What other weight loss treatments are there?
Prescription weight loss treatment can be used to lose weight, but you should still exercise regularly and eat a healthy and balanced diet. Some people may be able to get weight loss surgery, but this is rare.
Exercise
Exercise can help with weight loss as you burn up calories by being active. When you eat food, energy is stored in your body as fat. If you eat more food than the energy you expend, you will gain weight. Your body needs physical activity to burn the energy from your food. It can also help to prevent and manage some medication conditions, like diabetes. This will help you lose weight and maintain a healthy weight.
According to the NHS, you should do around 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise every week. This could be things like dancing, cycling, and power walking. You can also do 75 minutes of higher intensity exercise, like running and circuit training. The best way to use exercise for weight loss is by combining moderate and high intensity exercise.
You should also work on your balance and strength at least twice a week. This could involve using weights or doing activities like tai chi and yoga.
Diet
Your diet is important when trying to lose weight. The NHS advises reducing your calorie intake by 600 calories every day. For women, this means having no more than 1400 calories a day or 1900 calories for men. To achieve a healthy and balanced diet, you should increase the amount of healthy foods you eat. This includes:
- fruits
- vegetables
- healthy fats like avocado
- wholegrains
- nuts
- beans
- natural yoghurt
There are also some foods you should avoid or limit when trying to lose weight, such as:
- sugary food and drinks, like sweets and chocolate
- high fat foods, especially ones containing saturated fat
- oily or fried foods
- crisps
- white bread
- alcohol
To achieve a healthy and balanced diet, you should have lots of fruit and vegetables, some protein sources like meat, fish, and eggs, some dairy foods, some whole grain foods like rice and potatoes, and minimal amounts of fatty and sugary foods.
Surgery
Weight loss surgery can help you lose weight, but this is usually a last resort. Surgery is for people who have struggled to lose weight with other treatment methods. The most common types of weight loss surgery include:
Gastric band - a band that goes around your stomach, which reduces the amount of food you need to eat before you feel full
Gastric bypass - your stomach is joined to your small intestine, so your body absorbs fewer calories from food, and you feel fuller with less food
Sleeve gastrectomy - part of your stomach is removed, which also reduces the amount of food you can eat
These surgeries can help you lose weight as your stomach is smaller, so you feel fuller from less food. This makes it easier to eat less and lower your calorie intake. However, you will still need to eat healthily to get your nutrition.
You may be suitable for weight loss surgery if you are fit enough to get weight loss surgery and if you:
- are severely obese with a BMI of over 40
- are obese with a BMI over 35 and have certain medical conditions
You may be able to get surgery straight away if your BMI is over 50. Like any surgery, there are some risks involved, but it is usually safe if your doctor has recommended it. Weight loss surgery is not suitable for everyone, and you may not be able to get it on the NHS.
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