Obesity Treatment Options

The gold standard in obesity treatment is the combination of diet, exercise and behavioural support therapies.

Diet

There are many diet formulations that have been described for weight control (low carbohydrate, low fat, low calorie diets, etc.). However, it should be kept in mind that there is no scientific evidence that very low calorie diets (<800 kcal/day) make a difference in terms of weight control. The scientific recommendation in this direction is that a tailor-made nutrition programme should be implemented and followed by an experienced team.

Exercise

Exercise is an integral part of treatment to maintain weight loss. It is reported that at least 30 minutes and 5 days a week is effective in weight loss. Individualised multicomponent programmes (aerobic, resistance exercises etc.) are the most effective ones.

Behavioural Support Therapies

It is the cornerstone of obesity treatment. It is aimed to improve long-term eating behaviour disorder, to increase compliance with diet and exercise programmes, and to control environmental triggers.

Medication Treatments

It is one of the treatment options in patients with BMI >30 kg/m2 who have not achieved weight control despite appropriate treatment strategies in the last 3-6 months. It can be applied in selected patients by making a cost-benefit calculation in terms of efficacy, side effects and cost.