Bariatricians Can Help Identify Uncommon Factors of Obesity, for the Best Treatment
When patients don’t progress in their weight loss efforts, even with high levels of effort and caution when eating, there may be some underlying causes of obesity that go beyond diet and exercise. As a patient treatment plan for obesity is formed, only a qualified, well-trained weight loss specialist or bariatrician can effectively perform the proper tests for a complete diagnosis.
For example, liver function, kidney issues, cholesterol and white and red blood cell count can all factor into obesity. The thyroid and blood chemistry also matter. Testing does become essential when diet and exercise don’t have proper effect.
It is well known that the liver and obesity are connected. Overweight individuals in their middle age are at the highest risk for developing fatty liver disease, which can result in inflammation and serious problems. Testing for this issue can help divert future medical complications, and help develop a better, safer plan for your weight loss.
Testing the kidney can also be important, as obesity is the single biggest preventable factor for kidney disease. The end stage of kidney disease often involves diabetes and hypertension, which is largely mediated by obesity.
But what about the thyroid? When the thyroid has problems, it influences many different things, like body weight and composition, energy expenditure and body temperature. There are many people who need help controlling their thyroid before weight loss is successful permanently. No matter how hard you work out and how good you eat, thyroid issues will plague you until you get some specific treatment.
White blood cells also demand attention when it comes to obesity, as obesity is known as an inflammatory condition, and white blood cells are tied to inflammation in the body.
As you can see, obesity treatment sometimes needs to be as intricate as obesity is itself. Obesity influences so many parts of the body, and vice versa, that blood tests and other tests can sometimes be essential for an effective weight loss plan.
