Experts from Obesity Week 2015 offer best weight loss tips

Live Obesity Week 2015 coverage from Los Angeles included news from the conference, onsite video interviews with leading experts and research implications on patient care and practice.

Healio.com/Family Medicine presents the top weight loss tips experts offered for patients at the meeting.

Fitness apps are tools, not the solution for weight loss

Phone apps and wearable devices can be useful tools for self-monitoring for patients attempting to lose weight, but they can’t replace an individualized intervention led by the health care provider, said Donna Ryan, MD, professor emerita at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in a video interview.

Measuring a behavior is key to changing it, Ryan said, so self-monitoring calories consumed or minutes spent exercising can be important for weight loss. Apps can be easier to use and more accurate than traditional tracking on paper, and these tools can bring progress — or lack of progress — into focus. Watch here.

Is it better to be thin or healthy?

When losing weight, being healthy trumps looking good, said Deborah Clegg, PhD, of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, California, in a video interview.

While shooting for a size consistent with a normal BMI is desirable, maintaining good health is more important — and metabolic status is not assessed by looking at a person’s size, according to Clegg. Watch here.

Hunger control key to success with calorie restriction

Controlling hunger can be key to sticking to a calorie-restricted diet, Krista Varady, MD, associate professor of kinesiology and nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said in a video interview.

Varady suggests consuming hot beverages before meals to feel more satiated and drinking water throughout the day to remain hydrated. She also recommends avoiding too much TV — watching less than 10 hours a week reduces exposure to food ads that tend to make viewers hungry. Watch here.

Vary your exercise routine

Varying your workout can help prevent a weight-loss plateau, said Deborah Clegg, PhD, of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, California, in a video interview.

The body adapts to doing the same regular activity, according to Clegg. Switching up the routine can restart the weight loss. Watch here.

Better sleep means better weight loss

Health care providers should talk about sleep deprivation with patients trying to lose weight, said Donna Ryan, MD, professor emerita at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in a video interview.

Patients struggling to get enough sleep will also struggle to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, according to Ryan. Some sleep deprivation can be attributed to sleep apnea, and once the apnea is treated, weight loss comes more easily. A referral to a sleep specialist might be appropriate. Patients should also be told to avoid taking Benadryl (diphenhydramine, McNeil PPC) as a sleep aid, as it can cause weight gain. Watch here.