Weight Loss Strategies
The global weight loss and weight management industry is expected to be worth £220 billion worldwide by 2022. Many people want a quick fix to losing weight, a magic pill, but the most effective way to lose weight and keep it off is by changing your lifestyle and eating habits; reducing calorie intake and increasing activity levels. However, we are bombarded with weight loss aids, diets and exercise regimes claimed to magically help us lose weight. What these do is concentrate people’s minds and help them make the changes required, some people succeed some people don’t and are on the weight loss roundabout for most of their lives.
Diets
The number of diets available can be quite daunting for some people, especially trying to find one that best suits their needs and lifestyle. As a new diet arrives, another fades away, but here are some of the most popular or well-known diets, some of which are new and some are old favourites.
Some diets have celebrity endorsements that encourage people to use the diet in the hope that they will gain the same body shape or image. Most are based on similar principles and often work as a quick fix but some people find once they return to eating normally they put all and sometimes more weight back on.
Weight Loss Programmes
Weight loss programmes are designed to help people make changes to their lifestyle, re-educate their eating habits and provide group support whilst losing weight. People who attend these, will pay a fee to attend meetings or group sessions; they get weighed and share their experiences with others trying to lose weight. Each programme provides diet and exercise plans to help subscribers control their diet.
Weight management programmes can also be provided by pharmacy. Think about your local area and if a weight management programme would be suitable for your pharmacy and discuss with your pharmacist.
Online Resources
There are numerous sources of online support to help people monitor and track their calorie intake and daily exercise. Although these can be time consuming to keep up to date, if used correctly, and honestly, they can be a useful tool.
Meal Replacement
There are a number of programmes that replace meals with shakes or soups. Some replace two meals each day and recommend that a healthy balanced evening meal is eaten, whereas others replace all meals. These programmes take the guess work out of calorie counting and portion control. Some people find these convenient as they don’t need to prepare food and be tempted; it also takes away the decision of what to have.
Slimming tablets
There are thousands of slimming tablets available in health food shops, pharmacy and the internet, many of which have no evidence supporting their efficacy and some also contain ingredients that are not fit for human consumption.
If customers wish to use slimming tablets despite there being no evidence to support their efficacy, always advise them to use a reputable source, where customers are taking prescribed medication they should always be referred to the pharmacist to confirm these tablets will not interfere with their medication.
Warning! There have been a series of health warnings about slimming pills and their contents causing fatalities or other health issues. It is imperative that if your customers are seeking advice on slimming pills you advise them only to source from reputable places using particular caution with internet purchases.
Slimming Aids
There are a number of licensed products and medical devices available OTC which can help reduce the amount of carbohydrates, fats and sugars that are absorbed by the body. Anyone wishing to purchase these products should be referred to the pharmacist or their GP to check their suitability.