How do hormone imbalances cause weight gain?
Many people gain weight despite eating less and increasing physical activity. If you’re working hard at losing weight and aren’t seeing results, you may have a hormonal imbalance. Board-certified endocrinologist Dr. Isaacs specializes in the medical and hormonal evaluation of hormonal weight gain and diet-resistant obesity. We recognize that obesity is a disease, not a lifestyle choice. At Atlanta Endocrine Associates, we help you lose weight through the science of endocrinology and correction of hormonal dysfunction, not willpower. An evaluation with Dr. Isaacs can identify treatable hormonal problems that may be interfering with weight loss.
Some of these problems include:
- Insulin resistance
- Leptin resistance
- Thyroid disorders
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- High cortisol levels
- Pituitary disorders
- High or low testosterone
- Slow metabolism
- Genetic disorders
- Autoimmune disorders
Are medications for weight loss safe and effective?
Medications for weight loss can be considered when diet and exercise alone does not produce acceptable weight loss or medical complications are not adequately controlled. Antiobesity medications (AOMs) are now recognized as an important treatment option for many patients. In addition to medications specifically approved for weight loss, many other medications have a weight loss effect and may be prescribed in certain situations. These medications are not a substitute to lifestyle modification, but rather a tool to enhance these measures.
Medications currently approved for weight loss include:
Currently, these are the weight loss medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
phentermine (Adipex-P®, Lomaira®)
phendimetrazine (Bontril®)
benzphetamine (Regimex®, Didrex®)
orlistat (Xenical®, alli®)†
phentermine and topiramate ER (Qsymia®)
Plenity®
naltrexone HCl and bupropion HCl (CONTRAVE®)
liraglutide injection (Saxenda®)
semaglutide injection (wegovy®)
Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) (approved to treat diabetes)
Why is it so easy to regain weight after a diet?
If you follow almost any diet, you will lose weight. But eventually the weight loss stops. And then, without you doing anything differently, you slowly (or sometimes rapidly) start gaining back weight. This happens because of your hormones. Your appetite, metabolism and body weight set-point are tightly regulated by hormones produced by your stomach, intestines, pancreas, and fat cells. If these hormones are out of balance, biology will overwhelm even the strongest willpower.
Weight loss is not about willpower. To lose weight and keep it off for good, you must address your body's biochemistry.
