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The modern concept of the fight against overweight

If you ask the average person the question "where to start the fight against overweight?", the answer will most likely be "go on a diet and do sports". But this "elementary" answer will not be accepted by experts dealing with the problem of excess weight, because obesity is recognised as a disease, and effective treatment of the disease should begin with identifying the cause of its occurrence. In other words, a diagnosis is required in order to proceed with treatment. The modern concept of weight loss states that treatment must be targeted and its effectiveness must be proven! Due to this rule, laboratory diagnosis of overweight problems is becoming increasingly popular worldwide.

Experts give four main arguments in favour of not starting obesity treatment without laboratory diagnosis.

Firstly, without an examination it is impossible to know for sure which micronutrients our body is deficient in and which are in excess. Everyday food does not always fulfil the body's needs for certain vitamins and trace elements. It is not difficult to imagine the consequences of reducing the intake of an already scarce substance. For example, iodine. If the patient has iodine deficiency, hypothyroidism develops, which leads to excess body weight. If its intake into the body is reduced, weight will only increase. Knowing the level of thyroid hormones, this can be avoided.

Secondly, there are a number of contraindications to exercise. Some of them are determined visually, and some of them after examination. For example, low blood glucose levels can cause coma after an unusually heavy exercise.

Thirdly, the cause of obesity is often a hormonal imbalance, hence the point of application of treatment will be fundamentally different from standard methods.

Fourthly, it is necessary to know the initial state of the body in order to monitor the target laboratory parameters at the end of the therapeutic course and objectively assess the effect of treatment. This, in turn, will minimise the risk of repeated weight gain.

In connection with the development of qualified medical care for people suffering from obesity in Kazakhstan, the need for reliable comprehensive laboratory diagnostics has arisen. Taking into account the wishes of specialists, a diagnostic profile "Overweight Problems" including 24 basic laboratory tests, which can be conditionally divided into 3 groups, was introduced in the OLYMP CDL branches:

Hormonal status: TSH, T4, anti-TPO, FSH, LH, prolactin, estradiol, testosterone, DHEA-sulfate
Markers of fat metabolism: triglycerides, cholesterol (total, high and low density), atherogenicity index
Digestive biochemistry: ALT, AST, ALP, GGTP, total protein, albumin, total and direct bilirubin, glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin

These three groups of tests provide a comprehensive picture of an overweight patient's body condition and help identify the cause of obesity.

"Objective assessment of the body's capabilities and clear targeting of the cause of obesity" is the basic principle of the modern weight loss concept!

Attention! You can undergo an examination on the profile "Overweight Problems" in any treatment room of the OLYMP CDL branches.

Tags:

obesity; overweight; diagnosis of obesity