Many insurance companies will not consider a request for weight loss surgery unless a patient has previously participated in a medically supervised weight loss program.  This type of weight loss program includes diet, exercise, counseling and in some cases medication for weight loss which is monitored by a doctor or midlevel practitioner.  The purpose of this requirement is to show a patient’s efforts at weight loss and that the patient is willing to make the necessary dietary and behavioral changes for bariatric surgery.  As expected, the more weight a patient can shed prior to surgery, the quicker and safer the surgery will be.

A good medically supervised weight loss program will monitor the following:

Blood Pressure

Heart Rate

Sugar Levels

Activity Levels

Blood Work

Medication Levels

Recent studies show that medically supervised weight loss programs can lead to better weight loss than unsupervised programs.  Strict diets are typically agreed upon with a dietitian or nutritionist.  These diets are typically either low calorie or very low calorie depending on your practitioner’s recommendation.