LIFESTYLE NEWS - Prescription-based weight management treatment has moved into the mainstream, giving more people with genuine clinical needs access to potentially life-changing care.
However, the rapid growth of the market has not necessarily been matched by consistently high standards of care.
This Women’s Month, attention must also be given to the risks women may face when treatment is provided without adequate clinical oversight, through inappropriate prescribing practices or via unregulated and black-market products.
Nearly seven in 10 adult South African women are obese, compared with about four in 10 men.
Women therefore represent a significant proportion of the weight-management market and may consequently face greater exposure to irresponsible medical practices and unregulated products.
At Dr GL Vosloo Medical Practice, managed by BioWell, women make up the majority of patients seeking a holistic weight-loss and metabolic management programme, which may include prescription treatment where clinically appropriate.
The practice says some patients arriving from other programmes have reported receiving excessively high doses of treatment with limited medical oversight.
Others have used black-market products before seeking professional medical assistance after experiencing difficulties managing their treatment safely.
These experiences highlight why prescription treatment should form part of a broader, medically supervised programme rather than being approached as a medication-only solution.
As more women seek weight-management treatment, healthcare providers have a responsibility to help patients understand what appropriate clinical care looks like, including responsible prescribing, appropriate dosing and ongoing monitoring.
What should women look for?
Not all weight-management programmes are the same. Patients should consider several factors when assessing whether a provider offers responsible, medically supervised care.
1. Screening should start before the consultation
A reputable practice should gather sufficient information before the first consultation to establish a patient’s medical history, current health status and potential risk factors.
Intake information may include previous weight-loss treatments, allergies, pregnancy or breastfeeding status, eating habits and treatment goals.
This information should be reviewed by the appropriate healthcare professional, with potential contraindications or concerns identified before treatment proceeds.
Patients with urgent medical issues or conditions outside the scope of a programme should be referred for appropriate care.
2. The consultation should establish clinical need and risk
A thorough consultation should explore the patient’s concerns, goals, medical and treatment history, symptoms and relevant lifestyle factors.
The consultation should also allow the healthcare professional to identify potential contraindications and assess factors such as appetite, eating behaviour, physical activity, sleep and mental health.
For women, reproductive and hormonal health may be particularly relevant. This can include menstrual health, contraceptive use, pregnancy plans, breastfeeding, menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome, hormone treatment and a history of gestational diabetes.
A medical assessment should determine whether prescription treatment is clinically appropriate rather than simply prescribing medication because a patient wants to lose weight.
Depending on the individual, assessment may include body measurements, blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, organ and thyroid function, vitamin and hormone levels, and pregnancy screening where clinically appropriate.
3. Treatment decisions should be explained before consent
Patients should receive a clear explanation of whether prescription treatment is appropriate, should be delayed or avoided, or whether another approach may be more suitable.
Where medication is prescribed, it should form part of an appropriate treatment plan that may also address nutrition, physical activity, behaviour and relevant medical monitoring.
Before giving informed consent, patients should understand the expected benefits, possible side effects, serious risks, contraindications, alternatives and monitoring requirements.
Women should also be informed about how pregnancy plans, breastfeeding, hormonal treatment and changes in their health could affect whether treatment can begin or continue.
4. Prescriptions should be individualised and monitored
Patients should be cautious of one-size-fits-all prescribing.
Treatment should be based on an individual’s clinical circumstances and risk profile, with appropriate follow-up rather than automatic dose increases or standardised treatment pathways.
Ongoing consultations can help healthcare professionals monitor progress, side effects, eating and lifestyle factors and changes in the patient’s health or other medication.
For women, continuity of care is particularly important as reproductive, hormonal and life-stage circumstances can change during treatment.
Women deserve informed, supervised care
Women should not have to navigate a rapidly changing weight-management market through trial and error.
Understanding what responsible medical care looks like can help patients ask the right questions and make informed decisions.
Ultimately, however, the responsibility lies with healthcare professionals and clinics to ensure that ethical, medically grounded care is clearly distinguishable from programmes focused primarily on providing access to medication.
As weight-management treatments continue to evolve, maintaining public trust will depend on consistent standards of clinical care, appropriate prescribing and meaningful patient support.
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
