With obesity, and its related diseases, on the rise in America the health care industry needed to change
its approach to medical weight loss. According to the CDC, as of 2015, more than one-third of American
adults are obese. Due to obesity, conditions like type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease and certain types
of cancer are among the leading causes of preventable death. For many physicians, they discovered
themselves pushing prescriptions for obesity-related diseases that could simply be resolved with weight
loss. However, physicians who tried to treat patients for weight loss in their traditional practices found
little-to-no success without the time and resources needed to target treatment.
In October of 2015 the American Society of Bariatric Physicians changed their name to the Obesity
Medicine Association (OMA), part of the American Medical Assoication. This name change would help
avoid complications with the misunderstood term “bariatric,” and open new ground for membership
and research. With the advancements in obesity medicine and studies of obesity-related diseases, this
change was necessary “to advance the field of clinical obesity medicine,” as says their formal mission
statement.
The Obesity Medical Association is made up of clinicians who aim to advance the practice and treatment
of obese patients. These physicians and health care providers are certified members who are dedicated
to treating obesity on an individual basis with the scientifically-proven, standard methods recommended
by the association. Clinicians become certified in Obesity Medicine through advanced education
conferences and research to learn the best possible treatments.
In weight loss clinics with OMA certified clinicians, patients are given individualized treatment plans
based on their body composition. These clinics do not push diet pills, fads, or quick fixes. They focus on
the OMA four pillar approach: nutrition, physical activity, behavior and medication. Physicians and staff
help to educate and guide patients on the path to a maintainable healthy lifestyle.
Now that the health care industry has focused a branch on obesity curing efforts, patients can find
physicians who are truly experts in the field. People can avoid being duped by non-physician clinics
offering dangerous methods for quick, but not maintainable, weight loss.
You can learn more and find a physician in your area by visiting http://obesitymedicine.org/.