The Weight Loss Program

Our weight loss and weight management program adheres to the principle that the management of obesity is a strategy of behavioral changes that must be supported and maintained.  The program discusses and implements these strategies in depth.  We believe that behavioral changes including how one thinks about food and eating, and how one feels about fitness are the key to weight loss and weight management.

Our approach is evidence based on recent scientific literature, using proven methods, which are both practical and affordable.  The program identifies which patients are ready to begin a weight management program, how to use inexpensive dietary tools in a six month program, and how to encourage physical activity.

America is in the midst of an obesity epidemic that is rapidly growing.  The prevalence of obesity increased about 50% from 1991 to 1998.  The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey  (NHANES) of 1999 and 2000 reported a national prevalence of overweight and obese adults of 64.5%, an increase from 55.9% reported in the 1988-1994 NHANES survey.  The prevalence of obesity among children has increased so that now over 15% of children age 6 –19 are obese.

There are now scientific data that strongly suggest that as a chronic disease, obesity can be controlled long term.  Long term weight loss is defined as the amount of weight still lost after one year.  The National Weight Control Registry reports that successful long term weight loss consists of four behaviors.

The first behavior is eating a low fat, high carbohydrate diet.  Less than 1% of the subjects report eating a high fat diet.  The second behavior is regular monitoring of weight and food intake.  About three-fourths of the subjects weigh themselves at least weekly and most monitor fats they consume.  The third behavior is eating breakfast most days of the week.  The fourth behavior is physical activity.  Ninety one percent report activity that is comparable to walking 28 miles per week or moderate intensity exercise for one hour per day.  These data suggest that regular activity is critical to maintain weight loss.

The ten day food diary allows the physician to obtain an accurate recording of a patient’s food choices and create a caloric deficit which will allow patients to lose weight. 

Obesity is a chronic, recurrent disease of epidemic proportions.  The principles of chronic disease management used to control other diseases can be applied to obesity, however, the responsibility for controlling the disease belongs to the patient.