About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffTalking to your doctor openly and honestly about your weight is one of the best things you can do for your health. You're likely to start by seeing your primary care doctor. In some cases, you may be referred to an obesity specialist — if one is available in your area. You may also be referred to a mental health provider, dietitian or nutrition specialist.
What you can do
Being an active participant in your care is important. One way to do this is by preparing for your appointment. Think about your needs and goals for treatment. Also, write down a list of questions to ask. These questions may include:
- Why can't I overcome obesity on my own?
- What other health problems might I have?
- What are the treatment options for obesity and my other health problems?
- Is weight-loss surgery an option for me?
- Will counseling help?
- Are there weight-loss medications that might help?
- How long will treatment take?
- What can I do to help myself?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me?
- What websites do you recommend visiting?
In addition to your prepared questions, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment.
What to expect from your doctor
During your appointment, your doctor or other health care provider is likely to ask you a number of questions about your eating, activity, mood and thoughts, and any symptoms you might have. You may be asked such questions as:
- What and how much do you eat in a typical day?
- How much activity do you get in a typical day?
- During what periods of your life did you gain weight?
- What are the factors that you believe affect your weight?
- How is your daily life affected by your weight?
- How is your mood affected by your weight?
- What diets or treatments have you tried to lose weight?
- What other medical conditions, if any, do you have?
- Do you have any family members with weight problems?
- What are your weight-loss goals?
- Are you ready to make changes in your lifestyle to lose weight?
- What do you think might prevent you from losing weight?
- How committed are you to losing weight?
- What medications or over-the-counter herbs and supplements do you take?
What you can do in the meantime
If you have several days or weeks before your scheduled appointment, you can start making some changes on your own to your eating and activity levels as you begin the journey to lose weight.
- Start making healthy changes in your diet, such as eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and reducing portion sizes. Eat breakfast.
- Track how much you're eating or drinking each day so that you get a sense of how many calories you're taking in. It's easy to underestimate how many calories you actually take in every day.
- Begin increasing your activity level. Try to get up and move around your home more frequently. Start gradually if you aren't in good shape or aren't used to exercising. Even a 10-minute daily walk can help. If you have any health conditions, or if you're a man over age 40 or a woman over age 50, talk to your doctor before you start a new exercise program.
- Defining overweight and obesity. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/defining.html. Accessed Feb. 14, 2011.
- Still CD, et al. Obesity. In: Rakel & Bope: Conn's Current Therapy. 60th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/117958748-3/0/1621/295.html#4-u1.0-B978-1. Accessed Feb. 15, 2011.
- Bray GA. Etiology and natural history of obesity. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 16, 2011.
- Kushner RF. Obesity management. Gastroenterology Clinics of North America. 2007;36:191.
- Duval K, et al. Health-related quality of life in morbid obesity. Obesity Surgery. 2006;16:574.
- Hainer V, et al. Treatment modalities of obesity: What fits whom? Diabetes Care. 2008;31(suppl 2):S269.
- Understanding adult obesity. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/understanding.htm. Accessed Feb. 15, 2011.
- Bray GA. Overview of therapy for obesity in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 16, 2011.
- Svetkey LP, et al. Comparison of strategies for sustaining weight loss: The Weight Loss Maintenance Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2008;299:1139.
- The practical guide: Identification, evaluation, and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/prctgd_c.pdf. Accessed Feb. 15, 2011.
- Donnelly JE, et al. American College of Sports Medicine position stand: Appropriate physical activity intervention strategies for weight loss and prevention of weight regain for adults. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2009;41:459.
- Sacks F, et al. Comparison of weight-loss diets with different compositions of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. New England Journal of Medicine. 2009;360:859.
- Jones D, et al. Surgical management of severe obesity. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 16, 2011.
- Meridia (sibutramine): Market withdrawal due to risk of serious cardiovascular events. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm228830.htm. Accessed Oct. 8, 2010.
- Najm W, et al. Herbals used for diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Primary Care. 2010;37:237.
- Cho SH, et al. Acupuncture for obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Obesity. 2009;33:183.
- Completed safety review: Xenical/Alli (Orlistat) and severe liver injury. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm213038.htm. Accessed Feb. 16, 2011.
Find Mayo Clinic on