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YOUR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL VISIT
We know controlling your weight isn’t always easy even with a proper diet, exercise and good dose of determination. That’s when your healthcare professional can help.
Your healthcare professional (HCP) will do a full medical assessment to ensure the treatment they recommend is suitable for you, perhaps even run a few simple tests to exclude any underlying medical conditions that may be contributing to your weight (like a thyroid disorder). Your HCP can then formulate a programme tailored specifically for you that may include diet and lifestyle changes or enlist other health professionals like a dietitian and an exercise physiologist to help you achieve your target weight. Alongside diet and lifestyle advice they may recommend medicine for weight loss, outlining the costs, benefits, and risks associated with these.
Whatever the treatment, your healthcare professional will arrange regular reviews to monitor your health and progress, and help you on your journey. To help you get the most out of your healthcare professional consultation, here are some handy tips. Remember, good communication is key to a good outcome.
Prepare for your visit
- Write down any questions you might want to ask and a list of any medicines that you take.
- Prepare a food and drink diary, including alcohol intake. It’s also helpful to record your mood and physical activity. If there are particular things that cause you stress, mention these as well.
- Look at booking a long appointment so that you and the healthcare professional are not rushed.
Here are a few questions you could ask to get started.
- What is the right amount of weight I need to lose?
- Are any of my medical conditions or medicines related to my weight?
- Am I at risk of developing medical conditions because of my weight?
- What are the benefits of losing weight? How do I reach my goal weight?
- What are my weight loss treatment options?
During your visit, remember these important things
- While you may feel embarrassed talking about your weight, remember your healthcare professional cares about you and will not judge you. Have an honest and open discussion about why you are concerned about your weight. It might be related to health concerns or self esteem issues. Talk to your healthcare professional about how ready you are to make changes and what goals you would like to achieve.
- Weight issues are often a combination of genetic and environmental issues. Your healthcare professional can play a key role in determining the relative contribution of each, helping you overcome any negative emotions or guilt you may have around your weight.
- Tell your healthcare professional about what you have already tried and what has or has not worked for you.
- Once your healthcare professional has outlined the most suitable options for you, discuss your preferences, reservations or concerns in order to ensure your goals align with what is recommended. Formulating a plan through shared decision making is more likely to help you feel empowered and ensure success in reaching goals.
If you want to know more about the science behind weight loss ...
We’ll email you every 6 weeks with info and tips to help you stay motivated and committed to your weight management journey.
