When most people try to lose weight, they watch one number: the scale. But not all weight loss is...
The Science of Obesity
By: Scottsdale Weight Loss Center
Published: November 6, 2021
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Too often, patients blame themselves for gaining weight. They say, “it’s my fault. I just have no self-control. I know what to do, I just can’t do it” Many physicians cause more harm than good by advising patients to “eat less and exercise more.” Patients are left to feel hopeless because they have tried to reduce their intake and feel deprived. Also, they sometimes take up an aggressive workout regimen and don’t lose a pound.
This shame-blame cycle has pervaded the self-help diet industry, as it did with cancer in the 1950’s. Then, people with cancer would whisper their diagnosis fearing they would lose their friends and be isolated. Now we can cure many cancers, and those who seek treatment are considered heroes!
Depression was treated the same way before effective medications. “Just snap out of it and feel better” was the advice. This was clearly a flawed approach. The brain is complex, and abnormalities in brain chemistry can cause depression even when our lives are stress-free, and we “should” be happy. Depression is now effectively treated as a medical problem through medications and counseling.
Obesity is a medical disease that responds to treatment, including prescription strength diets, weight loss medications, support and education, and exercise. Here is what we know so far:
- We are programmed for weight gain for survival. Our bodies have adapted mechanisms that guarantee we don’t starve to death. Any attempt at weight loss is countered by a decrease in metabolism and an increase in appetite.
- We have a set point weight (or at least a set range). The chemical leptin decreases whenever we try to lose weight, causing a surge in appetite.
- Weight loss causes the hunger hormone ghrelin to increase, causing us to think about nothing but food!
- Antiobesity Medications target the hypothalamus. Drugs like phentermine, diethylpropion, Contrave ®and Qsymia® make losing weight a relatively hunger-free process.
- New drugs abolish feelings of hunger that occur during weight loss. Semaglutide (Ozempic® and Wegovy®) has a potent effect on the hypothalamus resulting in feelings of fullness. We have not seen a drug that so effectively decreases food intake until now, and the average patient loses 15% of their weight.
- Medical devices such as Plenity® fill the stomach, leading to reduced caloric intake.
- Prescription-strength diets are faster and much easier than self-help diets.
- Bariatric surgery can eliminate diabetes in many patients.
By understanding how our bodies react to weight loss explains why obesity is a medical disease that can be treated by physicians and nurse practitioners, in the same way we treat other medical diseases like cancer, depression, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Nick
Nick's Story
"I wish I would have come here first. We spend all our time reacting to the next great weight loss tip or program. It might work for a while, but does not last and we end up yo-yoing from one fad to the next – as we gain more weight." Read More
Gina
Lost 44.5 lbs
"I had no trouble adhering to the meals and they really helped catapult my progress! The classes were so beneficial to me because they helped change my thinking about how I viewed health, nutrition, and fitness.
I will always have my relationship with Scottsdale Weight Loss Center. They truly helped me change my life forever." Read More
Lauren
Lost 60 lbs
"Dr. Ziltzer and everyone who I have come in contact with at the Scottsdale Weight Loss office have been so encouraging and I look forward to seeing them each week. It is now a year and 2 months later since I started. I am down 60 lbs., which is the average amount a 9-year-old weighs, it is crazy to think I lost a whole person! I feel amazing, I hit my goal weight in November 2021 just before Thanksgiving. Nothing on my body hurts anymore..." Read More
Chuck
Lost 66 lbs
"The best thing I did was call the Scottsdale Weight Loss Center. I have a lot more energy, I'm not hungry, and it feels great.
You can take it from me that this is a program that produces results. The staff is always positive, supportive, and never judgmental.
Your visits always result in positive reinforcement, no matter if you had a good week or a bad week." Read More
Emily
Lost 101 lbs
"Here I am at the lowest I have been since high school weighing in at 155lbs. I have lost 101 lbs, BMI of 39 when I started, to 21.6, and of course at body fat % of 47.1 to 26.5%. I told myself by my 30th birthday I wanted to be confident in the way I look and I owe it all to SWLC. The entire staff is so welcoming and they are rooting for you just as much as you are rooting for yourself...." Read More
Reviews
Meet Our Team
Robert Ziltzer, MD, FACP, FAAP, FOMA
Obesity Medicine Certified Physician
Diana Bone, FNP-C
Specializing in Obesity Medicine
Craig Primack, MD, FACP, FAAP, MFOMA
Obesity Medicine Certified Physician
Kristen Ash, FNP-C, FNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner
Alicia Earley, FNP-C
Family Nurse Practitioner
