When Should I Consult A Doctor About Starting A Weight Loss Program?

February 1, 2009 -- Question: When should I consult a doctor about starting a weight loss program?

Answer: If somebody is ready to lose weight and they have any preexisting medical conditions -- if they are diabetic, if they have high blood pressure, if they have high cholesterol, or any combination of those things, it is really not a good idea to just start on your own for weight loss. You need to talk with your physician to make sure that whatever it is you're doing in terms of your eating is not going to interfere with the medications that you're on, because the goal here is not to incur new baggage.

It's not just about weight loss, but it's also about keeping those other variables healthy.

And one of the very interesting things that people find is that if they embark on a weight loss program and they do have diabetes or high blood pressure or high cholesterol -- brownie points. They actually will find that not only does the number on a scale change, but those blood numbers change as well, usually in a downwards direction, but with some medical expertise and guidance. It is critically important.