Expert Virtual Care in IL and NC
Expert Virtual Care in IL and NC
The latest science tells us that 40-70% of our weight is determined by genetics, with the remainder of our weight determined by many other factors, including our food environments, activity levels, sleep schedules, stress responses, and even medications that can cause an increase in appetite that leads to weight gain.
The journey to a lower weight should be thought of in two phases: the initial period of weight loss, followed by a long-term focus on weight maintenance, where the goal shifts to maintaining the weight loss that you have already achieved! So many of us have lost weight over and over, only to struggle to maintain this weight loss. The weight maintenance phase requires ongoing dedication to healthy lifestyle habits around nutrition, activity, sleep, and stress management. In nearly all patients, it also requires long-term continuation of medication to suppress the body’s drive to regain weight.
Our membership offerings reflect this two-phase approach.
For decades, medical practitioners have been telling patients with excess weight that weight loss is as simple as “eating less and moving more.” At best, this prescription is incomplete. At worst, when we gain weight or struggle with weight loss, it implies that we just don’t have enough willpower or self-discipline to stay true to this advice.
The reality is, we see patients all the time who have incredible self-discipline when it comes to their study habits, work responsibilities, highly skilled hobbies, or exercise. Yet when it comes to food or weight loss, we are supposed to believe that this willpower suddenly disappears? It doesn’t add up!
Weight gain happens when we take in more energy than we burn. When we try to shift into weight loss mode, our bodies are wired to defend our excess energy stores. This makes weight loss harder – then after we’ve seen weight loss, our biology drives our weight back up, sometimes higher than where we started.
If this sounds familiar, rest assured: when safely and effectively prescribed, medication often makes it easier to sustain those healthy lifestyle habits, making us more likely than ever to lose weight AND keep it off.
For decades, medical practitioners have been telling patients with excess weight that weight loss is as simple as “eating less and moving more.”
At best, this prescription is incomplete. At worst, when we gain weight or struggle with weight loss, it implies that we just don’t have enough willpower or self-discipline to stay true to this advice.
The reality is, we see patients all the time who have incredible self-discipline when it comes to their study habits, work responsibilities, highly skilled hobbies, or exercise. Yet when it comes to food or weight loss, we are supposed to believe that this willpower suddenly disappears? It doesn’t add up!
Weight gain happens when we take in more energy than we burn. When we try to shift into weight loss mode, our bodies are wired to defend our excess energy stores. This makes weight loss harder – then after we’ve seen weight loss, our biology drives our weight back up, sometimes higher than where we started.
If this sounds familiar, rest assured: when safely and effectively prescribed, medication often makes it easier to sustain those healthy lifestyle habits, making us more likely than ever to lose weight AND keep it off.
We expect to prescribe medication to you at your first visit, but please note that the initial visit does not guarantee a medication prescription. The medical guidelines for prescription are a key factor. For many additional reasons, which we are happy to explain and will apply on a case-by-case basis, we reserve the right to wait until a later visit or advise you that we do not think a medication is in your best interest. Additionally, the strength of specific medications may push us to consider a less potent medication for limiting side effects or guarding against excess weight loss or muscle loss. We may also recommend a lower potency dose for weight loss maintenance. As needed, we will discuss this in detail with you during your first visit or at any applicable time later in the treatment course.
Despite the tremendous benefits of medications for weight reduction, weight loss maintenance, and improving other health conditions, many insurance companies choose not to cover these medications or impose arbitrary limits on coverage. These rules may require trials of older (but not always inferior) medications first or constrain the total time allowed on a particular medication or the duration at a specific dose. We will work diligently to advocate for what is in your best interest. Still, insurance has the final say on medication coverage in our current system, in which case access to a particular medication or dose may require cash payment. Of note, these payments should count toward your deductible and/or can be paid for by an HSA/FSA.
No, we only use FDA-approved medication. While some patients have seen safe and robust results with compounded medications, many others have seen no results or encountered problems because neither the dosing nor the actual ingredients are standardized, studied, or regulated to ensure safety and efficacy. Due to these inconsistencies with compounded medications, we will not offer prescriptions for any version not explicitly approved for medical use by the Food and Drug Administration.
