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• In the severely obese person, there are operations (removing sections of stomach most commonly) that
can help and even be life-saving. These are costly and far from free of side-effects and so are usually
reserved for severe and unusual cases.
• There are some medications that have been used to aid weight control. They generally either try to suppress
appetite and or to reduce the absorption of food from the intestine. Results have been mixed at best and
there are side-effects as well as the risk of dependency/addiction is some cases. In addition, there are very
serious questions about the sustainability of these approaches if the patients have not made the necessary
lifestyle & diet changes.
… this is something you can discuss with your doctor but the options available are limited and often
inappropriate.
SO, THIS WEEk:
please think about these three areas and try to make decisions about getting active, perhaps joining a support
group, and possibly seeing your doctor.
pleAse Complete this:
I am going to do ___________________ hours of strenuous exercise a week and ___________________ minutes of
gentler activity every day [once I have checked with my doctor].
I am going to join a support group:
I am going to see my doctor about any medical weight-loss options:
y
N
y N
