Obesity is a common and costly chronic disease, putting people at risk for many other serious chronic diseases and increases the risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

There has never been a better time to examine what one can do improve your health through weight management.

Nearly 75% adults are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most people start trying to lose weight, either because they have decided on their own that they want to, or because their doctor recommended it for their health.

When they start, they usually try to control their portion sizes, join a gym, try a fad diet, or join a commercial program they saw on TV. But, it turns out, that doesn’t work very well for many people.

Obesity medicine is a relatively new but growing specialty. At Abrazo Health, it is complementary to the hospital’s accredited comprehensive medical and surgical weight loss program. When you see an obesity medicine specialist, you undergo a thorough evaluation for medical problems related to weight and those that can contribute to excess weight, screening for eating disorders, evaluation of behaviors related to eating, current levels of stress and sleep, and finally formal testing including a history, physical and body composition testing.

After your evaluation, you receive evidence-based counseling on how to optimize your nutrition, physical activity and medication treatment options for weight.

There are now medications available that can help people with both weight loss and long-term weight maintenance. The medications help with weight loss by helping control hunger and cravings, and affecting hormones that are involved in weight regulation. Anti-obesity medication can help improve prospects for long-term results.

It’s well-known that stress and emotional eating can have a tremendous impact on weight. Most of us engage in emotional eating to some degree, but sometimes these eating patterns can be a big deterrent to successful weight loss.

Developing healthy coping skills and sometimes even counseling are important parts of treatment for excess weight. With the help of a physician who specializes in weight loss, patients are given a framework with which they can develop healthy patterns for sustainable long term weight control.

We have all heard the message of eat less and move more, but current research suggests that weight regulation is much more complicated due to hormonal and metabolic changes, physical limitations and psychosocial stressors.

Your doctor can help with ways to help manage your weight, or provide a referral for an obesity medicine or surgical weight loss physician.

Dr. Katherine Duncan is an obesity medicine specialist on the medical staff of Abrazo Scottsdale Campus. Visit AbrazoHealth.com.