‘Do You Think I’m Fat, Doctor?’ Using Empathy to Help Patients Lose Weight

Excess weight or obesity can negatively impact many facets of one’s life and correlates directly with higher risks of developing acute and chronic illness. Excess weight impacts different areas of your health from reproductive, to respiratory, to cognitive. This can be a result of your body trying to manage the mechanical stress of carrying extra weight, or it can involve more complex changes such as altering your metabolism and hormones.
 
It has been shown through clinical longitudinal studies that obesity decreases both the quality and length of one’s life. However, it has also been shown that losing as little as 5-10% of excess body weight can improve health and offer long-term physical and mental health benefits – even if the patient never achieves their ideal weight.

Medical weight loss programs provide patients with the support they need to experience long-term sustainable weight loss. Medical doctors can provide you with a more comprehensive approach to weight loss that includes nutrition, exercise, physical therapy, medication, behavioral therapy, dietary supplements, and stress management tools. They also provide full metabolism and body analysis to customize a weight loss plan that fits the patient’s unique needs.
 
In addition to providing patients with the guidelines they need to be successful on their own, a medical weight loss program also includes weekly support meetings to boost support and accountability. These meetings also focus on providing education on health and wellness to support participants in being able to make healthy lifestyle choices that fit into their day to day lives.
 
Medically assisted weight loss doesn’t end once the target weight has been reached. Part of medical weight loss is ensuring that you have continuous support after your treatment to make sure you maintain your weight and stay accountable to the new healthy lifestyle. This may look like regular monthly or quarterly appointments with your physician.

It’s easy to get down on yourself when you’re trying to lose weight and you’re either not losing as much as you’d like, or you fall off the weight loss wagon completely. It may be hard to lend yourself compassion when you feel like you’re not successful but doing exactly that is incredibly important for sustainable weight management.
 
Self-compassion supports beneficial eating and exercising behaviors, long term behavior changes, and healthy weight regulation while self-criticism undermines motivation and is detrimental to the longevity of health goals. Research has found that higher levels of self-compassion reduce the likelihood of weight gain in stressful environments, enhance mindfulness and intuitive eating, and also decrease levels of body dissatisfaction and shame. These factors working together support weight loss efforts, increasing optimism and decreasing levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.

Empathy is an invaluable tool when it comes to motivating patients, offering insights that far extend the patient’s medical history, current ailments, and clinical diagnosis and treatment. Empathy encompasses a mutual understanding between patient and physician, helping to build trust and understanding while also helping to reduce the patient’s anxiety and fears about being judged for asking for help. When medical weight loss doctors utilize empathy, they are showing that they care for the patient, are thoughtfully listening to their concerns, and are addressing sensitive issues in a calm and compassionate manner.
 
It has been clinically shown that empathy and compassion are associated with better adherence to treatment plans and medications, reduce mistakes and malpractices, and increase patient satisfaction overall. 
 
When it comes to achieving your weight loss goals, Lifelong Balance knows that you need more than just a plan – you need the empathetic and thoughtful support to see it through. Visit us for more information about out weight loss services or to ask any questions that you may have – we’re happy to provide the resources you need so that you can feel confident in your decision. For more information, contact us or book an appointment online. We serve patients from Boca Raton FL, Kings Point FL, Deerfield Beach FL, Delray Beach FL, Hillsboro Pines FL, Mission Bay FL, and BEYOND!