kelley CP, Sbrocco G, Sbrocco T.Behavioral modification for the management of obesity.Prim Care. 2016;43(1):159-175. doi:10.1016/j.pop.2015.10.004National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Prescription medications to treat overweight and obesity.Ard J, Fitch A, Fruh S, Herman L.Weight loss and maintenance related to the mechanism of action of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists.Adv Ther. 2021;38(6):2821-2839. doi:10.1007/s12325-021-01710-0Roh E, Choi KM.Hormonal gut-brain signaling for the treatment of obesity.Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(4):3384. doi:10.3390/ijms24043384National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Types of weight loss surgery.Ruban A, Doshi A, Lam E, Teare JP.Medical devices in obesity treatment.Curr Diab Rep. 2019;19(10):90. doi:10.1007/s11892-019-1217-3Kaisanlahti A, Glumoff T.Browning of white fat: agents and implications for beige adipose tissue to type 2 diabetes.J Physiol Biochem. 2019;75(1):1-10. doi:10.1007/s13105-018-0658-5Hendricks EJ.Off-label drugs for weight management.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2017;10:223-234. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S95299U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Medications containing semaglutide marketed for type 2 diabetes or weight loss.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Health effects of overweight and obesity.Hall KD, Kahan S.Maintenance of lost weight and long-term management of obesity.Med Clin North Am. 2018;102(1):183-197. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2017.08.012Additional ReadingNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Choose heart-healthy foods.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Choose heart-healthy foods.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What are overweight and obesity?National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What are overweight and obesity?
16 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Defining adult overweight and obesity.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult obesity facts.Smethers AD, Rolls BJ.Dietary management of obesity: cornerstones of healthy eating patterns.Med Clin North Am. 2018;102(1):107-124. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2017.08.009National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Choose heart-healthy foods.U.S. Department and of Health and Human Services.Executive summary: physical activity guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition.Kelley CP, Sbrocco G, Sbrocco T.Behavioral modification for the management of obesity.Prim Care. 2016;43(1):159-175. doi:10.1016/j.pop.2015.10.004National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Prescription medications to treat overweight and obesity.Ard J, Fitch A, Fruh S, Herman L.Weight loss and maintenance related to the mechanism of action of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists.Adv Ther. 2021;38(6):2821-2839. doi:10.1007/s12325-021-01710-0Roh E, Choi KM.Hormonal gut-brain signaling for the treatment of obesity.Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(4):3384. doi:10.3390/ijms24043384National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Types of weight loss surgery.Ruban A, Doshi A, Lam E, Teare JP.Medical devices in obesity treatment.Curr Diab Rep. 2019;19(10):90. doi:10.1007/s11892-019-1217-3Kaisanlahti A, Glumoff T.Browning of white fat: agents and implications for beige adipose tissue to type 2 diabetes.J Physiol Biochem. 2019;75(1):1-10. doi:10.1007/s13105-018-0658-5Hendricks EJ.Off-label drugs for weight management.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2017;10:223-234. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S95299U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Medications containing semaglutide marketed for type 2 diabetes or weight loss.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Health effects of overweight and obesity.Hall KD, Kahan S.Maintenance of lost weight and long-term management of obesity.Med Clin North Am. 2018;102(1):183-197. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2017.08.012Additional ReadingNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Choose heart-healthy foods.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Choose heart-healthy foods.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What are overweight and obesity?National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What are overweight and obesity?
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Defining adult overweight and obesity.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult obesity facts.Smethers AD, Rolls BJ.Dietary management of obesity: cornerstones of healthy eating patterns.Med Clin North Am. 2018;102(1):107-124. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2017.08.009National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Choose heart-healthy foods.U.S. Department and of Health and Human Services.Executive summary: physical activity guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition.Kelley CP, Sbrocco G, Sbrocco T.Behavioral modification for the management of obesity.Prim Care. 2016;43(1):159-175. doi:10.1016/j.pop.2015.10.004National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Prescription medications to treat overweight and obesity.Ard J, Fitch A, Fruh S, Herman L.Weight loss and maintenance related to the mechanism of action of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists.Adv Ther. 2021;38(6):2821-2839. doi:10.1007/s12325-021-01710-0Roh E, Choi KM.Hormonal gut-brain signaling for the treatment of obesity.Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(4):3384. doi:10.3390/ijms24043384National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Types of weight loss surgery.Ruban A, Doshi A, Lam E, Teare JP.Medical devices in obesity treatment.Curr Diab Rep. 2019;19(10):90. doi:10.1007/s11892-019-1217-3Kaisanlahti A, Glumoff T.Browning of white fat: agents and implications for beige adipose tissue to type 2 diabetes.J Physiol Biochem. 2019;75(1):1-10. doi:10.1007/s13105-018-0658-5Hendricks EJ.Off-label drugs for weight management.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2017;10:223-234. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S95299U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Medications containing semaglutide marketed for type 2 diabetes or weight loss.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Health effects of overweight and obesity.Hall KD, Kahan S.Maintenance of lost weight and long-term management of obesity.Med Clin North Am. 2018;102(1):183-197. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2017.08.012
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Defining adult overweight and obesity.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult obesity facts.
Smethers AD, Rolls BJ.Dietary management of obesity: cornerstones of healthy eating patterns.Med Clin North Am. 2018;102(1):107-124. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2017.08.009
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Choose heart-healthy foods.
U.S. Department and of Health and Human Services.Executive summary: physical activity guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition.
Kelley CP, Sbrocco G, Sbrocco T.Behavioral modification for the management of obesity.Prim Care. 2016;43(1):159-175. doi:10.1016/j.pop.2015.10.004
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Prescription medications to treat overweight and obesity.
Ard J, Fitch A, Fruh S, Herman L.Weight loss and maintenance related to the mechanism of action of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists.Adv Ther. 2021;38(6):2821-2839. doi:10.1007/s12325-021-01710-0
Roh E, Choi KM.Hormonal gut-brain signaling for the treatment of obesity.Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(4):3384. doi:10.3390/ijms24043384
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Types of weight loss surgery.
Ruban A, Doshi A, Lam E, Teare JP.Medical devices in obesity treatment.Curr Diab Rep. 2019;19(10):90. doi:10.1007/s11892-019-1217-3
Kaisanlahti A, Glumoff T.Browning of white fat: agents and implications for beige adipose tissue to type 2 diabetes.J Physiol Biochem. 2019;75(1):1-10. doi:10.1007/s13105-018-0658-5
Hendricks EJ.Off-label drugs for weight management.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2017;10:223-234. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S95299
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Medications containing semaglutide marketed for type 2 diabetes or weight loss.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Health effects of overweight and obesity.
Hall KD, Kahan S.Maintenance of lost weight and long-term management of obesity.Med Clin North Am. 2018;102(1):183-197. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2017.08.012
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Choose heart-healthy foods.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Choose heart-healthy foods.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What are overweight and obesity?National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What are overweight and obesity?
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What are overweight and obesity?
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