Obesity Management Services

What is Obesity?

Obesity is defined as a disease in which fat has accumulated to the extent that health is impaired.

Obesity occurs when an individual’s body weight is in excess of the healthy range for their height leading to a high percentage of body fat.

Obesity is commonly measured by body mass index (BMI), which calculates the relationship of weight to height. An adult with a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese.



Who is Affected by Obesity?

Australia is today ranked as one of the fattest nations in the developed world. The prevalence of obesity in Australia has more than doubled in the past 20 years.

Too many Australians are at high risk of serious diseases and premature death because of excess body weight or obesity. 

• Over 66% of Australian adults are either overweight or obese and alarmingly, 
• 23% of children younger than 16 are either overweight or obese. 

How Does Obesity Affect You?

Obesity substantially contributes to

• preventable, non-communicable diseases, 
• shortened life-expectancy and
• impaired quality of life. 

Obesity is a major risk factor for chronic conditions such as 

• Type 2 Diabetes, 
• Heart disease, 
• Hypertension, 
• Stroke, 
• Musculoskeletal disorders and 
• Impaired psychosocial functioning. 

Obesity is now challenging smoking as the major cause of potentially preventable death in Australia.

Why Don’t Diets Often Work? 

Because everyone is different and most diets focus on a one size fits all approach. Our nutrition experts acknowledge that you are unique and therefore require specific, tailored dietary advice to get the best possible health outcomes.

It is also important to recognise that while popular diets appear to show initial success, it is a well-documented fact that this is often short-lived with weight-regain being an issue in the longer term. 

Our team makes it a priority to provide eating strategies that are effective in the long term.

We offer nutrition and lifestyle advice aimed to:

• Stop the yo-yo dieting cycle
• Address non-hunger driven eating behaviour
• Improve health outcomes, such as blood sugar control or cholesterol levels
• Address emotional or binge eating behaviour
• Improve your energy levels and overall levels of fitness
• Enjoy food without feeling guilty
• Improve your body image
• Advice on supplements, vitamins and eating plans

If you need help with any of the above, or if you are truly confused about how to achieve a healthy, nourishing diet for you and your family, you will benefit greatly from a consultation with one of our specialists. We are passionate about what we do and look forward to working with you to achieve your health goals.

Eating Psychology

Eating disorders are psychological disorders related to abnormal eating habits. A psychological assessment and treatment can be effective for:

• Eating disorders and disordered eating
• Body image concerns
• Non-surgical weight management
• Optimising outcomes following weight loss surgery
• Support with chronic conditions

Food Intolerances 

Food intolerance is characterized by difficulty in digesting particular foods. Food contains proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, fats and natural chemicals that add to its flavour and smell. Some of these can trigger symptoms of food intolerance. 

Food intolerance differs from food allergies, where even a small amount of the allergenic food can cause a mild to severe immune response. Food intolerance usually develops gradually and may occur when you consume too much of the particular food, too often.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

IBS is a chronic disease. While it can be mild and manageable for some, for others it can severely affect their quality of life and interfere with daily activities.

Irritable bowel syndrome has a set of gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, discomfort, cramping and bloating occurring together due to the abnormal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract (usually the large intestine). Symptoms of IBS include:

• Changes in bowel movements
• Abdominal pain and cramps
• Bloating and gas
• Diarrhoea
• Constipation
• Presence of whitish mucus in stools.

IBS can be treated to relieve symptoms; however, this condition cannot be cured. Your doctor will be able to manage this condition with the help of:

• Lifestyle changes
• Dietary changes
• Medications

Coeliac Disease

Coeliac disease is a condition characterised by inflammation of the lining of the small intestine due to an autoimmune reaction (the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissues) against gluten.

Gluten is a protein found in foods such as oats, wheat, rye and barley. Intake of such foods may lead to gastrointestinal and malabsorptive problems.

The coeliac disease usually causes an inflammatory reaction that leads to various gastrointestinal and malabsorptive problems. The condition may sometimes be associated with dermatitis herpetiformis, an itchy skin rash.

Weight Checks

If you’re trying to lose weight or just trying to manage your weight in a certain range, we suggest that checking your weight regularly can help. 

Our doctors can advise if you are in a healthy weight range and what to consider if you are not.

A weight check generally involves:

• Recording your Body Mass Index (BMI) 
• Considering your lifestyle and diet choices
• Updating your medical history and examining your health issues

If your BMI is above or below the normal range, our doctor may consider: 

• Performing tests if required
• A follow up of any problems identified
• Advice and information on how to improve your health.

There are a number of health checks recommended at different stages of life. 

If you’re already at moderate risk of developing heart disease you’ll need to have your waist circumference and weight checked more frequently every 6 to 12 months.

Obesity Counselling 

Hunger is the most powerful trigger to eat and weight loss surgery will help you to feel satisfied with smaller amounts of food and to stay satisfied for longer. 

When you make a commitment to yourself to manage your weight more effectively it is important to also think about the other reasons why we eat such as habits, emotions, fatigue and stress. 

Working on lifestyle and behavioural changes will enhance the outcome that you can achieve with surgery. Making these changes is not easy, which is why using a support team to help make the behavioural changes you need to achieve your goals is important.

Weight Loss Surgery

Australia has one of the highest prevalences of obesity in the developed world. Furthermore, obesity is the greatest contributing factor, along with ageing, to the chronic disease burden in our society.

Sometimes bariatric surgery or weight loss surgery can be a good choice for patients, our doctors can help on this journey.