For as long as obesity has existed, we've searched for the keys to long-term weight loss. As the obesity epidemic grew over the past decades, whole industries popped up around the promise of solving it. Yet the answers seemed as elusive as finding the fountain of youth.
It turns out there is a formula that makes long-term weight loss possible. Doctors with special training to treat obesity call it the 4 Ms. This stands for:
- Meals
- Movement
- Mind
- Medicine and metabolic surgery
Imagine a table with 4 legs. If 1 leg is broken or missing, the table isn't functional. It's the same with the 4 Ms. All 4 are needed to treat obesity effectively.
Weight Loss Medication: the Missing Ingredient
In the past few years, health professionals and society at large have started to come around to the idea of the 4 Ms. It's been accelerated in recent years by FDA approval of 2 medicines — semaglutide, sold under brand names Ozempic and Zepbound, and tirzepatide, sold under the names Mounjaro and Zepbound.
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Medicines to treat obesity aren't new. And these aren't even the first of their kind. The reason they've received so much attention is because they're extremely effective. So many folks, even medical professionals, are thinking about weight loss medication for the first time.
Many people have tried unsuccessfully for years to beat obesity with diet, exercise, and sometimes, a focus on mental health. Suddenly they're finding success. And it's adding 1 ingredient — weight loss medication — to the mix that makes all the difference.
Controlling Obesity Long-Term
So if you're someone with obesity who has tried everything, you might be missing 1 of the 4 elements of successful treatment. Watch this video to learn more about the 4 Ms of obesity treatment.
