Many of us have struggled – or will struggle – with excess weight at some point in our lives. In fact, one recent study showed that over 70% of American adults are overweight with, 30.7% listed as overweight and 42.4% labeled obese.
The thing is, while you may look at yourself and think, “there’s no way I’m obese, right?” it can be difficult to tell exactly where you are – even if you know that obesity is defined by having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or above. But how do you accurately measure BMI? And what can you do to either reverse that trend or stop it from happening in the first place?
Knowledge is key in how you lose excess weight and successfully keep it off for life. The good news is that there are dedicated, caring and experienced professionals here in north Georgia that can not only help you determine exactly where you fall in the weight range – but also help you figure out and partner with you toward real and lasting health.
Longstreet Clinic’s Center for Weight Management features a collaborative group of doctors, nurses and nutritionists – all working together to ensure the ultimate health of each patient. And it all starts with an initial consultation when the team at the Center for Weight Management utilizes both thorough and cutting-edge tactics to learn as much as it can about your situation.
“I think that’s something that makes us different…We’re taking a look at your overall health,” said nurse practitioner Maria Mercedes Hall, FNP-C. “We dedicate our time to the patient. That’s our main focus; we want to get you healthy.”
That includes determining your ideal weight – for which the Center for Weight Management utilizes an innovative, InBody composition measurement.
“It is such a cool tool that we use for our patients to gauge weight loss. The initial InBody scan is done at the patient’s consultation. It’s giving me the weight that they have at that point. It’s giving me the muscle mass that they have, along with the visceral fat and percentage body fat in real time,” said nurse practitioner Oteia Keion Morris, FNP-C. “So, when I go over with the patients what obesity is, it gives a snapshot of where the fat is, and they have a better understanding of, ‘OK, my percentage body fat is this number,’ but in comparison to what? That’s in comparison to women or men your age and your height. This InBody gives you your goal or the average for the person that might be the same makeup as you.”
Having a concrete goal helps motivate patients by giving them an attainable target.
“As the patient loses weight, we’re getting closer to those normal numbers and they’re getting excited and they’re understanding the difference between this percentage body fat that’s underneath the skin, versus the visceral fat that’s internal around their organs,” Morris said. “This gives patients a very good understanding of what obesity is to them as an individual and with losing weight. We do it the first official visit and then we do it month to month as you lose weight.”
The results make for better overall health, as well as patients who feel better throughout the weight loss journey.
“When (patients) lose weight with us, we can make sure it’s the healthy weight and not muscle weight,” said Eileen D. Javellana, M.D., bariatrician. “We’re also screening for nutritional deficiencies, which is hugely important in people with excess weight. Vitamin D can be very low – vitamin B-12 also tends to be very low in patients (with weight concerns), and they don’t often get screening processes done in their primary care physician’s office to be able to determine that. We replace some of those (nutrients), and then they have a lot more energy and are in a better place to figure out what kind of weight loss they want to do.”
Some patients gain weight because of something completely unrelated to diet. Thanks to an in-depth diagnosis, including a full panel of blood work, the Center for Weight Management ensures that no angle is ignored.
“We’re doing some labs that some PCPs may not do,” Morris said. “So, a patient might say, ‘I’ve been told that I have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), but I’m not sure. I’ve been told that my mom has thyroid disease, and she said I might be gaining this weight because now I have it.’ We test to help to identify these underlying conditions that are causing weight gain.”
The culprit may even be something else designed to keep a patient otherwise healthy.
“We may have patients that are on medications that are leading to weight gain, so we are addressing that as well,” Hall said. “We are just a very comprehensive program in which we’re looking for factors that can be contributing to weight gain.”
In-depth testing – both from the start and throughout your weight loss journey – is key to ensuring a successful end to that journey. And that’s why the Center for Weight Management staff puts so much emphasis on gathering accurate, individualized information.
Do you think it might be time to get tested? The Center for Weight Management is ready to help. Our team of experts treats weight loss patients 100 percent of the time. Our aim is to ensure you have access to the expertise and compassion of one of the highest quality weight loss medical teams in Georgia. Whether you need food-based plans, meal replacements, medications, endoscopic procedures or surgical interventions, we will work with you to customize a personalized plan. All of our strategies are supported by registered dietitians.
Stop struggling to lose weight on your own. We can be your partner. To learn more, please call us today at 770-534-0110 or toll-free at 877-921-0110. Or you can watch our online seminar then fill out our contact form, and our weight loss team will reach out to you.
