Medical Weight Loss
Managing your weight can be tough. You’re not ready to quit. But you’re also not sure what to do next. Obesity is a complex, chronic disease. And what you experience may be very different from what someone else with this condition experiences. That’s one of the reasons managing it on your own can be challenging.
But obesity is treatable. And the experts at Cleveland Clinic are ready to be your partners. Our obesity experts come from a variety of specialties and are national and international leaders in treating obesity. We work as a team to make sure you get the latest, most extensive and individualized care to help you manage your weight safely and effectively. And we’ll also give you the encouragement you need to stay on track along the way.
Why Choose Cleveland Clinic for Medical Weight Management?
Trusted experts:
Our providers have extensive training and experience in treating people who have obesity. We use the newest medical therapies and FDA-approved weight loss medications to develop a weight management plan that meets your unique needs and goals. Meet our team.
Comprehensive treatment:
Your medical weight management team will include highly skilled providers from many different specialties, all working together — with you — to give you comprehensive, personalized care. Your team may include obesity medicine physicians, dietitians, exercise physiologists, gastroenterologists (GI doctors), endocrinologists, psychologists and advanced practice providers who specialize in obesity care.
Caring approach:
We understand that many factors go into managing your weight — and that the process can often seem difficult and frustrating. We want you to feel comfortable talking with us and sharing your experiences. We’ll never judge you. We’re here to listen and guide you with compassionate support at every step. And together, we’ll create a weight management treatment plan that helps you achieve your goals and stay healthy.
Personalized care:
Your care team will tailor your medical weight management plan to meet your specific needs and goals. Your plan may include medications, lifestyle and nutrition therapies, endoscopic procedures or weight loss surgery. We also offer individual and group counseling and specialized therapies if you’ve had bariatric surgery.
National recognition:
Cleveland Clinic is a trusted healthcare leader. We’re recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for our expertise and care.
Virtual visits:
Your care should be convenient. That’s why we offer virtual visits for some appointments. If you have an internet connection and smartphone, tablet or computer, you can talk one-one-one with your providers from the comfort and privacy of home.
Medical Weight Management at Cleveland Clinic
There are many reasons why you might want medical help to manage your weight. At Cleveland Clinic, we treat:
- Weight gain caused by medications for conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and some mental health disorders.
- Weight gain from conditions complicated by obesity, like fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or chronic acid reflux), osteoarthritis and more.
- Weight gain after cancer treatment, pregnancy or menopause.
- Weight that’s come back after bariatric surgery.
We can also help you lose weight before surgeries, like knee or hip replacements, hernia repairs, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and organ transplants.
Keeping to a weight that’s healthy for you can also improve or lower your risk for health conditions like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It can help you feel more energetic and make it easier to do the things you enjoy.
What to expect at your evaluation
You’ve decided to have your weight evaluated. So, what’s next? The first thing we’ll do when you come to see us is give you a physical exam. We’ll also ask about your personal and family medical history. Next, we’ll:
- Measure your blood pressure and heart rate.
- Do blood tests to check your blood sugar and cholesterol levels and see how well your liver and thyroid are working.
We’ll also want to hear about your lifestyle. What are your diet and eating habits like? Do you have trouble sleeping? Are you physically active? Are there any emotional stressors in your life?
Then, we’ll take some measurements, including your BMI and, for some, a waist circumference.
Body mass index
Body mass index (BMI) is a screening tool that helps us predict your risk for future health conditions related to your weight. Obesity isn’t defined by BMI, and BMI isn’t an indicator of your current health.
Interested in what your BMI might be? You can use this BMI calculator to get an estimate. It’s easy to use. You input your weight and height, and the calculator gives you a number. BMI uses number ranges to look at weight. So, say you have a BMI of 18.5 to 24.95. That means you’re in the healthy range. There are also ranges for overweight and obesity.
It’s important to note that BMI isn’t always accurate. Your healthcare provider can help you understand your results.
