With a survey revealing that the average Briton will go on and off 189 diets in their lifetime*, achieving sustainable, long-term weight loss can seem like an impossible task.
There is conflicting advice regarding nutrition, exercise and metabolism, and an array of eating plans that are unsustainable in the long term, leaving the individual trapped in an endless cycle with no results.
But if you haven’t been able to lose weight just by changing your lifestyle, an innovative new program might offer the solution. Juniper is not a crash diet, detox, or workout plan, but a new model of sustainable weight loss designed by doctors and dietitians with long-term, sustainable success as the goal.
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Juniper’s primary treatment is the Weight Reset Program, available for people with a BMI over 30 or over 27 with an associated medical condition. It includes consultations with doctors who will prescribe appropriate medications with ongoing support, follow-up sessions and the nurturing expertise of health coaches and dietitians.
We spoke to Dr Sohere Roked, a GP specializing in integrative medicine, to bust common diet myths and learn more about the treatment…
What are the most common reasons people quit dieting or fail to lose weight?
“People don’t give up on diets, diets fail people. The reason diets don’t work is that they are quick fixes. On a calorie restricted diet, your body will reduce its metabolic rate by basis for maintaining energy stores, which makes long-term weight loss more difficult.
“A strict diet is not tailored to the individual and rarely takes into account the reality of life, which includes work, travel, raising children and the natural changes in your body and hormones as you go. as you age.
“There is a lot of misinformation about diets and they can be extremely difficult to stick to. When you’re dieting, the hunger you feel isn’t an indication that you lack willpower — it’s a biological signal that keeps you from sticking with your diet long-term.
Do you agree that weight loss is best achieved with a ratio of 80% diet and 20% exercise?
“When you lose weight, you start by losing fat. But when you have less fat, you burn fewer calories: it’s a vicious circle. A healthy diet and moderate physical activity are excellent tools for maintain a healthy lifestyle, but diet and exercise alone are rarely enough for people trying to lose weight.
“Your ability to lose weight is more precisely determined by biological factors such as your resting metabolism, which cannot be reset through diet and exercise. It’s not just about incoming calories: calories 100% of your calories in are based on what you eat, while exercise accounts for only about 10% of calories out.The 80:20 theory leaves out the biggest piece of the weight loss puzzle: your biology.
What are some medically proven ways to reset or regulate your metabolism?
“Research suggests that every body has a weight range that it is genetically predisposed to maintain. This natural weight range is your ‘set point’. In set point theory, our body will try to stop us from losing weight in order to protect us from starvation.
“Your body will work to keep your weight at its highest set point. For obese people, it doesn’t just affect weight: it changes how your body works, how you metabolize food, and your hormonal functions. .
“Drugs like semaglutide (under the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic) can help reset your metabolism. These drugs mimic the hormone produced by your digestive system in response to eating food and work on both the brain and the digestive system to regulate feelings of fullness after a meal.
“The drugs can also regulate insulin secretion in response to meals so your blood sugar is better controlled, reducing your appetite by signaling your brain that you’ve eaten a meal. It works like a natural hormone to make you feel fuller. longer and reduces your cravings for more food.Improving how your body regulates blood sugar and fat storage can help patients lose weight.
Which patients would meet the criteria for Juniper treatments?
“For the weight reset program, a key criteria would be patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater (classified as clinically obese); or 27 or older (significantly overweight) with a medical condition that is often caused or aggravated by being overweight.
“At Juniper, your prescriber assesses your eligibility during consultations, so medical history, lifestyle, and any contraindications are also considered.”
What long-term measures or habits should a patient maintain after the Juniper Weight Reset Treatment is completed?
“Beyond a maximum of two years of the program, research suggests that personalized diet and exercise plans, including meal replacements, as well as behavioral and psychological techniques, will improve the maintenance of weight loss One study found that health coaching for obese adults improved weight loss by 13.2% (a 15.7% loss with health coaching versus a 2.5% loss in controls **).
How do you find the support and guidance of Juniper Dieticians and Coaches boosts the odds of successful weight loss?
“Juniper is more than just medicine in a box – you get one-on-one support from a dedicated health coach who is a registered dietitian. They will craft your personalized health plan to help you implement health changes. sustainable behavior adapted to your lifestyle.
Patients can also benefit from community support in a supportive, non-judgmental environment, and be able to track their progress and stay accountable through the convenient Juniper app.
The Weight Reset Program starts at £195 per month, with patients typically losing up to 15% of their body weight in a year, and almost 80% saying it is more effective than any other weight loss method they’ve tried before.**
*Study of 2,000 Britons commissioned by The Laughing Cow in 2018. **According to Sage Journals: The impact of health coaching on weight and physical activity in obese adults: a randomized controlled trial. ***Lifestyle survey of 215 current patients, conducted by Juniper in February 2023.