Conquering Obesity

Book excerpt: For men and women who are obese, the weight loss journey is about much more than shedding a few pounds. Obesity can lead to serious health risks and problems — both physical and psychological — and the struggle to cope can be a frustrating, life-long endeavour. It doesn’t have to be this way. InConquering Obesity, medical nutrition specialist Dr. Lance Levy offers a highly individual approach for dealing with weight management that recognizes obesity as a symptom of a larger, often undiagnosed, problem. Based on more than fifteen years of experience and research, Levy contends that an astonishing 90 per cent of people with weight issues have one or more of the following underlying medical conditions: mood disorders chronic tiredness chronic pain chronic gastrointestinal difficulties disorders of impulse regulation (binge eating disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and night-time eating syndrome) In these cases, when the underlying conditions are treated, long-term weight loss frequently occurs without any special diets. This updated edition includes the latest information on the links between obesity and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the effectiveness of cognitive and psychodynamic therapies, nighttime eating syndrome, and the non-negotiable time commitment needed to work on diet and lifestyle changes. Augmented with extensive case studies and data from Levy’s own successful practice,Conquering Obesity offers hope to anyone fighting the battle of weight management.