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Comprehensive treatment programs

The most effective weight loss programs are comprehensive: they combine reduced calorie diet, behavior modification (lifestyle change), nutritional education, exercise, medication (where appropriate), and long-term maintenance support.

There are various comprehensive programs in the United States that are run by physicians and hospitals. I personally direct a program in the Los Angeles/Orange County suburb of Los Alamitos. The program at my office (Michael D. Myers, M.D., Inc.) is primarily directed to patients who are 50 lbs. or more overweight and who (usually) have associated medical complications from obesity (please refer to the panel on the left for information directed at different individuals). For many patients, I utilize meal replacements to facilitate weight loss and integrate the other elements discussed above to help them maintain a healthier, lower weight.

The meal replacement we use is a high-quality, nutritionally balanced protein supplement available in single portion servings that is taken in lieu of food. It provides all the minimum daily requirements of protein, vitamins, and minerals while only providing 800 calories. After about three days, most patients develop a state of ketosis from fat metabolism that suppresses appetite without the use of medications. Our usual patient averages two to four pounds of weight loss each week while in this phase of our program.

Because obese individuals often have significant (and silent) medical problems or may have undiagnosed and untreated depression or binge eating disorder, a comprehensive medical history and physical examination, along with laboratory testing, is performed prior to beginning our programs (this is the standard of care). Weekly examinations and evaluations are also an important part of this phase of our program.

Long-term success

The key to positive weight loss at this time is behavior modification and increased physical activity (discussed below). Once an individual achieves his or her intended goal, a long-term maintenance program should be instituted to help in long-term weight management.

There are excellent weight management programs in most major cities. If you are looking for assistance with weight management, please email us at referrals@weight.com and list the  city/state/country in which you are located; I may be able to suggest a physician or a program. Please note that we do not charge individuals or clinics for referrals — our interest is to assist individuals in getting good, professional care.

The following brief list of cities and programs is included because I receive many requests for these locations. Although the methods of obesity management differ among these programs, I can recommend all unconditionally based on my personal knowledge of each of the program directors.

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