Weight gain is part of the modern problem accelerating the aging process. At his Longevity Therapeutics practice in Palm Springs, anti-aging physician Dr. David Odom, M.D. devotes a considerable amount of his time to helping patients address their weight issues. In addition to looking and feeling better, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is instrumental in preventing the disease states associated with obesity — namely, heart disease, diabetes and the destruction of joints.
“Hormone imbalance can affect weight management tremendously,” says Dr. Odom. Not surprisingly, an age when both sexes struggle with weight gain is during their early fifties when menopause (women) and andropause (men) occur. Dr. Odom offers two basic weight loss programs to combat the issue of creeping poundage. The first is his traditional program — a multipronged, neurotransmitter modifying approach which includes a high protein/ low carbohydrate diet, cardio-vascular exercise plus resistance training, weight loss medications and supplements and most importantly, weekly monitoring. “Accountability matters! Patients who are monitoring with a doctor on a regular basis do much better than patients who do not.”
The second weight loss program Dr. Odom recommends influences fat metabolism and involves use of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) during the first 40 days. A hormone the female body produces during pregnancy, hCG can reduce feelings of hunger and support weight loss by drawing on fat stores and redistributing body fat from thighs, stomach and hips.
Since hCG is dispensed in smaller doses for the purpose of weight loss, there is no gender difference. Women drop an average 2/3 pound of fat per day and men an average of one pound. Again, accountability and oversight is key. “I work very closely with my patients to obtain and maintain optimum weight loss results,” said Dr. Odom.
The onset of years frequently causes thyroid function to decline, which can in turn affect struggles with weight management as well. “Many in the medical profession fail to recognize this,” said Dr. Odom. Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is another tenet of his practice which seeks to restore hormone levels to those seen in youth, the better to do battle with the aging process, and the weight gain that invariably accompanies it. “Individuals can’t go to typical health providers and get put on a good weight loss program or receive bio-identical hormone replacement therapy because such establishments don’t offer these services,” he added. Given little in the way of direction, it’s no wonder people struggle with weight management. At Longevity Therapeut ics, Dr. Odom provides patients with the tools they need to be successful.
Dr. Odom received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas and has been in practice since 1970. He completed anesthesiology residency training at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. As a board-certified anesthesiologist, he subsequently spent more than 20 years practicing the specialty in Fairbanks, Alaska. He gave up operating room work in 1994 so that he could pursue other overwhelming interests he had developed. Since then, he has devoted his profession to age management medicine and by extension, weight management protocols, bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, and other methods of health maintenance. He has been in practice in Palm Springs since 2016.