What does an Obesity Doctor do?

An obesity doctor is a doctor who has gained certification in the management and treatment of obesity and some health issues that are related to obesity. In some parts of the world, this type of medical certification is fairly new; for instance, in the United States, this certification began in 2010. This special licensing is called Obesity Medicine Physician Certification. In past years, obesity was typically treated by general practitioners or nutritionists. In addition to trying to determine the cause of obesity in their patients, an obesity doctor will generally determine how much weight their patient needs to shed, how best to lose the weight, and any possible health risks associated with the obesity.

Typically, an obesity doctor is a medical doctor who has undergone special training in areas related to obesity. The special training would normally include areas of nutrition, psychology, exercise and obesity-related medications. A doctor with this type of certification generally has the same approach as other medical doctors do, however, because of their extensive training in the field, they are expected to achieve better results.

After evaluating the body mass index of an individual patient, an obesity specialist typically recommends a treatment program. The program could involve dieting and exercise, and might include follow-up visits, either weekly or monthly, depending on the needs of the patient. Though much research has shown that diets focused on low carbohydrates and high protein content yield faster results, doctors are usually reluctant to abandon the idea of a balanced diet. An obesity doctor will typically choose a diet that focuses on lowering overall calorie intake, rather than restricting certain food groups. Studies show that that low calorie diets also can lead to weight loss, but the weight loss is often much slower.

In addition to diet and exercise, an obesity doctor may recommend psychological counseling. This type of therapy could be particularly useful if the patient showed signs of suffering from an eating disorder or other emotional disturbances that sometimes lead to overeating. A board certified obesity doctor is typically trained to offer some counseling, but in some instances, particularly if emotional disturbance is believed to be severe, he or she might choose to refer the patient to a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Sometimes obesity can be life-threatening, and in these instances, an obesity doctor might recommend bariatric surgery, the most common of which is gastric bypass surgery. This is considered an extreme measure, but is often successful in achieving weight loss. This type of surgery usually involves stapling the stomach, which makes it smaller and unable to hold as much food. Though an obesity doctor may recommend this type of surgery, a trained surgeon normally performs the actual operation.