Medical Weight Loss: Explore the Benefits

Being overweight affects much more than your confidence and quality of life. It can affect your overall health, too. If you’ve tried to lose weight on your own through healthy eating and exercise, you know it’s not easy. And, it can be frustrating when positive results are slow to come. Fortunately, you have other options, including medical weight loss.

An Alternative to Bariatric Surgery

Medical weight loss is a nonsurgical option to losing weight. A medical weight loss doctor, sometimes called a bariatrician, specializes in treating people with obesity and their obesity-related health conditions.

During your first visit, we discuss your personal preferences. We also evaluate your medical history, lab work and current level of health. This information helps us develop your personalized weight loss program. Our goal is to help you lose weight in a healthy and safe way.

Medically managed weight loss isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. At the Total Weight Loss Center, we partner with you to create a customized plan that meets your specific needs so you can achieve your weight loss goals. Our medical weight loss plans use methods such as:

• Lifestyle interventions, including dietary therapy and exercise programs
• Nutritional counseling
• Weight loss medications, if necessary

Medication may be an option if your BMI is 27-29 and you have a weight-related health issue such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes. It may also be an option for people with a BMI over 30.

Obesity-Related Health Risks

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, more than 42% of people in the United States have obesity, meaning their body mass index is 30 or higher. If you include people who have a BMI in the overweight range, the percentage is over 73%.

Obesity isn’t as simple as eating too much. It’s a complex health issue influenced by a combination of factors, including behaviors, genetics and environment. A medical weight loss doctor can help you sort through all these factors to find the best weight loss solution for a healthier life.

Excessive weight can put you at risk for developing serious and possibly life-threatening health issues, such as:

• Certain cancers
• Diabetes
• Gall bladder disease
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Liver disease
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Pulmonary disease
• Stroke

Losing 5%-10% of your total body weight is often enough to lower your risk of these problems. Sometimes, they go away completely.

Bariatrician vs. Bariatric Surgeon

Their titles are similar, but their roles differ. Medical weight loss doctors have specialized training in medical, nonsurgical weight management strategies. This may include specific diet and exercise plans, behavior modifications and/or medications tailored to your individual needs.

A bariatric surgeon performs various types of weight loss surgeries based on your overall health and personal preferences. At the Total Weight Loss Center, we offer three bariatric surgery procedures: sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass and modified duodenal switch.

The Surgical Weight Loss Option

Seeing a bariatrician doesn’t automatically lead to surgery. However, not everyone is successful with medical weight loss. If a nonsurgical approach doesn’t help you reach your goals and achieve the results you’d like, we can help you determine if bariatric surgery is an option.

Weight loss surgery provides a tool to help you lose weight. Sometimes, usually a few years after surgery, you may experience weight regain. Our team works closely together to help you along your journey. That help includes the support of the bariatrician because weight loss medications may be helpful at this point.

Whether you choose medical weight loss or surgical weight loss, the Total Weight Loss Center staff supports your every step of the way. It’s fulfilling to see our patients’ confidence and health improve after they have lost weight that has been holding them back for so long.

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Breann Kelley

Breann Kelley, MD, is a medical weight loss physician with the Total Weight Loss Center. Dr. Kelley is a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine and vice president of the Midwest Obesity Society. She has been helping patients with medical weight loss since 2016.