This year the American Medical Association (AMA) labeled obesity a disease and chances are good that your doctor will have the talk with you at your next visit. This time he/she may be a little more aggressive with their approach as the medical profession has issued new guidelines for fighting obesity.
As a minimum, your doctor should calculate your body mass index (BMI), do a waist measurement, tell you if you fall in the overweight or obese category and come up with a plan that includes referring you to a qualified medical weight loss program. Specifically, doctors are strongly encouraged to enroll their patient in a program that includes at least 14 face-to-face counseling sessions with medical professionals trained in weight loss and weight management.
You may feel that in the past you were left on your own to sift through all of the diets, exercise options and medications that are available in the market place. Most doctors have little training in how to help obese patients, other than pointing out that obesity is a concern and that the patient needs to do something about it.
New Horizon’s medical director is certified by the American Board of Obesity Medicine, a certification that very few doctors have. The New Horizon programs are customized to the individual and take full advantage of a multi-disciplinary team that provides non-fragmented care to obese patients. The patient care model used at New Horizon is covered by major medical insurance meaning the patient is responsible for weekly co-pays for the comprehensive visits.
Clearly, the medical community recognizes that multiple visits with coaching, counseling and education are essential to cause a patient’s behavior around diet and exercise to change. Telling a patient they need to lose weight simply does not work. The disease is complex and calls for a well thought out plan if the patient is to find success.
New Horizon is located in Norwood, MA and provides services to the surrounding area to include Westwood, Dedham, Canton, Milton, Walpole, Sharon, Stoughton, Foxborough, Mansfield and Attleboro. New Horizon also offers phone consultations to review all of the programs with prospective patients. 781-269-5400