Weight Loss Weight Loss Medical 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is insulin resistance and how does it contribute to weight gain and difficulty losing weight?
- The body's inability to digest carbohydrates
- A condition where cells don't respond normally to insulin, leading to elevated blood sugar and fat storage (Correct answer)
- Complete insulin deficiency
- A side effect of weight loss medication only
Correct answer: A condition where cells don't respond normally to insulin, leading to elevated blood sugar and fat storage
Insulin resistance causes the pancreas to produce excess insulin, which promotes fat storage (especially visceral fat) and makes it harder for the body to access stored fat for energy.
Question 2: Which condition is characterized by excess androgens in women, insulin resistance, and weight gain concentrated around the abdomen?
- Cushing's syndrome
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) (Correct answer)
- Addison's disease
- Fibromyalgia
Correct answer: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
PCOS is associated with insulin resistance, elevated androgens, and central adiposity, making weight loss particularly challenging without targeted medical and lifestyle interventions.
Question 3: What does 'waist circumference' measure that BMI alone does not capture for assessing weight-related health risk?
- Total body fat percentage
- Abdominal visceral fat accumulation (Correct answer)
- Subcutaneous fat only
- Bone density
Correct answer: Abdominal visceral fat accumulation
Waist circumference measures abdominal obesity (visceral fat), which is a stronger predictor of cardiometabolic disease than BMI alone, which doesn't distinguish fat distribution.
Question 4: What is the primary mechanism by which type 2 diabetes improves with weight loss, even before reaching a 'normal' BMI?
- Weight loss destroys insulin-producing beta cells
- Reduced visceral fat improves insulin sensitivity and lowers blood glucose (Correct answer)
- Weight loss eliminates the need for medication entirely
- Carbohydrate restriction is the only mechanism
Correct answer: Reduced visceral fat improves insulin sensitivity and lowers blood glucose
Losing visceral fat reduces fat-induced inflammation and lipotoxicity in the liver and pancreas, significantly improving insulin sensitivity and glycemic control.
Question 5: Which FDA-approved over-the-counter weight loss medication works by blocking dietary fat absorption in the gut?
- Phentermine
- Orlistat (Alli) (Correct answer)
- Bupropion
- Topiramate
Correct answer: Orlistat (Alli)
Orlistat (sold OTC as Alli) inhibits pancreatic lipase, blocking about 30% of dietary fat absorption and reducing caloric intake from fat.
Question 6: What role does sleep apnea play in weight management challenges for people with obesity?
- Sleep apnea has no metabolic effects on weight
- Sleep apnea disrupts sleep quality, raising cortisol and hunger hormones that drive weight gain (Correct answer)
- Sleep apnea only affects breathing with no hormonal impact
- Treating sleep apnea leads to immediate weight loss without lifestyle changes
Correct answer: Sleep apnea disrupts sleep quality, raising cortisol and hunger hormones that drive weight gain
Obstructive sleep apnea fragments sleep and elevates cortisol and ghrelin, increasing appetite and making sustained weight loss significantly harder without treatment.
Weight Loss Weight Loss Medical 2
What is insulin resistance and how does it contribute to weight gain and difficulty losing weight?