Waist circumference
We’ll use a tape measure to measure your waist just above your hip bones. You may be at a higher risk for health problems related to deep belly fat (visceral fat) if you’re:
- A woman or assigned female at birth (AFAB) and your waist measures 35 inches or more.
- A man or assigned male at birth (AMAB), and your waist measures 40 inches or more.
Meet Our Medical Weight Management Team
When you choose Cleveland Clinic for medical weight management, you’ll have a team of healthcare providers from different specialties who come together to bring you the highest standard of care. This team could include:
- Primary care providers (PCPs)
- Obesity medicine physicians
- Gastroenterologists
- Bariatric surgeons
- Endocrinologists
- Dietitians
- Exercise physiologists
- Psychologists
- Physician assistants
- Nurse practitioners
Providers Who Offer Medical Weight Loss Management Services
Locations
Our healthcare providers see patients at convenient locations throughout Northeast Ohio, Florida and London.Medical Weight Management Treatment at Cleveland Clinic
We’ll build your medical weight management treatment plan using what we’ve learned from your physical exam and test results, combined with how much weight you want to lose and any other health conditions you have. Your plan may include one or more of these therapies:
Lifestyle therapy
We’ll support you in making lifestyle and habit changes that’ll help you keep a weight that’s healthy for you. And we’ll help you cope with any challenges that can affect your weight and appetite, like addiction, anxiety and depression, eating disorders, smoking, stress and trauma. Individual and group counseling is available if you’d like it.
You may also work with our exercise physiologists to create a physical activity plan that matches your interests, abilities and health goals. We also offer exercise stress tests to keep an eye on your heart’s activity while you’re active.
Nutritional therapy
A dietitian will help you tailor your diet (not just count calories) to help you keep a weight that’s healthy for you. They’ll also help you handle things like emotional eating, unstructured eating habits and staying mindful of what and how you eat.
Medical therapy (obesity medications)
We may suggest FDA-approved obesity medications (formerly called appetite suppressants), to help you manage your weight. Several new medications for both diabetes and obesity have shown promising weight loss results. Medications prescribed by your healthcare provider should be used in combination with lifestyle changes.
Endoscopic bariatric and metabolic therapies (EMBTs)
These nonsurgical, minimally invasive (no cuts or scars) procedures use an endoscope (a small, flexible tube with a camera attached) placed through your mouth and into your stomach and small bowel. There are several types of EMBTs. Some are used as a primary treatment for obesity. These include:
- Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG)
- Aspiration therapy
- Intragastric balloon therapy
Other EMBTs are used to treat weight gain after bariatric surgery. These include:
- Transoral outlet reduction (TORe)
- Argon plasma coagulation (APC)
- Endoscopic sleeve-in-sleeve
If your provider thinks an EMBT is the right treatment option for you, they’ll go over what to expect with the procedure.
Weight loss surgery
Our providers may recommend weight loss surgery (known as metabolic and bariatric surgery) if you have moderate to severe obesity and weight-related complications. New indications include:
- Your BMI is more than 35 regardless of an obesity-related complication, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), osteoarthritis or sleep apnea.
- Your BMI is more than 30 and you have Type 2 diabetes.
- You’re unable to lose weight or improve your health with medical weight loss therapies.
Approval and coverage will depend on insurance providers.
The types of bariatric surgery we offer include:
Read more about whether you’re a good candidate for weight loss surgery.
Follow-up care
Once you start your medical weight management program, you’ll check in with your providers every month. This helps us keep a close eye on you and make any needed changes to your program — like adding or adjusting medications or modifying your lifestyle or nutrition plans —happen as you need them.
If you have bariatric surgery, you’ll have regular visits with your healthcare providers for up to two years. After that, you’ll have annual (once a year) checkups. We’ll continue to watch your diet, eating habits, metabolism and overall health.
Taking the Next Step
When it comes to managing your weight, it can be hard to get started — and sometimes even tougher to keep the weight off. Partnering with healthcare providers who are specialists in obesity and weight management can be key to your success. Obesity is a complex, chronic disease which will require continued care. We’ll treat this disease with expertise and compassion so you can reach your weight management goals and become the healthiest version of you.
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