When Anita was a teenager she became very upset when hair began to grow in places only a man should have hair. When she also developed acne and progressively gained a lot of weight, she knew it was time to visit her GP who referred her to a gynaecologist for further medical analysis.

The gynaecologist diagnosed Anita with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, a condition that can affect ones hormone balance. Anita’s medical team recommended she lose weight by following a diet and doing exercise.

However, Anita found that this was far more difficult than she anticipated and struggled to find the selfmotivation necessary to gain control of her weight. While Anita continued to work on her weight, she was prescribed antibiotics which helped to remove the acne, as well as starting a supplementary treatment plan to help her shift more kilos.

Her situation became more frustrating when she developed a side effect to her treatments that resulted in significant hair-loss. She stopped the prescribed treatments immediately.

Scared of medication, she tried various diets herself, but nothing seemed to help her lose weight. Even though her weight was now stable, she felt distraught and didn’t know what else to do.

I was at my wit’s end and I needed someone to guide me through this.’’

Anita was excited to learn that she had access to the Best Doctors network of experts via her insurer

The second medical opinion process started with an indepth intake with a registered nurse from Best Doctors, followed by the collection of all of her medical records on her behalf. A renowned specialist in Endocrinology and Metabolism was chosen and after carefully reviewing her case, Anita was handed a thorough report with new recommendations and treatment options.

The expert advised Anita that there are different medical treatments to help control her weight but also indicated that it wasn’t necessary for Anita to take any medication but instead, a strong management plan and lifestyle intervention would be enough to gain control of her health.

Anita was pleased to read this after all the side effects she had been experiencing. She decided to carefully follow the recommendations of the Best Doctors expert, starting with a strict self-monitoring plan to improve her lifestyle, under the supervision of an obesity specialist.