Am I a Candidate for the Medical Weight Loss Program?

To qualify for participation in the Medical Weight Loss Program patients must meet at least one the following criteria:
• BMI of 30 or above
• BMI of 27 or above if also experiencing two or more obesity related conditions
• Patients who have had bariatric surgery must wait a minimum of 9 months
• Bariatric Gastric Balloon patient

How Does the Medical Weight Loss Program Work?

A physician-supervised weight loss program provides treatment for weight reduction in a clinical setting with a licensed healthcare professional. This can include a nurse, nurse practitioner, medical doctor, gastric surgeon, physician assistant, registered dietitian, or a psychologist. These weight loss programs offer nutrition and exercise counseling as well as behavioral therapy options. The cost to participate varies depending on the program as well as the insurance the patient has. Some health insurance companies do, in fact, cover some or all of this type of treatment, especially in those with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type II Diabetes or heart disease.

Many enjoy this type of weight loss approach as it is non-surgical and helps teach individuals the proper way to eat and stay active. This lifestyle change leads to greater success in managing weight in the future and maintaining a healthy lifestyle for a lifetime.

How Do Medically Supervised Weight Loss Programs Work?

A clinical weight reduction program includes various phases to help those transitioning to a new lifestyle. The phases typically include medication to help with initial weight loss and cognitive behavioral therapy for long-term weight management results. Patients also have access to group or individual nutritional counseling and other support options.

The Initial Consultation

A clinician that specializes in obesity treatment will provide an initial consultation that focuses on the medical evaluation for obesity-related diseases as well as a full physical examination. The medical professional will obtain a weight history, including any past diet attempts, as well as a thorough psychological history. Many patients will visit with undiagnosed conditions such as thyroid disorders, abnormal liver conditions, obstructive sleep apnea, or even diabetes. Additional testing may be done depending on the patient’s medical history or the physical findings during the initial visit.

The management of obesity may include behavior modifications such as diet and exercise, and weight loss medications. It’s no secret that diet and exercise are the most used line of defense for losing weight. With today’s technology, medical professionals can log daily caloric intake and track the foods being eaten to evaluate weight loss when eliminating certain foods. Mobile apps for smartphones even allow patients to take a picture of food, and it will tell them just how many calories are in the meal, and if the portion size is right.

Weight Loss Medications

Pharmacotherapy can be offered to those affected by obesity and have failed to lose weight loss with just diet and exercise alone. It’s important to note that pregnant women and those attempting to get pregnant should not take these medications. These are many drugs that have been approved by the FDA for weight.

Follow-Up Visits

Patients should follow-up every 1 week until their initial weight loss goals are met, usually 5-10% of body weight. After that point, less frequent visits are scheduled. However, it’s important to understand that obesity is a lifelong chronic problem, and periodic follow-up is recommended.

Expected Results

Individual results will vary with this type of program, but many patients have seen a weight loss of up to 50 pounds in 18-24 weeks.

Costs of These Weight Loss Programs

Insurance companies have a variety or rules for medical weight loss, many of them vary by carrier, and the coverage is often ambitious and hidden in various rules. during our time providing medical weight loss over 3 decades in primary care, we have often dealt with denials of claims, upset patients who were charged for labs and other fees they thought were covered, and a great program started by us and motivated by you had to be stopped, we are changing that paradigm. our program cost is 450 a month paid with cash, or Health saving account. this price is all inclusive for medical weight loss management, labs, and medication, serious risks not common such as newly diagnosed thyroid disorder, diabetes etc, will be an additional cost or referral to a primary care provider, but you will leave empowered and informed.

Medically Supervised Weight Loss Program vs. Other Weight Loss Programs

Most individuals do not have the knowledge or time to develop a successful diet and exercise plan that suits them. A clinically supervised weight loss program is administered by licensed healthcare professionals for patients’ individual needs. During the consultation, the medical professional examines the patients’ underlying weight problem, whether they experience obesity-related diseases and their psychological history. That is why the medically administered weight loss plans are more successful than DIY weight loss plans.
this is what it takes

Weight Loss Success

Ultimately, the best weight loss results occur due to a program that has patients closely monitored by medical professionals with continued guidance and treatment. The major benefit of this type of program is the improvement of diseases resulting from obesity. While weight loss with this type of program is generally modest compared to weight loss surgery, research has shown that a 5% weight loss can lead to improvements in high cholesterol, high blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, glucose levels, and COVID-19 risk. These benefits will be seen for many years after weight loss occurs.