Treating Obesity to Cure or Prevent Associated Diseases—Always with the Guidance of a Specialized Professional
Doctors Luis Masmiquel and Luis Alberto Gómez, endocrinologists, and Alejandra Pou, nutritionist at Juaneda Hospitales, explain the keys to losing weight without compromising health. This is particularly relevant during times of the year when many people resolve to shed extra pounds and adopt a healthier lifestyle.
The end of vacations and the start of a new year are the two main periods for setting positive goals, such as quitting smoking or losing weight. Quitting smoking is a matter of life or death and should not be delayed. Similarly, addressing excess weight is equally urgent if it has developed into obesity, but always under the guidance of a professional.
Doctors Luis Masmiquel and Luis Alberto Gómez, renowned endocrinologists and heads of the Obesity Unit at Juaneda Hospitales, emphasize that “obesity, for those affected, is a health issue that can become severe, far beyond the emotional challenges linked to aesthetic perception.”
The need for a personalized approach to obesity involves five potential strategies tailored to each individual's case, based on their medical history and "obesogenic factors," which include the circumstances and lifestyle elements influencing their condition, explains Dr. Masmiquel.
First and foremost, “obesity is not just an aesthetic concern—it must be treated to cure or prevent other related diseases,” such as diabetes, depression, sleep apnea, asthma, fatty liver disease, infertility, osteoarthritis, or gout, as well as conditions with more apparent mortality risks.
Obesity is also a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases like strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, and coronary artery disease, which often lead to premature death in individuals who have not managed their weight. Additionally, it can result in urinary and rectal incontinence, sexual dysfunction, and impotence.
A second strategy employed by the team of Drs. Masmiquel and Gómez is the “use of new anti-obesity medications (always based on scientific evidence and under medical supervision), which offer realistic benefits, with noticeable weight reduction over the course of treatment.”
Third, for the most severe cases, obesity surgery using advanced bariatric procedures offers substantial weight loss and improvement in all related comorbidities. These treatments can cure type 2 diabetes and, in most cases, eliminate the need for insulin injections.
Treating obesity in women through modern multidisciplinary approaches improves the prognosis for associated diseases and gender-specific conditions, such as the metabolic effects of polycystic ovary syndrome and other endocrinological issues. Resolving obesity often restores fertility in many cases of infertility.
As a final strategy, the endocrinology specialists at Juaneda Hospitales highlight that obesity can also be addressed, depending on the case, through minimally invasive interventions, such as intragastric balloons and endoscopic surgeries, always guided by the patient’s medical history and specialized advice.
Alejandra Pou, a nutritionist at Juaneda Hospitales, warns against the dangers of rapid weight loss and stresses the importance of establishing healthy nutritional and lifestyle habits: “There are no quick fixes. It’s essential to take time and progressively build good habits.”
For starters, “the infamous Bikini Operation is something we need to put an end to and forget about. These strategies assume that we overindulge during certain periods (vacations, Christmas, etc.) and then compensate to look good in swimwear.
“But the body doesn’t work that way,” she continues. “There’s no need to ‘compensate’ to prepare for summer or another moment of wanting to look good after periods of uncontrolled eating and drinking. Instead, we should establish good eating habits, exercise two or three times a week, and stay active.”
A healthy, balanced diet should include fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes, and an understanding of food labels when shopping. “With these habits in place,” Pou adds, “there’s no need for ‘bikini operations.’”
With good habits established, the occasional indulgences—like during Christmas or vacations, which are just a few days of eating more—become less concerning. “The real issue isn’t 20 or 30 days of overindulgence; it’s what we do during the other 335 days of the year.”
The process is not a straight line but a roller coaster, Pou explains. “Some days go well, others don’t. Life happens—you might be moving and temporarily lose access to a kitchen, or have a demanding job and family responsibilities, making quick or frozen meals necessary.”
She emphasizes that “adapting to circumstances is key.” Once good habits are in place, maintaining them becomes easier. “These habits can become as automatic as brushing your teeth or buckling your seatbelt in the car. Eating healthily should become second nature.”
Consulting a specialist is essential to achieving success without risking health. Only endocrinologists like Drs. Masmiquel and Gómez or nutritionists like Alejandra Pou have the expertise to diagnose and treat obesity-related diseases or establish healthy dietary habits.
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