Questions to Ask When Considering Weight Loss Medication
Published by
CONTRAVE Care Team
on
No matter where you are on your weight loss journey, at some moment you may have wondered if you could potentially benefit from a prescription weight loss medication. If that sounds like you, we’ve put together some questions to help guide your thinking about weight loss medication below:
Have I talked to my healthcare provider yet?
The single most important thing you can do when considering a prescription healthcare medication is talk to your healthcare provider. If you do one thing, we strongly recommend it's starting that conversation. They can then make an educated assessment based on your medical history and health challenges. Completing our Personalized Weight Loss Assessment beforehand will help you guide your chat.
Remember, don’t be discouraged if your healthcare provider needs a little bit of time to research medication options. One size does not fit all with prescription weight loss medication. A good healthcare provider will want to do their research on all the options out there, and then create a personalized weight loss plan together with you
Don't be discouraged if your provider doesn't recommend the medication you read about in a magazine or heard about from a friend of a friend. A personalized weight loss plan could include switching your medication if needed. Having a weight loss plan customized to your body, lifestyle, and progress like this may help you see more success.
What is my BMI?
The Body Mass Index (BMI) system is a measurement system that assigns a weight category to people based on their specific height and weight. Healthcare providers, researchers, and the weight loss world at large also use BMI to talk about prescription weight loss medications. The FDA recommends considering weight loss medication for individuals with a BMI of ≥30 kg/m2 (or with a BMI of ≥27kg/m2 with related health conditions—see next question for more info).
Calculate your BMI now with the Personal Weight Loss Assessment tool.
Do I have any weight-related health conditions?
Prescription weight loss medication is also prescribed to people who have a BMI of at least 27 who have weight-related health conditions, such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes. Because losing weight may help these conditions, a prescription weight loss medication may be an option.
Am I still struggling to lose weight (or have I plateaued with weight loss) even after changing my diet and exercising more?
There’s nothing more frustrating than changing your whole lifestyle to a healthier one and seeing little to no results. There are many reasons you may not be losing weight despite your great efforts to diet and exercise. Others see initial weight loss and then experience a plateau of progress despite committing to their healthy lifestyle.
This is just another reason why it’s a great idea to talk to your healthcare provider. They can help you understand what a healthy rate of weight loss would be for you to help you set expectations. Your provider can also run some more tests to see if there are any underlying causes behind your weight loss struggles. They can then decide if a weight loss medication could help.
Do I eat for comfort or struggle with cravings?
Everyone faces different challenges that keep them from weight-loss success. For some, it is difficult to control cravings or they turn to food to help deal with emotions like stress. If this sounds familiar, ask your provider if CONTRAVE, in addition to diet and exercise, could help you lose weight and keep it off.
Then, start preparing for that conversation by checking your potential eligibility with our Personal Weight Loss Assessment tool!
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