103. Dr. Beverly Tchang - Better Understanding of Obesity

The Jill Cruz Podcast

The healthcare system needs to view obesity through a more compassionate lens. Dr. Beverly Tchang is an endocrinologist who works with a medical team to help support patients seeking obesity management in a holistic and individualized way. Weight issues have historically been viewed by society and medicine as a problem that is centered on lifestyle and reflect an individual’s poor choices. Modern medical research proves that the inability to lose weight is a multifaceted issue linked to hormonal problems that require individualized treatments. We must stop identifying obesity as an external physical issue and have compassion for the mental and hormonal issues that impact people suffering from the disease. Let’s end the stigma around obesity!

Show notes:
👩‍⚕️ Dr. Beverly is an obesity medicine physician who says obesity is a medical disease, not a morality issue: only 1% of people eligible for obesity medicine medications are offered medications. 04:35
❌ Media is pushing a false dichotomy that people with obesity are taking away the medications from people with diabetes. 11:15
📈 "Calories in - calories out" is a description of our current weight, but it doesn't give us an explanation as to why the body continues to gain weight. 14:02
🍔 A study showed that given the same meal with the same amount of calories and fiber, people who were given an ultra-processed meal ate 300-500 kcal more. 18:02
✅ If you're overweight, you have a higher risk of developing obesity in the next 10 years: BMI doesn't count for body composition, ethnicity, or comorbidities. 21:29
🧠 US statistics from 2015 show that 60% of people have overweight or obesity: most people have obesity because their hormones are out of whack, but that's not always possible to prove. 25:01
👍 Dr. Beverly works as an endocrinologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. 31:11
💊 Medications are not for everyone - the approach has to be holistic and individualized: there are options to help mitigate the damage our modern environment imposes on us. 33:44
🟢 Obesity is a neuro-hormonal disease, and we should treat it like that. 36:07
❣️ Female physical appearance doesn't determine female worth: it's a struggle that has lasted centuries. 38:53

Links:

American Board of obesity medicine: www.abom.org

Lose Weight for the Last Time: https://wynweightloss.kartra.com/page/lose-weight-for-the-last-time

"With Your Nature" Wellness & Weight Loss Blog: https://wynweightloss.com/blog

Connect with Jill: www.linkedin.com/in/jill-cruz-ms-cns-healthy-weight-loss