Weight Loss Scottsdale: Metformin and Weight Loss

In recent years, weight loss programs have become a major and crucial part of the healthcare system.  Ever since the American Medical Association designated obesity as a disease, many Americans have made weight loss a priority and so have many healthcare professionals.  Once considered an aesthetics condition, obesity places a strain on many essential body functions with the two most prominent being the cardiovascular system and the human metabolism.  Fortunately, obesity has a large lifestyle component and there is a way to combat the excess for a healthy future.

Diet and exercise play a major role in weight management.  In fact, diet and exercise make up the vast majority of how individuals safely lose weight.  In recent years however, individuals have experimented (some succeeded) in supplementation for weight loss, as an aide.  While there are many products deemed harmful for weight loss and the FDA disapproves of particular products, there are some which provide weight loss relief in pill form.  One pill which can help aide in weight loss is the prescription medication metformin.

What is Metformin

Metformin is a common prescription medication used in unison with a healthy lifestyle for the maintenance of blood sugar [1].  Primarily used among diagnosed type II diabetics, metformin has been able to help prevent major organ and limb dysfunction among individuals with type II diabetes.  In addition, metformin is crucial in the lowering of stroke and heart attack risk, making this a powerful and important lifestyle prescription medication.

Metformin and Weight Loss

Many overweight and obese individuals suffer from an abnormal blood glucose concentration, impairing many body processes and organ performance along the way.  Over the many years of use, it has been observed by researchers that metformin users often lose weight when on a continuous regimen.  Researchers continued to pursue this observation to better understand what is causing weight loss among these individuals.  Fortunately, researchers found that metformin can in fact help reduce body weight by decreasing overall daily calorie intake, suggesting that it helps regulate satiety in the brain to better manage weight [2].  The results of the research on metformin found weight loss to be dose-dependent, meaning the higher the dose of metformin, the greater the weight loss.

Studies on Metformin and Weight Loss

In another recent study involving metformin use on weight loss, researchers found similar positive results.  Among 148 stable overweight adults, it was found that a 16-week metformin regimen induced modest weight loss of about 3.0 kg (about six pounds lost) [3].  While six pounds in a 16-week time period is not a large amount of weight lost, it is still a modest and progressive amount.  In addition, when a weight loss program is supplemented with metformin, the results may be even more positive.

So Metformin May Provide Modest Weight Loss, How Does This Help Me?

Common knowledge among weight loss programs state that one to two pounds per week is safe and effective for long-term goals.  If one pound per week were lost as a result of a weight loss program consisting of diet and exercise, supplementing with metformin could bring the total weight loss, in theory, to 22 pounds, which is significant over this time period (more than one pound per week).  Given there are plenty of over-the-counter medications for weight loss, metformin may be one of the safest routes since it requires a physician to write a prescription for the use.  When starting any weight loss program, it is always best to consult with a physician to discuss options.  Many individuals choose a personal trainer due to the vast experience they have working with weight-loss clients.

Choosing the personal training route is a safe, effective, and holistic approach for weight loss Scottsdale AZ.  Considering all the options for the New Year is important.  The metformin route may provide a modest relief and its use is safe, effective, and may actually help improve your metabolic profile.

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