How your GP can help you lose weight

If you've tried and failed to lose weight. Your GP or practice nurse can assess your general health help identify the cause of your weight gain work out if there are any health issues causing you to put on weight Bandy a plan to help you lose weight that suits you Assessing your weight First, your GP or practice nurse will want to assess whether your current weight is healthy or not.This means measuring your weight and height to calculate your body massindex( BMI).

You may also have your waist measured.

Measuring your waist is a good way to check you aren't carrying too important fat around your stomach, which can raise your trouble of heart complaint, type 2 diabetes and stroke.

You can have a healthy BMI and still have spare gut fat meaning you're still at trouble of developing these conditions. Your GP may take your blood pressure and carry out other tests, analogous as a blood test, to check for any health conditions that may be related to your weight. You can also check your BMI by using our BMI calculator.

Diet and exercise 

Changes to your diet and physical exertion situations are the first step to helping you lose weight, If you're fat. Your GP or practice nurse can help you assess your current diet and situations of physical exertion, and set particular pretensions for change.

Your diet You may be asked to keep a food journal

Written record of everything you eat – for 1 week. This can help you and your GP identify habits, analogous as adding sugar to your tea, that you can change.

Exercise

Your physical exertion situations can be measured with an exertion journal. Your GP may also suggest that you wear a pedometer for a week. A pedometer measures the number of way you take and gives an suggestion of your quotidian exertion situations. 

Set particular pretensions 

Once your GP or practice nurse has a clearer picture of your diet and position of physical exertion, they can help you identify simple life changes. Together, you will work out a game plan to lose weight healthily and for the long term. It'll be a plan adapted to your life and your preferences. Your GP surgery should offer you regular follow- up movables, generally every 2 weeks to a month, to cover your progress.

Other weight loss services

Your general practitioner surgery could refer you to different services, like native weight loss teams.If it's acceptable, you will be referred for exercise categories below the supervising of a certified trainer. Depending on wherever you reside, the exercise programme is also free or offered at a reduced price.

Weight loss medicines

If you have created changes to your diet and levels of physical activity however you are not losing a major quantity of weight, your general practitioner could suggest medicines which will facilitate. Medicines area unit solely used if your BMI is a minimum of thirty, or twenty eight if you've got different risk factors like high vital sign or sort a pair of polygenic disease. The only medication prescribed for weight loss is Orlistat. 

Weight loss surgery

If life style changes and medicines do not work, your doctor could talk over with you concerning weight loss surgery. Weight loss surgery is sometimes solely suggested for individuals with a BMI of a minimum of forty, or thirty five if you have got a weight-related health condition, like kind a pair of polygenic disease or high vital sign. Weight loss surgery will be effective however it is a major procedure that comes with health risks of its own.