Q: Will I actually see a doctor, or is the name misleading?

A: When you come into one of our offices for an appointment you will see a physician, that is, an M.D. or D.O. with years of experience treating people in E.R.'s, pediatrics, family medicine, and our specialty of bariatrics. If a doctor has an emergency during a scheduled shift and cannot make the appointments you will be given the opportunity to reschedule; other options may be discussed with our office staff to best accommodate your personal schedule.

Q: Should I speak with my family doctor before starting treatment with you?

A: It is highly encouraged that you inform your family doctor of any treatment options you plan to pursue. Though your family doctor may not have the knowledge of medical weight loss as our physicians, his or her insight could be useful in your treatment and overall medical welfare.

Q: Are there any contracts to sign?

A:No, unlike commercial weight loss programs we will not ask you to sign anything other than information regarding your personal privacy which we respect without question. Our program is that of no obligation; that is, if you wish to leave at anytime for any reason you can do so with no questions asked or fees incurred.

Q: How much can I expect to lose?

A: Losing is the easiest part of this program. Highly motivated patients lose weight very fast. An average patient who has 100 lbs. or more to lose can do so at the maximum rate of 20 lbs. a month for the first few months. Smaller patients who have less to lose can lose 10 - 20lbs. the first month and less after that depending on their "target" weight and how overweight they are. We have many patients who reach their target weight, take a break from our program, then return to our program in the future to lose some baby fat or adjust their figure for summer.

Q: Can you guarantee how much I am going to lose?

A: None of our physicians can guarantee human behavior, but if you follow our diet, and exercise, regardless of using an appetite suppressant you should see results.

Q: Does insurance cover your services?

A: It is up to your insurance company as to whether or not they will cover our services. Recently, more and more insurance companies have begun covering the costs of services like ours. Talk to your insurance company, some of them will cover our services under “health and wellness”. If your carrier does cover our services we can provide you with all the necessary documentation so that you may be reimbursed.

Q: I am diabetic and have high-blood pressure; can your program help me?

A: We have many diabetic and hypertensive patients. As long as your diabetes and hypertension are under control with medication and your blood pressure is within limits, you can participate in our program. Our physicians have had years of experience and familiarity with disorders such as diabetes and hypertension and can tailor your diet accordingly.

Q: How often do I have to come in and see the Doctor?

A: As a new patient, we ask that you come back within one week. During your return visit you may choose how often you wish to come in. We offer one to ten week programs but most of our returning patients decide to do four weeks because of convenience. If you wish to learn more about how this aspect of our program works please give us a call and one of our nurses or staff members will give you more information

Q: Where can I get my prescription filled?

A: With our program, there is no need to go to a pharmacy and have your prescription filled. We will dispense all prescription medication at our office at no extra cost to you.

Q: What medication do you use?

A: We use three FDA approved medications. Phentermine Hydrochloride, Diethylpropion, and Phendimetrazine tartate. All have been proven safe and effective over decades of use and study. During our 20 years helping patients lose weight we have never had any complications arise from our medication. The most common side effect of our medication is appetite suppression; less common side effects include dry mouth, constipation, and energy.

Q: Do I have to be a certain amount overweight to be seen?

A: No, we can design a program for you whether you have 20 lbs. to lose or 100lbs. However, our doctors will refuse any persons who have certain eating disorders that result in intentional weight loss. As you reach your desired weight your medication will be changed to a maintenance level; at that point you may wish to continue our program to maintain your weight but at the approval of one of our physicians.

Q: Do I just take a pill and the weight comes off?

A: No, our program consists of three parts and each one is necessary to reach your maximum weight loss. The medication is a great tool and used independently can make you lose, but works much better in conjunction with diet and exercise, so if you do fall off your diet or exercise a little bit you should still be doing well.

Q: Do I have to follow the Diet religiously?

A: No, as we said before… The best diet is the one that works for you and you can live with; we understand that you are going to cheat, but just be mindful about you diet when you do and make sure to keep everything in perspective according to your diet.