How do we navigate midlife health changes without oversimplifying or overreacting?

In this episode of In the Know with Nina, Dr. Nina Crowley sits down with Dr. Nisha Patel, an obesity and metabolic health specialist with training in internal medicine, obesity care, menopause, culinary medicine, clinical epidemiology, and cardiometabolic health.

They explore cardiometabolic health through the lens of obesity management and women’s midlife transitions. The conversation highlights how muscle mass naturally declines over time, visceral fat often increases during menopause, and why these shifts can feel confusing or frustrating. They also unpack how social media myths, supplement marketing, and medication stigma influence patient decision-making.

Sustainable progress is not about chasing a former version of your body. It is about protecting cardiometabolic health, improving quality of life, and building personalized strategies that work in real life.

Key Takeaways

• Patient-centered care requires understanding someone’s stressors, resources, and daily realities
• Social media can amplify health myths and oversimplified messaging
• Weight management medications are often misunderstood and stigmatized
• It is not either-or. Lifestyle strategies and medications can work together
• Body composition changes during midlife are common and multifactorial
• Declines in muscle mass and increases in abdominal fat can influence cardiometabolic risk

About My Guest

Dr. Nisha Patel is an obesity and metabolic health specialist with a background in internal medicine and additional training in obesity care, menopause, culinary medicine, clinical epidemiology, and cardiometabolic health. She focuses on personalized, evidence-based approaches that prioritize health and quality of life.

How to Connect

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drplantel/

Linked IN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drplantel/