Medical Management Options

Managing obesity requires a multimodal approach, based on your patient’s BMI (kg/m2).

Medical Management Options

Managing obesity requires a multimodal approach, based on your patient’s BMI (kg/m2)

Healthy eating, physical activity, and behavioral therapy should be continued throughout the treatment of obesity1

Different obesity treatments are suggested for different BMI levels
Different obesity treatments are suggested for different BMI levels

Understanding pharmacological options

There are two main types of pharmacological treatments:

Short-term treatments

These medications are prescription treatments that are usually taken for up to 12 weeks2

Long-term treatments

These medications are FDA approved for chronic management of obesity to help patients maintain a healthier weight as an adjunct to diet and exercise3,4

Pharmacological management may help with a patient’s ability to maintain lifestyle changes that lead to a healthier weight3,4

GLORIA
Gloria's BMI is 39.

Understanding pharmacological options

There are two main types of pharmacological treatments:

These medications are prescription treatments that are usually taken for up to 12 weeks2

These medications are FDA approved for chronic management of obesity to help patients maintain a healthier weight as an adjunct to diet and exercise3,4

Pharmacological management may help with a patient’s ability to maintain lifestyle changes that lead to a healthier weight3,4

Recommended for you

Obesity is now recognized as a chronic,
progressive disease

Download AACE Guidelines

The 5As
 

Get talking points

1. AHA/ACC/TOS guideline for the management of overweight and obesity in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and The Obesity Society. Circulation. 2014;129(25)(suppl 2):S102-S138.

2. ACOG obesity toolkit. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists website. https://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/ACOG-Departments/Toolkits-for-Health-Care-Providers/Obesity-Toolkit/Pharmacologic-and-Surgical-Interventions. Accessed October 15, 2018.

3. Yanovski SZ, Yanovski JA. Long-term drug treatment for obesity: a systematic and clinical review. JAMA. 2014;311(1):74-86.

4. Garvey WT, Mechanick JI, Brett EM, et al; and Reviewers of the AACE/ACE Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology comprehensive clinical practice guidelines for medical care of patients with obesity. Endocr Pract. 2016;22(suppl 3):1-203.

5. Burguera B, Fitch A, Owens GM, Patel D, San Martin VT. Management of obesity: considerations in managed care medicine. J Manag Care Med. 2018:1-24.

Return to top ▴