All About Obesity with Fred Nesbit, FNP
All About Obesity - Webinar Summary
According to the Obesity Medicine Association, obesity is defined as a ‘chronic, progressive, relapsing, and treatable multi-factorial, neurobehavioral disease, wherein an increase in body fat promotes adipose tissue dysfunction and abnormal fat mass physical forces, resulting in adverse metabolic, bio-mechanical, and psychosocial health consequences’.
There are two primary measurements used when diagnosing obesity:
Body Mass Index (BMI) - kg/m2
Your body mass index (BMI) is a simple calculation of your weight (in kilograms) divided by your height (in meters squared). Using this calculation, having a BMI of over 25kg/m2 in the average person is considered being overweight, while having a BMI of over 25kg/m2 in the average person is obesity.
Body Fat Percentage
Your body fat percentage is a more nuanced measurement of your overall body composition.
To be overweight, women must have a body fat percentage between 30-35%. Men need a body fat percentage between 25-30% to be considered overweight.
To be obese, women have a body fat percentage over 35% while men must have a body fat percentage over 30%.
3 key statistics about obesity in the US:
1 in 3 Americans is overweight
19.3% of children are affected by obesity
42.4% of Americans are obese (CDC, 2021)
What causes obesity?
Lifestyle Choices
The way we live our lives can increase our chances of becoming obese. Lifestyle issues could include, not making time for exercise, not eating a balanced diet, etc.
Genetic Predispositions
Some people are genetically predisposed to have issues with their weight because they inherit certain traits and conditions from their ancestors.
Environmental factors
Where you live can influence your weight. you live somewhere where regular exercise isn’t an option, or you don’t have access to quality, healthy food.
How Do You Treat Obesity?
Whether through Nice or another healthcare service, there are common goals and
4 Areas of Focus for Treatment:
Nutrition
Physical Activity
Behavior
Medication
4 Primary Goals of Treatment
Improve and/or resolve complications
Prevent any future complications
Maintain current weight and develop strategies for weight loss
Improve Overall Quality of Life
How can Nice help patients with weight issues?
Nice offers a variety of integrated services that can benefit patients dealing with weight issues. Our in-home and virtual primary care visits, physical therapy, mental health and prescription management services combine to address the 4 focus areas noted above. Combine that with our care coordination team and as much access to your clinician as you need and you’ve got the tools and support for success.
Virtual Visits with Clinicians
The first step in your treatment is scheduling a virtual visit with your clinician. They’ll get to know you and your challenges. Being able to meet with your Nice clinician promptly and as frequently as you need to gives patients a significant advantage over those going to traditional clinics.
In-Home Clinical Visits
Once you’ve had a virtual visit, your clinician may request an in-home visit to take physical measurements and conduct blood draws to better diagnose your conditions. Furthermore, they’ll be able to understand the environmental factors that could contribute to your challenges.
Physical Therapy
If you have a chronic injury that keeps you from doing physical activity, our physical therapists will work with you (virtually) to better understand your condition and create an activity plan that works for you.
Mental Health Therapy
Nice offers many services to address patient’s behavioral and mental health, which often plays a significant role in weight management.
Nice can help you with behavioral health through:
Medication Management
Physical Therapy
Mental Health Therapy Services
Medication and Prescription Management
Nice’s clinicians can analyze your current prescriptions and recommend alternatives as necessary. They can also provide medications to treat the following issues:
Any existing/new conditions
Help correct metabolic imbalances
Reduce appetite and food cravings
Reduce the absorption of fats
Get started with Nice Healthcare today
If you’re already a Nice patient, schedule a virtual visit with your Nice clinician and tell them about your weight challenges.
If you haven’t used Nice’s services yet:
Download the Nice Healthcare app using the QR code to the left or by searching for Nice Healthcare in your app store.
Create an account using your personal email address and your employer’s name as the “Group”.
Schedule a virtual visit with a Nice clinician and fill out the patient intake form as best you can.