A patient-first approach to obesity management and treatment is crucial for clinicians and family practitioners.
Like diabetes or heart disease, obesity is a chronic disease — and it should be approached as one. Rather than being curative, destination-based or marked by a specific goal weight, obesity management is a lifelong process. And while diet plays an important role, medication and surgical interventions should be considered as well
To make the most of obesity treatment strategies, some clinicians may need a shift in mindset to break through certain long-standing stigmas. Such stigmas have driven a historical underutilization of weight management medications, despite evidence showing the long-term efficacy and safety of pharmacologic strategies.
That’s the perspective of Jonathan Q. Purnell, MD, Professor of Medicine and Medical Director of the Interdisciplinary Weight Management Program at Oregon Health Sciences University. In his recent lecture “Medical Management of Obesity,” now available for CME credit on AudioDigest®, Dr. Purnell provides his take on the medical management of obesity, discussing the pathophysiology of weight regulation along with key medications to try.
At a time when more than 40 percent of Americans are obese — and amid mounting evidence that biological signals drive obesity behaviors outside of patients’ control — Dr. Purnell’s insights on the complexities of this chronic disease are worth the listen. We’ve summarized his talk below, but you’ll want to tune in to the full 37-minute lecture and Q&A session to learn more about this and other AudioDigest® internal medicine topics.
