Weight Management
Experience the difference of a truly comprehensive medical weight loss program at The Center for Health and Age Management. As one of only 300 board certified bariatric physicians in the entire U.S., Dr. Heim is uniquely qualified to provide each patient with a personally tailored weight loss program to meet your individual needs. Any licensed physician can open a “weight loss clinic.” However, only a board certified bariatric physician has the specialized training to offer a true comprehensive weight loss program that not only helps you lose weight and keep it off, but also specifically addresses the complex health conditions that can be associated with being overweight or obese. Not only are these conditions important to address for health reasons, they can also prevent you from optimum results in terms of weight loss. At The Center for Health and Age Management, the health of our patients is as important as successful weight management.
WHAT IS A BARIATRICIAN?
A Bariatrician is a licensed physician that has received specialized training in bariatric medicine. Bariatric medicine is the treatment of obesity and its associated conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Physicians must satisfy specific educational requirements before going through the board certification process which includes written and oral examinations. Physicians must then establish a medical weight loss practice which must be audited and approved by a representative of The American Board of Bariatric Medicine to ensure that they are adhering to the practice guidelines set forth by the American Society of Bariatric Physicians.
OUR PROGRAM
At The Center for Health and Age management, Dr. Heim has created a comprehensive weight loss program with a proven track record of success. Many weight loss clinics have standardized “one size fits all” weight loss programs that consist of dangerously low calorie or unsustainable low carbohydrate diets, high doses of appetite suppressants, and weekly or even twice weekly vitamin B12 injections which have no scientific basis in weight loss. These clinics often require weekly visits as long as you are on their program and hold you hostage to such needless visits by only giving patients enough medication to get them through until the next visit. The overwhelming majority of patients who lose weight in these types of weight loss clinics will regain the weight they lost and many gain additional weight because they are not educated on proper weight management techniques once they are “off the program.” Since many of the physicians in these clinics do not have the proper bariatric training, their only answer for these patients is to put them back on the same standardized program which leads them down the same path to failure and a dangerous yo-yo diet cycle. As a board certified bariatric physician who also possesses a degree in nutrition and exercise science, Dr. Heim will not only help you lose weight in a personalized manner but will teach you ways to keep the weight off for good.
Our program uses a comprehensive approach to weight management including proper nutrition, exercise prescription, behavioral modification, and medication if necessary. Some medications can interfere with weight loss or even promote weight gain. Dr. Heim will begin your program with a thorough medical history and physical exam which includes analyzing any current medications and making changes if necessary to optimize your weight management program. Hormone imbalances can also interfere with weight loss or promote weight gain. As part of your program your hormone levels will be assessed to ensure they are at optimum levels to promote weight loss. If needed, Dr. Heim may prescribe bioidentical hormones to optimize your hormone levels for maximum results. Please see our section on hormone replacement for other important health benefits of proper hormone balancing.
At each visit you will meet one on one with Dr. Heim, who will closely monitor your progress with regular weight and body composition checks, physical exams and measurements. At these visits, Dr. Heim will also educate you on the various important aspects of successful weight management including nutrition coaching, exercise prescription, and behavior modification as well as making any adjustments to medications if needed. An important goal of our program is to empower you with the knowledge to not only maintain your weight loss, but to maximize your health through lifestyle changes. Periodically you will need to repeat basic blood work to monitor your health during your program.