Who I am and What An Obesity Physician Does, Ep #001
Welcome to the 1st episode of the Dr. Francavilla Show. I'm your host, Dr. Carolyn Francavilla, Board Certified in Family Medicine and a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. I've been helping patients lose weight to treat and prevent medical problems for the last 10 years, and I'm taking what I've learned from them to you.
In this podcast, you will learn the science behind why you struggle with your weight, what to do about it, and tips for common challenges. We will work to fight bias about what a healthy weight really is and improve your relationship with food and your body. Please remember that while I'm a doctor, I'm not your doctor. This podcast is meant to be informational, not medical advice. Please seek out care from your physician for your specific needs.
Today you’ll hear about who I am, what it is that I do, and why I do it. I'm going to introduce you to Weight Care, which is the term I use for treating obesity, and the guiding principles that I use for Weight Care, which are the Weight 8, eight rules that I think of when I'm taking care of patients and that I want you to think of when you're taking care of yourself.
Points of interest...
Why I became an obesity medicine specialist [1:46]
Skepticism and the blame game [5:56]
Looking for underlying causes [9:21]
Addressing nutrition and exercise [12:13]
Behavior change and medications [16:22]
What is Weight Care? [20:31]
The Weight 8, the rules of Weight Care [21:44]
Coming up on The Dr. Francavilla Show [35:19]
Hear me out…I’m not ‘THAT’ doctor.
You might be a little skeptical about a doctor who is giving advice about weight because if you're like a lot of my patients, you may have gotten some kind of bad advice from doctors in the past. Maybe you've been told to eat less and exercise more. Maybe you’ve had a medical condition blamed on your weight when it wasn't. I see this happen to my patients all the time. They have knee pain and someone tells them they just need to lose weight. Well news flash, thin people get knee pain too. We shouldn't blame things on someone's weight until we know that that's the problem.
I know that many people have had a negative experience with doctors and how weight is treated and I just want to let you know that I am not ‘THAT’ doctor. I am not going to blame you for any of the struggles that you've had. I truly recognize weight as a biological condition. Some people gain weight a lot easier than others and it's a lot harder to lose weight. Sometimes we have good explanations for why that is and sometimes we don't. I’m never going to blame or shame you for your weight but I will be your biggest cheerleader!
Weight Care and the Weight 8?
Weight Care is my approach to treating obesity. People don't love using the word obesity so I use the word weight more often than anything. We all have weight, right? It's just weight, there's no good number, bad number, or right number, it's just weight. Our goal with weight care may be to maintain weight, stop gaining weight, or maybe to stop worrying about weight. That's why I like the term weight care, just this comprehensive approach to just taking care of our weight.
The Weight 8 are the ground rules that I have developed over time and that I find myself consistently explaining to patients. I want to introduce them to you because I think they'll be helpful for you as you make choices for yourself on strategies for your weight.
Weight 8 rule #1: Healthy at different sizes
Weight 8 rule #2: Put your health first
Weight 8 rule #3: Whatever you do you have to keep doing
Weight 8 rule #4: Progress not perfection
Weight 8 rule #5: No right way of eating
Weight 8 rule #6: Exercise is not a punishment
Weight 8 rule #7: Be nice to yourself
Weight 8 rule #8: Medication is not cheating
Check out the podcast to hear about what each of these rules means as it applies to real life.
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