How to Talk to Your Healthcare Provider about Your Weight

This article was first published inEl Paso Inc.on March 29, 2019.

我们都听到了这一消息 - 肥胖已经达到流行水平。您或您认识的人可能患有这种复杂的慢性疾病。

没错 - 肥胖是一种疾病。这不是缺乏意志力。它不是懒惰引起的。实际上，这不是由食物或缺乏运动引起的。肥胖是由于身体无法调节能量平衡（卡路里，卡路里或两者）引起的。

Many factors can contribute to a specific type of obesity within a person, including genetic, biological, social, and environmental factors. The good news is that there are tools to help individuals manage these factors.

Talk to your healthcare provider about your weight. Many factors can contribute to specific type of obesity, including genetic, biological, social and environmental factors.

他们包括：

• 生活方式and behavioral strategies

•药理选项

•手术方法

为了充分访问这些工具，一个人需要与了解这种疾病复杂性以及如何使用这些工具制定持续和灵活策略的医疗保健提供者合作。

This is why thePaso del Norte Institute for Healthy Living at UTEP今年为卫生保健提供者启动了首个培训计划。

Called the实用肥胖管理课程, this program trained 50 regional health care providers how to use these tools to help their patients with obesity.

如果您想对自己的体重更加有能力，那么您可以在医疗保健提供者中寻找几件事。

Look for a provider who:

• Understands that obesity是一种复杂的疾病，以非判断的方式处理体重管理

•鼓励您提出问题并解释有关治疗选择的详细信息，而不仅仅是开处方

• Listens给你

Remember that you should actively participate in decision-making about your care. You should not be told that “you simply need to eat less and exercise more.”

If you are struggling with obesity, here are some next steps you can take:

•认识到肥胖是一种疾病，而不是你的错。

There are tools available to help.

访问yourweightmatters.org注册免费工具包，以帮助您准备与医疗保健提供者交谈。

利亚·惠姆（Leah Whigham）是一位营养和肥胖科学家兼执行董事，北部北部健康生活学院的执行董事。有关更多信息，请访问www.pdnihl.org