Test / Diagnostic Procedure: Weight Management

Weight Management refers to a continuous procedure by which you will maintain a healthy weight through a variety of methods.

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What is Weight Management?

Weight management is a continual process of maintaining a healthy weight. By managing your weight effectively, you will prevent a wide range of conditions and health problems from developing in your body. Weight management can involve making changes to your diet, exercise habits, and lifestyle. It's important to note that weight management is not just about losing weight, but also about keeping it off in the long term.


Why is Weight Management Important?

Maintaining a healthy weight is important for overall health and well-being. Many common conditions are directly linked to being overweight. Common examples of weight-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers including thyroid cancer, pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, and ovarian cancer.

By maintaining a healthy weight, you will prevent conditions such as these from developing, and will improve your overall health, quality of life, and longevity.


What external factors should be considered in weight management?

There are multiple contributing factors that all play a significant role in someone gaining weight. Managing your weight will involve a careful balance of all these factors to ensure that you do not experience a gain in weight.

Diet

Eating an unbalanced diet primarily consisting of high-calorie foods will result in a surplus of calories. The body stores this caloric surplus in fat, as a reserve source of energy it case the body needs it. As most food today is calorie-rich for its serving size, this can lead to a massive surplus of calories, especially if said food is fatty or processed. This can be managed by a diet focusing on healthy food, consumed in manageable portions.

Exercise

Not exercising or moving enough on a daily basis will also contribute to weight gain. Lack of exercise is a significant contributor to weight gain, especially in tandem with a calorie-rich diet. As modern life does not tend to involve prolonged periods of heavy exercise or movement, this will mean that fat that builds up will tend to stay unless significant and constant exercise is undertaken as part of your weight management routine.

Sleep

If you don’t get enough sleep, you may find yourself gaining weight. A lack of sleep results in the overproduction of ghrelin, a hormone that encourages eating. Leptins, another hormone responsible for managing appetite, is produced in smaller quantities if there is a lack of sleep. This combined change to hormone production can result in a stronger desire to eat more food, thus leading to weight gain if not managed correctly.

Environment

Stress levels and access to healthy foods can influence weight. The stress hormone cortisol stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism, increasing appetite. An environment lacking in healthy food options will also contribute negatively to weight management goals.


What underlying conditions contribute to weight management?

It's crucial to acknowledge that some people are more susceptible to weight gain due to predisposed conditions that affect how weight builds on the body. Some examples of conditions that may affect weight include:

Metabolic disorders

These disorders affect the body’s ability to process calories into the energy required to keep the body going. One of the main symptoms of a metabolic disorder is difficulty maintaining a healthy weight.

There are a wide range of metabolic disorders that influence weight management. These can include:

Hormonal imbalances

An inability to produce the correct balance of hormones may also impact successful weight management. Hormones regulate body signals regarding consumption of food and the management and use of energy; any imbalance will impact the body’s ability to do this effectively. Examples of hormonal imbalance conditions that contribute to weight gain include:

  • Hypercortisolaemia (high cortisol)
  • Hyperthyroidism (low thyroid hormone)

Medications

Various medications sometimes have weight gain as a side effect. This can be due to a wide range of reasons, mainly 

  • Antidepressants
  • Antipsychotics
  • Antihistamines
  • Contraceptives
  • Corticosteroids
  • Diabetes medication

How Can OneWelbeck Help with Weight Management?

At OneWelbeck, we offer comprehensive workups to identify any underlying predisposing factors that may be hindering your weight management journey and will refer you to specialist centres within OneWelbeck that can accurately assist with the relevant issues.

If an underlying condition is identified, we can create a personalised plan for your weight management guidelines, including a tailored dietary plan, exercise routine, and sleep guidance. When needed, we may recommend treatments or medications can help manage your weight.

If you are struggling with weight management, please contact OneWelbeck today. We can help you reach your weight loss goals and improve your overall health.



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This service or treatment is generally covered by most health insurance policies. You are responsible for checking your insurance policy cover, and you may need a referral letter. Check which insurance companies are covered.

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Consultation Required

For this treatment you will need to have a 1-to-1 consultation at OneWelbeck first. To book in with our team of expert clinicians or to find out more about the process contact the relevant centre team.