Obesity: Understanding the Condition and How Health Force One Can Help

Obesity is a chronic, complex medical condition characterized by an excess accumulation of body fat that poses health risks. It is commonly defined using body mass index (BMI), where a BMI of 30 or higher is classified as obese. Obesity significantly increases the risk of developing numerous health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, and certain cancers.

Causes and Risk Factors

Obesity results from a combination of genetic, behavioral, environmental, and hormonal factors. An imbalance between calories consumed and calories burned, often driven by a sedentary lifestyle and poor dietary habits, plays a major role. However, it is not just about willpower—hormonal imbalances, medications, stress, poor sleep, and underlying conditions such as hypothyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome, or PCOS can all contribute to weight gain.

Health Impacts

Obesity can lead to significant strain on multiple organ systems. It increases inflammation in the body, worsens insulin resistance, and accelerates cardiovascular disease progression. In addition to physical health issues, obesity can also affect mental health, contributing to conditions like depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

Treatment Approaches

Effective treatment of obesity is individualized and typically includes:

• Medical evaluation to identify underlying causes or contributing conditions.
• Nutritional counseling to support sustainable dietary changes.
• Exercise plans tailored to the patient’s abilities and goals.
• Behavioral support and coaching to build lifelong healthy habits.
• Prescription weight loss medications or GLP-1 agonists when appropriate.
• Bariatric surgery referrals in severe cases or when other treatments have failed.

How Health Force One Helps

At Health Force One, we provide comprehensive, compassionate obesity care through telehealth consultations and ongoing virtual support. Our team of providers works with patients to:

• Evaluate hormone imbalances and metabolic contributors to weight gain
• Develop realistic, effective diet and exercise strategies
• Prescribe and manage medications such as GLP-1s, metformin, or contrave as needed
• Monitor weight loss progress and provide regular follow-up care
• Offer education and coaching to empower patients to make long-term changes

We believe that obesity is a medical condition—not a failure of willpower—and we are here to partner with our patients on their journey to better health.

References:

1. Apovian CM, et al. (2022). Obesity: Definition, comorbidities, causes, and burden. The Lancet, 400(10365), 635–650. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01586-9
2. Garvey WT, et al. (2020). American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology Comprehensive Clinical Practice Guidelines for Medical Care of Patients with Obesity. Endocr Pract, 26(1), 1–72. https://doi.org/10.4158/GL-2020-112
3. Heymsfield SB, et al. (2021). The clinical assessment of obesity complications. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 17(9), 535–550. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-021-00507-2
4. Ryan DH, et al. (2020). Obesity and cardiovascular disease risk: Current guidelines and future directions. Circulation, 142(7), 693–710. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.044225
5. Kushner RF, et al. (2023). Pharmacologic management of obesity: Evolving clinical approaches. New England Journal of Medicine, 388(3), 232–243. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra2213172