Weight Management and Metabolic Disorders

Although most people consider thin to be more beautiful than fat, weight loss for medical reasons is more important than weight loss for looks. A wide range of illnesses are directly caused by overweight and obesity and excess weight is indirectly responsible for many more health problems.

Hypertension (high blood pressure) and type 2 diabetes are common results of being overweight and are now being seen in young people as well as adults. It is possible to have hypertension without any symptoms for many years. However, this doesn’t mean it isn’t having a harmful effect on the body. It may be damaging the heart and arteries and this could lead to serious illness. Eventually, other organs can become involved as well and the risk of heart attack, blindness and renal failure is increased. So it is important to have high blood pressure diagnosed as early as possible.

If you are overweight, your body has difficulty controlling the levels of sugar in your blood. It has to work extra hard to produce insulin to deal with the sugar and eventually it just can’t produce enough, with the result that there is too much sugar circulating in your blood. This can lead to serious problems including heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. Since the majority of people who have type 2 diabetes - around 90 percent – are overweight, it is obvious that there is link. On the positive side, even a moderate loss of weight can make a big difference in terms of prevention. People who already have diabetes can reduce and in some cases stop their medication if they lose weight.

Being overweight also causes problems with breathing and with moving around. If left unchecked, obesity often leads to pain, discomfort and premature death. However, many of these illnesses can be prevented by losing weight. In our clinic, before putting a patient on any diet we give complete checkup which is not available in other places.

Metabolic Disorders is one of many reasons why many people can’t lose weight the traditional way. What is a Metabolic Disorder? Metabolism is the process your body uses to get or make energy from the food you eat. Food is made up of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Chemicals in your digestive system break the food parts down into sugars and acids, your body's fuel. Your body can use this fuel right away, or it can store the energy in your body tissues, such as your liver, muscles and body fat.

A metabolic disorder occurs when abnormal chemical reactions in your body disrupt this process. When this happens, you might have too much of some substances or too little of other ones that you need to stay healthy. You can develop a metabolic disorder when some organs, such as your liver or pancreas, become diseased or do not function normally. Diabetes is an example.

To determine whether symptoms are caused by metabolic disorders, patient evaluations may include:

Neurological Assessments:

Children with developmental delays or loss of previous developmental milestones, such as the loss of the ability to sit or stand, will be assessed through various tests, including an extensive physical exam and screenings for vision, hearing, heart and liver. The exam will include a detailed medical history provided by the parents on the child's development and medical history of the extended family.

Blood and Urine Testing:

Blood and/or urine samples are used for genetic testing to identify biochemical abnormalities or mutations that cause metabolic disorders.

Genetic Counseling:

Patients diagnosed with a metabolic disorder and their families will receive counseling from medical specialists in genetics to explain the diagnosis and the role of inherited genes. It is highly recommended that, for patients with metabolic disorders, other family members receive genetic counseling and testing.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI):

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows detailed imaging of the brain. MRI has greatly enhanced the ability to detect abnormalities in the brain that could indicate a metabolic disorder. MRI may be used to determine whether the patient has a metabolic disorder or to measure how the metabolic disorder has affected the brain.