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You’re probably familiar with the old saying about “fighting with one hand tied behind your back.” Well, for a long time, that’s how society has been fighting obesity–treating it like a simple matter of having the willpower to eat better and move more. But there’s more to the weight fight than that. Luckily, times are changing, and that mindset is out of style. So, ciao ciao, see you never!
In 2013, the American Medical Association finally recognized obesity as a complex, chronic disease. Multiple causes contribute to it including sleep, genetics, stress, poor diet, too little physical activity, hormones, and some mental conditions. But now, with the help of new science, treatments, and tools, Found can help you attack obesity from multiple angles.
To give you the best chance for a successful weight journey, the Found Team looks at what goes into lasting weight care. The team then builds a personalized, medically guided path just for Y-O-U. By bringing together board-certified clinicians, prescription medication (when appropriate), a supportive social community, and an app with brilliant (and motivating!) behavioral tips, Found becomes a superpower in weight care.
Random question, but stay with us: Have you ever taken a guided tour on vacation? Thanks to that guide, you can maximize your time, learn more, and maybe even do things you otherwise wouldn’t have. It’s similar to what your health coach does. Your coach is your personal guide—giving you tips, guidance, and a sense of accountability during your weight journey. And research shows that using health coaches results in better weight management, increased physical activity, and improved physical and mental health.
Often, your coach will emphasize the importance of lifestyle factors, such as stress management, hydration, sleep, and diet, to lead to a healthy weight. Together you can discuss which of these things you can add or subtract to help you reach your goals.
Our smartphones are practically glued to our hands—so we might as well use that tech to our advantage. Found has an app that allows members to log “routines” (key behaviors needed for weight care). These include movement, mood, sleep, medicine, meals, hydration, weight, roadblocks, and celebrations. The more routines you track, the more insights you’ll gain about your behavior. Ultimately, it will help you create healthy habits that stick.
These routines are also visible to your coach, enabling them to check in on your progress and give you more valuable, targeted feedback. On those extra challenging days, when you feel like the world is caving in, you have direct sources of support.
Also, all Found members have the option to make their routines visible to other Found members. It feels good knowing you’re not alone. Seeing someone else struggle, celebrate, and show up day in and day out can give you the spark that keeps you going.
Prescribing medication for obesity used to be a little taboo. According to national estimates, only 3% of adults with obesity reported taking anti-obesity meds from 2012 through 2016. Although it’s socially acceptable to take medication for cholesterol, blood pressure, or even nutrient deficiencies, obesity hasn’t received the same response. As a result, doctors, patients, and society have been slow to embrace the use of medication to treat it. But the stigma is lessening as more people accept medication as another weight-loss tool and see beneficial results.
Dr. Rekha Kumar, Chief Medical Officer at Found, says that medication gives you an advantage because it targets a specific pathway that your body uses to try to regain the weight. Different drugs target different pathways. And depending on what med you take, they can help suppress appetite, promote satiety (fullness), or limit fat absorption.
Even better, according to Dr. Kumar: “Combining pharmacotherapy [medication] with lifestyle changes increases a person’s chance of losing weight and maintaining that loss.”
Get this: When Found compared the stats about who was utilizing what resources, we noticed a rather linear effect—the more a member engaged with their coach and used the app, the more likely a higher weight loss would be reported.
For example, a person three months into the program who was on medication, and who engaged with the app and a coach for at least 16 days a month, lost more than double the weight compared to members who did not engage at all.
Similarly, a member who didn’t qualify for prescription meds yet chose to actively log and chat with their coach for at least 16 days saw nearly 90% more weight loss than those who logged none. Impressive, right?
These stats help show that when all of these tools are combined, you create a recipe for success! In fact, people are hitting weights they haven’t seen in over twenty years. Teamwork really does make the dream work!
As Laura Garcia, PhD, Found’s Director of Clinical Design, explains, “Many factors determine someone’s weight, which makes losing it a very complex process.” Found’s comprehensive program allows members to target mechanisms they might not easily control—like their biology. And at the same time, through the help of a coach and the app, members receive support for the mechanisms and behaviors that they can control.
We’re fighting obesity with an all-hands-on-deck approach, and we’re not gonna stop until you reach your goals.
About Found
Found is among the largest medically-supported weight care clinics in the country, serving more than 200,000 members to date. To start your journey with Found, take our quiz.
