When treating morbid obesity, weight loss methods must be tailored to the needs of each individual patient. While dietary therapy alone may help some people lose weight, others may need bariatric surgery to assist them in developing a healthier lifestyle. Medical professionals such as physicians, nutritionists, exercise physiologists, and bariatric surgeons can help people struggling with morbid obesity determine the best method of treatment. Dietary therapy is the most commonly prescribed morbid obesity treatment. Reducing the amount of calories consumed is a key component of dietary therapy. This generally involves instruction on how read nutrition labels, buy healthy foods at the supermarket, and prepare foods with low-fat cooking methods. Behavioral modification techniques such as keeping a food diary and learning how to identify the triggers of binge eating may also be used.
People who exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week are more successfully in losing weight than those who simply cut calories. Doctors often recommended walking as a good exercise program for people struggling with morbid obesity. If you are having trouble exercising, you can start out walking a short distance and gradually increase the amount of time you spend walking each day.
When diet and exercise alone don't result in the desired weight loss, more drastic morbid obesity treatment is needed. Orlistat (Xenical), Sibutramine (Meridia), and Phentermine are prescription drugs that can be used to promote weight loss. Bariatric surgeries such as the LAP BAND procedure or gastric bypass can also be used to help morbidly obese patients who have been unable to control their weight through diet and exercise alone.
