Medical weight loss goes beyond mere diet and exercise to address a wide range of weight-gaining health conditions such as Metabolic Syndrome, Syndrome X, Insulin Resistance, PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), thyroid conditions, etc..

The causes of weight gain are very individual in nature. While many overweight people will readily plead guilty to eating poorly and being lazy, there are numerous medical conditions which result in weight gain and cannot be solved by simply following the old adage of "eat less and exercise more."

One group of medical conditions is characterized by individuals with abdominal obesity (a large concentration of fat around the waist), who tend to display these symptoms:
- Can go long periods of time without eating before their glucose levels drop;
- The LESS they eat, the MORE weight they gain;
- They retain a lot of water;
- Eating carbs (carbohydrates) and sugars makes them tired;
- They crave more than the average person; and
- Exercise and calorie diets tend not to work for them.
These are just some of the symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome, Syndrome X, or insulin resistance. People with those conditions can't do calorie diets, they simply don't work. Instead, they have to be on a specialized diet.

There are blood tests which can identify those conditions. However, doctors are typically looking for a specific diagnosis like "You are diabetic," not trying to determine how CLOSE you are to becoming diabetic. Because of this, doctors oftentimes don't catch these conditions early on. Unfortunately a person can be insulin resistant and in the beginning stages of diabetes for 15 years before it actually shows up -- and that long build-up is a weight-gaining condition.

Another weight-gaining condition called PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, can cause infertility (about 40% of the women with PCOS struggle with infertility). Some other side effects of this condition are:
- Ovarian cysts (typically controlled with oral contraceptives);
- Irregular menstrual cycles;
- Ovulation problems;
- Abnormal hair growth in masculine areas like the face, lower thighs, arms, chest, and back;
- Acne trouble;
- Easily build muscle;
- Can work out but gain weight while hardly eating anything.
Simply put, PCOS can cause weight gain, and typical calorie-restricted diets don't work for individuals with PCOS. So the condition has to be managed carefully with medication and a specialized diet in order to lose weight.

Though often the subject of fat jokes, thyroid problems are very real. Complicating matters, sometimes people will have thyroid conditions that don't show up on the standard TSH test. In these cases, it is necessary to delve deeper into the blood test results to find the diagnosis.

People with thyroid problems can still lose weight, but find it very difficult to be motivated when they are suffering from any of the nearly 100 symptoms associated with thyroid problems, such as:
- Exhaustion and fatigue,
- Depression,
- Low body temperature,
- Constipation,
- PMS,
- Hair loss,
- Insomnia, and
- Susceptible to illness.
Once their thyroid conditions are brought under control, weight loss becomes easier because they feel better, are able to think clearly, and enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

Often people attribute the cause of their exhaustion and stress to their weight gain, when, in fact, it is more likely the other way around. Although the common complaint may be: "I'm tired and depressed because I'm fat," it would be more accurate to say: "Feeling tired and depressed is making me gain weight."

Even for someone not afflicted with any of the above-mentioned conditions it's important to find out if there are factors outside of the individual's control before developing a weight loss plan. Majorly stressful incidents such as divorce, death in the family, hysterectomy, etc., will change an individual's body chemistry enough to require a diet designed to put the body back in balance.

For all of these conditions, individuals will find better comprehension and treatment of their weight problems with a clinic specializing in physician-controlled medical weight loss. The Medical Weight Loss and Hormone Replacement Therapy Clinic of Ogden, Utah, treats Metabolic Syndrome, Syndrome X, Insulin Resistance, PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), thyroid conditions, and more.

But most importantly, the clinic doesn't merely hand over diet products and send people on their way. The physicians, counselors, and nutritionists at the clinic are dedicated to helping people find the reasons for their weight gain in order to help them lose weight and be healthy.

In addition to the highly successful medical weight loss programs, the clinic also offers doctor-supervised and prescribed hCG diets for individuals seeking faster weight loss results. And, as the name implies, they provide hormone replacement therapy implementing bio-identical hormones.

To learn more or schedule a consultation, please visit http://MedicalWeightLossUtah.com.