With an endless amount of weight loss programs and medically assisted weight loss options, why is it that Americans continue to struggle with being overweight or obese? According to the CDC, there are 74% of Americans that are overweight with obesity. There are many factors that can contribute to the struggles individuals go through in attempting to take the weight off or maintaining weight loss. Behavioral triggers can weigh heavily on motivation and setback individuals attempting to adopt a healthier lifestyle that can lead to improved overall wellness. Prescribed weight loss medications have been a long-standing option for doctors trying to help their patients to lose excess weight. A combination approach of weight loss programs coupled with behavioral support has been on the rise in recent years.
Programs, such as Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig, that have been around for decades have adopted and incorporated mobile applications or platforms to their programs that help their consumers track their progress in the last few years. The best, most effective programs utilize a virtual platform that provides on-demand wellness specialists: nutritionists, fitness experts, and personal support from behavioral experts. This all makes perfect sense since we now live in an era of a digital world where we can access digitally enabled solutions 24 hours a day. With over 250,000 health and fitness mobile apps, there are many apps to choose from. Digital technology now plays an important role in assisting to deliver wellness, lifestyle, and behavioral changes aimed to improve our overall health whether it involves losing or maintaining weight.
Weight loss medications such as Contrave, the #1 prescribed medication for weight loss, combine two medications naltrexone and bupropion to aid with weight loss. Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist that works by blocking the effects of opioids. The suggestion that naltrexone is also a viable option for weight loss has been around for many years, it has been tested many times with varying results, and is well documented. It can help people lose weight by reducing the desire for food, studies suggest that it can also be combined with other medications for a greater effect. There are also companies like Alkermes, Currax, and BioCorRx that have naltrexone products, in various forms, that have already received FDA approval or are currently in clinical studies working towards regulatory approval for indications such as alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, and weight loss.
With so many options to help us get healthier, why is it that Americans are still struggling with weight loss? Through scientific studies, we know that addiction is a disease that affects changes in behavior among other things. Food addiction is no different, some people may have the tendency to overeat to feel pleasure or better after a difficult time or when dealing with certain triggers and unpleasant life events. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the leading treatment form of evidence-based psychotherapy for a wide range of addictive disorders. CBT can provide individuals with cognitive skills needed for increasing social support, addressing triggers, and enabling treatment to be personalized. It can be delivered by licensed clinicians and with modules that are introduced depending on the individuals’ needs that are advantageous to their weight-control mindset.
Taking the time to understand the science and nutrition of food and behavioral health is very important. Choosing the right foods and quantities is often stressful when attempting to lose weight. Everyone should take the time to educate themselves on these topics; it will help achieve healthier lifestyles and attain individual wellness goals. It will also help to alleviate the anxiety that is closely connected to weight loss and weight management by understanding its psychological traits. Staying at peace during a weight loss journey will give you the best chance at success.
Lourdes Felix
Lourdes Felix is a female, Hispanic entrepreneur and corporate finance executive with 30 years of combined experience in capital markets and public accounting in the private sector. She presently serves as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Director of BioCorRx Inc. (OTCQB: BICX), a leader in addiction treatment solutions and related disorders. She has been with BioCorRx since October 2012. Lourdes is one of the founders and President of BioCorRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., a majority-owned subsidiary of BioCorRx Inc. Lourdes is the founder of the UnCraveRx Weight Loss Program. She has been instrumental in capital procurement, completing a multi-million dollar equity financing, and accomplished in structuring and negotiating transactions and favorable terms with investment banks. Along with other executives of the company, rebranded the Company and restructured and expanded the business model to position it for long-term growth in the addiction treatment space and drug development. Extensive experience with clinic operations management.