The number of people with overweight and obesity has risen dramatically over the past 20+ years. From 1999 -2000 through 2017, the prevalence of obesity in the US increased from 30.5% to 41.9%. According to the Obesity Medicine Association, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in US adults is >30% (Metabolic syndrome includes abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, impaired fasting glucose, high triglyceride levels, and low HDL cholesterol levels). Less than 20% of US adults have optimal metabolic markers.
The causes of this epidemic are many and varied. However, a more sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition including highly processed and nutrient dense foods, high stress, inadequate sleep, and social isolation are all drivers of weight gain. It is now known that excess weight is the “mother of all chronic diseases.” Obesity can now be considered a cause of hypertension, diabetes, elevated cholesterol, chronic inflammation. These conditions then create the toxic milieu that fosters cardiovascular disease (heart attack, stroke, peripheral artery disease), chronic kidney disease, and dementia, as well as arthritis and other diseases driven by inflammation.
Dr. Berger has a particular interest in the prevention of chronic metabolic disease. Therefore, at NEMP we are focused on treating obesity as a chronic disease. Due to changes in hunger and satiety hormones as weight is gained, it is no longer a matter of willpower to lose weight once an elevated boy mass index (BMI) is reached. The body acts to preserve its weight as a defense against the possibility of famine. However, we no longer hunt and gather our food. We are surrounded by an over-abundance of nourishment. This is why we take a broad approach to weight management, helping our patients to modify their lifestyles but also using anti-obesity medications when needed to manage cravings and enhance the feeling of satiety to decrease caloric intake. We are entering an exciting new age of treating obesity in which we can utilize both lifestyle and pharmacology to manage the epidemic of this chronic disease. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Berger and see how NEMP can help you not only decrease your weight, but enhance your physical strength and metabolic health.
