Especially in combination with guidance and lifestyle changes. Obesity doctor Nicolette Lammers and dietitian Caroline Alberts from The Body Clinic explain.
What does medical weight loss entail?
Dr. Lammers: "Medical weight loss with injections is a treatment program where medication is used to reduce hunger and create a feeling of fullness. This helps to lower calorie intake, leading to weight loss. Adapting one's lifestyle is also essential to reach and maintain a healthy weight. In our clinic, we always start the treatment with an intake and the patient remains under medical supervision throughout the entire process. Patients can also make use of a lifestyle coach, who helps in developing a healthier and sustainable lifestyle, to achieve the best possible result."
Dietitian Alberts: "Medical weight loss indeed revolves around a lifestyle change; the medication gives patients the opportunity to make this change. During this guidance, we focus on nutrition, exercise, sleep, self-care, and stress management. These are all factors that influence your weight and health."
Some are skeptical about tackling overweight with medication. What are your thoughts on this?
Dr. Lammers: "Why would we accept medication for high blood pressure, but not for severe overweight? Obesity is a chronic disease and usually does not arise from a lack of self-discipline. Medication can be an important tool in its treatment. It suppresses hunger and enhances the feeling of fullness, which are precisely what have been disrupted by obesity."
Dietitian Alberts: "Medication also helps to reduce 'food noise,' which is the voice in your head that is always preoccupied with food. This provides peace and space to build and maintain a healthier lifestyle. For many clients, this is a breakthrough in their relationship with food; they finally experience what it means to feel satisfied."
How sustainable is medical weight loss?
Dr. Lammers: "Although medication plays an important role, the emphasis is also on lifestyle. Lasting lifestyle changes increase the chances of a better and sustainable result. Studies show that patients can lose up to 20 percent of their weight in eighteen months. For us, sustainability also means that patients do not lose much more than 1 kilo per week, as this carries health risks."
Dietitian Alberts: "The goal is for people to eventually be able to continue without medication. Therefore, we offer the right tools and tips to maintain a healthy lifestyle, so that patients regain control over their lives."
Lighter living: what medical weight loss did for Kathleen
For years, I struggled with overweight. On top of that, I had all sorts of vague health problems. Nothing helped me shed the pounds. Eventually, I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This causes a severe hormonal imbalance, making weight loss difficult. A healthy lifestyle can alleviate PCOS symptoms. But how was I supposed to become more active when my condition left me constantly without an ounce of energy? I also had intensely heavy menstrual periods for weeks, and due to my insulin resistance – also a consequence of PCOS – maintaining a healthy diet was difficult."
Investing in health
"Regarding weight loss, I really needed a strong push in the right direction. I found gastric bypass surgery too risky, and moreover, it doesn't always help to get rid of PCOS symptoms. I had heard of medical weight loss before, and after some research, I went to The Body Clinic last year. After a comprehensive intake, I got the green light. The program is not covered by my insurance, yet I went ahead with it. I saw it as an investment in myself, in my health. Because that was much needed."
Positive domino effect
"I've been going for 8 months now and am well on my way. I'm not there yet; there's still about 20 kilos to go. Medical weight loss is not a 'quick fix'; it's a long process, and you have to put in the work yourself and change your lifestyle. However, this trajectory gives you the necessary 'push' and creates a domino effect. Due to the medication, I have less appetite, and I can't tolerate fatty foods and alcohol well. This makes healthier eating and smaller portions easier for me. In this way, you lose weight, and that has an impact on other things. Because I'm less heavy, my legs retain much less fluid, for example. This makes it much easier and more frequent for me to move, and I finally have an active life. It's so nice that I can now cycle, walk the dog, and have the energy to undertake things. Every day when I wake up, I now bubble with energy. Moreover, I have far fewer PCOS symptoms. I have my life back!"
Nicolette studied Medicine at the University of Amsterdam. After conducting clinical research for several years into the development of diabetes in overweight individuals, she spent years guiding people with extreme obesity before and after gastric bypass surgery, with a strong focus on lifestyle coaching. With the advent of various weight-loss supporting medications, Nicolette also specialized in this area. Her combination of medical knowledge, scientific background, and years of practical experience enables her to find the most suitable and effective treatment for you. According to Nicolette, lifestyle changes are crucial in achieving and maintaining weight loss. Furthermore, a healthy lifestyle is not only important for weight reduction but also leads to an improvement in physical and mental health. "I believe that sustainable weight loss revolves around the right balance between medical support and lifestyle change. Medication can be a powerful aid, but real change occurs when we work together on habits that suit you and that you can maintain in the long term. Through my years of experience with people living with overweight and obesity, I know that every story is different. What works for one person may not work for another. That is why I take the time to listen to your situation and together find the most appropriate treatment – so that you not only lose weight but also feel truly better, both physically and mentally. Weight loss goes beyond a number on the scale. It's about energy, health, self-confidence, and quality of life. And you don't make that journey alone with us."
