Weight Loss: Do Not Take The Easy Way

What advice if you are obese? Drugs? or Surgery? Nothing beats a maintenance and regular monitoring of weight associated with a reasonable physical activity. These updated recommendations of the Health Authority are to remind health professionals of the importance of follow-up BMI, and weight curve in children and adolescents, and reaffirm the need for control of the nutritional balance and physical activity while discouraging drugs or surgery, except in specific and support.

BMI, the first indicator of overweight: According to the World Health Organization (WHO) definition of overweight and obesity is an abnormal accumulation or excessive body fat that can affect your health. Body mass index (BMI) is used to detect and assess overweight and obesity. So far the most useful, but it is a rough guide because, at the individual level, it does not necessarily correspond to the same degree of fatness in different individuals.

WHO defines overweight as a BMI greater than or equal to 25 kg/m2 and obesity as BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2.

Drugs? Not in children or adolescents. In 2011 there are no drugs for the placing on the market in the indication of overweight and obesity in children in France. And for the adult drug treatment of obesity (orlistat: Xenical ®, Alli ®) sometimes have side effects. Given its modest efficacy, its side effects, including digestive, and drug interactions prescription of orlistat is not recommended by the HAS.

Surgery? As for surgical treatment, HAS remember they have no indication in the treatment of obesity in children and adolescents except in cases of extremely severe obesity and, in adults these interventions, exceptional, require the advice of a specialized team.
Plans? Against plans involving changes in weight, HAS said that the effect of "Yo-Yo" is associated with an increased risk of morbidity.


So what to do / advice in case of overweight or obese? There is no argument to induce weight loss in a stable patient explains the HAS, but it is important to prevent further weight gain, however, if associated comorbidity, whereas the goal is to lose weight and / or reduce the waistline. As patients with obesity, weight loss goal should be reasonable and progressive: It is recommended to aim for a weight loss of 5% to 15% from the initial weight. It is then established with the patient realistic weight loss goals (with an average weight loss of 1 to 2 kg / month), by defining suitable means in the context of a therapeutic contract.

And physical activity? It's basic but essential, to avoid a sedentary lifestyle is already a little prevention of obesity. These recommendations emphasize again the importance of an analysis of daily activities and physical abilities of the patient in case of overweight or obese, and encouraging patients to increase their physical activity even if they "must "to lose weight. Daily physical activity should be presented as indispensable as well as sleep or hygiene and evaluation of global cardiovascular risk should be performed before resuming physical activity.

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