Obesity is a Disease: Highlights from the OMA Conference

In this riveting episode of the Keep the Weight Off podcast, Marchelle and I bring you exclusive insights from the Fall Conference of the Obesity Medicine Association, held in sunny San Antonio, Texas this past weekend.

In this episode, I share her firsthand experiences from the conference, revealing groundbreaking information that's so fresh it hasn't even hit the presses yet.

Here's a sneak peek of what we discuss:

🧠 Obesity Unveiled: Gain a deeper understanding of obesity as a complex metabolic disease that goes beyond weight gain. Discover why it's crucial to address its many physical ramifications.

🍩 Temptations and Willpower: Learn how social temptations to indulge in sugary treats can't be avoided, even at an Obesity Medicine conference! Shocking!!

🔬Cutting-Edge Insights: Dive into the latest research findings and treatments for obesity, including exciting developments in 3rd generation drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro.

❤️ Mental Health Matters: Explore the intricate relationship between obesity and mental health, with a focus on eating disorders and their often-overlooked prevalence.

🩺 Liver Disease Link: Discover the surprising connection between obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and heart disease mortality rates.

👂 Don't miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge and make a positive change in your life!

Remember, obesity is a disease, and everyone deserves the best possible treatment. If you're ready to take control of your health journey, consider Dr. Angela's "How to Get Rid of Belly Fat" course or join the Empowered Weight Loss membership. Get started at journeybeyondweightloss.com.


Thank you for being part of our community. Together, we can conquer the misconceptions surrounding obesity and pave the way for healthier lives.


Stay tuned and stay empowered!

Episode Highlights:

(05:21) I want to explain a little bit about what it means that obesity is a disease because most of our medical colleagues still don't understand this. Most people think obesity is a failure of willpower, that we just eat too much and we don't exercise enough. The diet and fitness industry has perpetuated this myth that this is a character flaw that can be solved with diet and exercise, and this really couldn't be further from the truth; this is no character flaw, this is a disease. That results in massive hunger and cravings. There is a neural hormonal derangement in the brain's appetite regulation system.

(13:28) What I want everyone listening to this podcast to understand is that obesity is a chronic, which means long-lasting, progressive, relapsing disease. What this means is that once you have it, you're always going to have it, it’s not going to go away. You can get it under really good control, you can stop the weight gain, you can lose weight, but you might have relapses. If you don't get it under control, it will get worse over time. So, whatever you do to get it under control, you have to keep doing it.

(22:56) We had a great talk on liver disease; nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a very common complication of obesity. The number one cause of death for someone who has liver disease is actually heart disease. The reason is that the liver manages our cholesterol metabolism and when that's not functioning correctly, we develop cholesterol buildup in our arteries and we end up with the plaques that cause heart disease.

The prevalence of liver disease is very, very high. About 30% of adults have it, and it even affects children, which I was shocked to find out. About 13 to 14% of children have evidence that their livers are struggling, and this puts them at increased risk for heart attacks at a very young age.