Applying Functional Medicine support for weight loss can help you push past the roadblocks that many people experience with diets. Functional medicine uses an integrative approach to weight loss that looks at the underlying contributing elements of individual weight gain to support long-term success. Our goal is to understand what health factors are causing your struggle with weight and then help you make the appropriate adjustments within all areas of your lifestyle, nutrition, and whole health.
What is a Healthy Weight?
Weight is medically characterized into categories that include, “Underweight,” “Healthy Weight,” “Overweight,” “Obese,” and “Morbidly Obese.” This is determined through the Body Mass Index (BMI) formula. BMI measures body fat based on a person’s height and weight (adult men and women).
BMI Chart –
Underweight: >18.5
Healthy Weight: 18.5 to <25.0
Overweight: 25.0 to <30
Obese: 30.0 to <40
Morbidly Obese: 40 or higher
Risks of Weight Gain
Maintaining a healthy weight can prevent or reduce the risk for several health conditions and diseases.
Potential health risks due to weight gain include:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- Joint issues
- Lowering immune system
- Cancer
- Infertility
- Sleep apnea
- Asthma
- Gout
- Gallbladder disease
- Kidney disease
- Death
Causes of Weight Gain
Weight gain can have a number of causes. It becomes a concern when a person’s weight gain affects their overall health and wellbeing.
Common reasons that people become overweight, obese or morbidly obese include:
- Increased food intake
- Decreased calorie expenditure through activity
- Stress
- Anxiety and depression
- Lack of sleep
- Certain medications
- Food addiction
- Undiagnosed food intolerances or food allergies
- Aging
- Hypothyroidism
- Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Syndrome
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
- Cushing’s Syndrome
Diagnosis
A physician may make an overweight, obese or morbidly obese diagnosis during a regular check up, or when other health symptoms present themselves. Through a physical exam, physicians use BMI and other factors to determine the level a person’s weight gain.
Functional Medicine Treatments for Weight Loss
Weight is an intricate combination of hormonal pathways and systems that regulate metabolism. Often being overweight (or underweight) is a symptom of underlying disfunction or hormonal imbalance in the body.
Because weight gain is a result of multiple factors, functional medicine looks at all the potential root causes to develop practical solutions for long-term weight management. Functional medicine is a more individualized, personal approach to wellness that uses a systematic, big picture approach to empower patients and to give them the best opportunities for success.
Elements of functional medicine that are used in assisting patients in their weight loss efforts include:
Clinical Assessment
- Physical exam
- Determine genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors
- Initial plan development
Diagnostic Testing
- Possible tests for weight loss include:
- Comprehensive metabolic panel
- Nutrient testing (vitamins and minerals)
- Complete GI panel
- Food sensitivities (IGG and IGE)
- Salivary Cortisol (adrenal assessment)
- Comprehensive hormonal panels
- SIBO testing
Lifestyle/Behavioral Change Roadmap
- Short-term goal development
- Long-term goal development
- Nutritionist consultation
- Other recommended specialist treatments
Schedule an Appointment
Please fill out the form to request an appointment at our health and wellness center for the service and location of your preference. We try to get back to all requests as quickly as possible. If you need immediate assistance, please call 773.598.4387.
