Medication Vs. Behavior Management for Weight Loss

Taking a drug to fix a lifestyle condition is like a mechanic giving you ear plugs because your car is making strange noises.

A new study reviewed the latest-FDA approved durgs for weight loss (Belviq, Qsymia, Contrave, Saxenda and Alli). Results indicated some of these drugs are able to effectively help many people lower their weight.

The study was published by the Journal of the American Medical Association. The weight loss results are promising, but do these drugs fix why a person became overweight or obesite? The drugs do not improve eating habits, physical activity nor critical lifestyle behaviors.

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‘Weight loss medications do have a place in the spectrum of obesity care, but these drugs do not improve eating habits, physical activity or lifestyle behaviors.’

Taking a drug to "fix" a lifestyle condition is like a mechanic giving you ear plugs because your car is making strange noises. It doesn't fix the underlying problem. A comprehensive behavioral lifestyle approach must be the preferred treatment for these lifestyle conditions, according to Dr. Steve Herrmann, director of program development and training at Profile by Sanford.

"Weight loss medications do have a place in the spectrum of obesity care," said Herrmann. "However, consideration should be given first to comprehensive programs that focus on nutrition, activity, and behavior as the preferred treatment approach to obesity."

About Dr. Steve Herrmann

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Dr. Steve Herrmann is the director of program development and training for Profile by Sanford, where he oversees nutritional protocols, activity plans, lifestyle and behavior education and training of Profile coaches. Herrmann collaborates with university and industry partners on several research and product development projects and has been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals more than 30 times and given more than 50 scientific conference presentations.

Herrmann's research focuses on exercise and nutrition outcomes, specifically understanding individual variability in response to exercise and diet interventions. He holds a doctorate in physical activity, nutrition and wellness from Arizona State University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in weight management from the Cardiovascular Research Institutes Center for Physical Activity and Weight Management at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.

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Source-Newswise

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