What are the different types of obesity that could change the game forever?
There’s no doubt that we are facing an epidemic of obesity. It’s been going on a long time, as the CDC first labeled it an epidemic in the late 1990s. Since then, it’s only gotten worse, and we are inching closer to 50% of our entire population being obese. Considering the myriad health issues associated with obesity, that statistic should make us panic.
In recent months, folks have been swamped with news stories about the “obesity” medication. I wouldn’t be surprised if “Ozempic” is word of the year. But despite the hype, will the medications make a lasting dent in the obesity epidemic? I believe the jury is still out on that. For starters, the medication is so pricey that it’s only available for the wealthy. That in itself will increase obesity-related disparities, but ya know…the drug executives have to buy yachts and stuff. ;)
As you’ll learn in this podcast, the first-line obesity medication for folks often doesn’t work for them. And then there’s the side effects and the notion that an individual will have to remain on the medication in order to maintain the weight loss. That doesn’t sit well with many people for a variety of reasons. But there are folks, like my recent podcast guest, who aim to revolutionize our approach to obesity. My podcast guest has identified 4 different types of obesity (essentially phenotypes) that could, in fact, change our approach entirely. Focusing on different types of obesity gets away from this “one size fits all” approach that dominates western medicine. My guest advocates for a more personalized approach, paving the way to precision medicine. I’m not confident our current health system is designed for precision medicine, however I believe it IS the medicine of the future and will only benefit people. That said, it’s in its nadir and has a long way to go, baby.
On a recent episode of Causes or Cures, I chatted with Dr. Andres Acosta MD PHD about the identification of 4 different types of obesity and how they can revolutionize the future of obesity treatment. In great detail, he describes the 4 obesity phenotypes (Hungry Brain, Emotional Hunger, Hungry Gut, and Slow Burn) and explains what treatment, diet, and exercise plan works for each. He also describes his company, Phenomix Sciences, a precision-medicine endeavor that predicts how well someone will respond to various obesity interventions.
Dr. Acosta is a Consultant of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic, as well as an Associate Professor of Medicine. His research focus is on gastrointestinal physiology and the complexity of food intake regulation as it relates to obesity. You can learn more about his work here.
Please tune into the episode HERE! And please share this episode with folks who are struggling with obesity or weight in general. No promises, but this information could be a gamechanger for them.
After you listen to the episode on the four different types of obesity, check out this one on the health benefits of fart walks. I promise that after you listen to it, you’ll call up a buddy and go on a fart walk. ;)
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That’s it for now ya’ll. Chat soon.
X Eeks