Individual Needs Analysis

//Individual Needs Analysis

Individual Needs Analysis

2018-01-15T15:20:13+00:00December 29th, 2017|Doctor's Corner|

While the Simeon Protocol is a standardized plan for every patient who walks through the Weight Loss Clinic’s door asking to drop some pounds, sculpt up, and get healthier, the overall importance of the individual needs analysis is not overlooked.  However, most doctors do not treat patients as individuals.  Hypertensive patients are started on a well understood protocol of beta blockers and diuretics.  Diabetics are immediately put on a starting dose of Metformin.  All smokers are encouraged to quit.  This practice is the standard of care.  It is just the beginning of a health and wellness plan of the physician to work in conjunction with the patient in order to reach optimal potential.  The physician cannot do it alone and the patient cannot do it in one visit.  The relationship between the doctor and the patient together will develop a plan customized for the individual patient over time.

Nutrition, exercise and lifestyle certainly varies from one patient to another and many factors come into play when developing a medical plan to treat the patient, but only one thing at a time can be attacked with full focus.  There is one common denominator in each patient who walks into a weight loss clinic and that is that the behavior must be corrected.  There is no better or more clearly outlined protocol than the Simeon Protocol that packs in an optimal amount of nutrition into a very low calorie diet of specific foods.  So many of the nutrient-poor yet addictive foods are thus eliminated for a minimum of 23 days, allowing the brain time to reset and the body’s endocrine and cardiovascular system to recover.  The simple short list of allowable foods also ensures patient compliance.  Consistency is key to weight loss.  No matter how someone’s day went, no matter the challenges put up on someone’s emotions, no matter the amount of stress from work or family, the patient can maintain his dedication to the diet outlined in the Simeon Protocol without giving it too much thought.  Indeed, it is a simple program that must be followed on a daily basis to establish a routine of powerful fat burning.

The bottom line is that even a modest amount of weight loss can substantially improve morbidity symptoms associated with obesity.  In fact, researchers at Washington University observed that markers for cardiovascular disease continued to improve after the study period, even though some of the patient subjects gained some of the weight back¹.  These benefits can help lower the risk of cardiac arrest and heart failure.  Surely these are the effects of eliminating pro-inflammatory foods such as dairy, sodas, breads, cereals, cakes and cookies from the daily diet.  This is just the beginning.  The body finally has a break from excessive food intake and persistent lipogenesis, excessive body fat development, elevated insulin levels that cause cardiovascular disease, pain in the joints, lethargy, cognitive deficits, and low energy.  Calorie restriction can also reverse the deleterious effects of fatty liver such as insulin resistance.  Continued body fat loss requires more involvement from the patient and the physician.  The patient must make an emotional investment to reach improved quality of life.  It is the physician’s duty to help the patient achieve a solid foundation of improved behavior, high motivation and individual understanding.

Obesity, like all diseases, is a huge burden on a patient’s quality of life.  With 62% of overweight participants in an obesity study performed in Mexico complaining of undesirable effects such as pain², it is obviously important to start a simple weight loss plan as soon as the patient walks through the doctor’s doors asking for help.  It is my view that every qualifying patient who walks through into my office should take advantage of the life-changing opportunity to get on a well-established plan shown to achieve results every time when done correctly by someone dedicated to his or her own health and longevity.  Every patient deserves a chance to feel better even if that chance comes in the “one-size-fits all” plan I gave to all of my successful patients before him.

Start to normalize first, then we can more individually help maintain your healthy weight later.

  1. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/moderate-weight-loss-improves-heart-health/
  2. DiBonaventura, et al. Obesity in Mexico: prevalence, comorbidities, associations with patient outcomes, and treatment experiences.  Diabetes Metabolic Synrome Obeseity.  2017 Dec 22; 11: 1-10.