In the United States, more than two out of three adults are considered overweight or obese. This weight-related health crisis continues to affect the quality of life of most adults as it increases the risk of acquiring health problems linked to obesity, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and depression.
Weight loss clinics have become an increasingly popular option for people who want to lose weight. However, you must select the best clinic for your needs as not all weight loss programs are created equal.
Some only offer personalized diet plans and exercise programs, while others provide the tools needed to help you lose weight and keep it off in the long run. At Beltline Health, our primary goal is to provide you with all the information you need to determine the root cause of your health condition and the best steps you can take to achieve a healthy and sustainable weight.
This post will walk you through what a weight loss clinic is and how to choose the right one for you to help you live a healthier life.
What Is a Weight Loss Clinic?
A weight loss clinic, sometimes called a weight loss center, is a medical facility that offers weight management programs to help people suffering from obesity and multiple chronic conditions.
The best clinics will have a team of trained bariatric surgeons, nutritionists, and counselors to evaluate your current health situation and perform medical tests to determine possible underlying health conditions that prevent you from losing weight.
Services offered at medical weight loss centers may vary, but here are some of the most common ones:
- Bariatric Surgery
- Nutritional Counseling
- Psychological Evaluation
- Exercise Programs
- Lifestyle Counseling
- Ongoing Feedback and Support
- Support Groups
- Dietary Supplements
We’ll talk more about these services later on.
How to Choose a Weight Loss Clinic?
Whether you’re looking to lose weight or manage weight-related health conditions, talking with a health care professional in a weight loss center is the first step in taking control of your weight. Specifically, choosing the right medical weight loss clinic for you that offers safe weight management options and encourages healthy lifestyle changes can make or break your weight loss efforts.
In general, your program should include these services and programs:
Initial Assessment
A qualified health care professional like a bariatric doctor will evaluate your current health condition and discuss your ideal weight. They will work with you to create a personalized weight loss plan that will help improve your health and quality of life.
This initial consultation will provide you with the opportunity to get familiar with the doctor, the weight loss program, and other services that may help you in your journey.
It’s best to avoid weight loss clinics that blindly offer weight loss pills without even looking at a patient’s comprehensive medical history. This may lead to weight gain, health risks, and adverse side effects.
Nutritional Counseling
During nutritional counseling, your nutritionist will create a personalized diet plan that may help you lower your body mass index (BMI) to either help with weight loss treatments or prepare you for surgery.
Instead of cutting out one or more food groups or replacing food for weight loss supplements or powders, a nutritionist from a reputable weight loss clinic will have a more balanced approach to your diet. This includes incorporating foods from all major food groups and having appropriate portion sizes per food group. It will depend on an individual’s body requirements, but it’s usually a low-calorie diet.
Exercise Programs
The best weight loss programs include an intense yet sustainable exercise routine for your needs. It will encourage you to do regular exercise and physical activities for at least four days a week to lose body fat and not just your excessive weight.
Avoid at all costs any facility that promotes a quick fix to losing weight or those that promise a rapid weight loss. The best clinics will emphasize that healthy weight loss is a gradual, long-term process that will depend on your eating, lifestyle, and behavioral habits. A good rule of thumb is one to two pounds of lost weight per week (expected in the first few weeks of a weight loss program).
Lifestyle Counseling
Also called behavioral treatment, lifestyle counseling will teach you the best ways to develop and stick with healthier eating and exercise habits. This may include keeping a journal for your food intake and exercise routine or offering sleep and stress management seminars to support your overall health.
This is perhaps the most important thing you should look for when searching for a clinic that will tirelessly work with you throughout your weight loss journey.
Regular Consultations
Related to lifestyle counseling, a credible weight loss center will encourage and require you to attend consultations for continuous assessment and progress monitoring with your weight loss plan. This will also include any additional guidance or support that you may need to stick with your current lifestyle activities and prevent weight gain.
However, for many people, non-surgical options are often not enough to maintain a healthy weight long-term. In this case, your doctor may recommend a bariatric or weight loss surgery instead, especially for those suffering from extreme obesity. Whether or not you choose to undergo surgery, our team at Beltline Health provides a lifetime of care and support to help patients achieve their weight loss and lifestyle goals.
Are Weight Loss Clinics Effective?
Weight loss clinics offer you much more than the traditional self-reliant weight loss techniques. Here, you will receive professional support and expertise from experienced medical professionals who are invested in your personal wellness and weight loss journey.
Here are some advantages of having medical supervision:
- Personalized and supervised diet plan instead of those fad diets found on the internet that may harm you in the long run
- Safe and scientifically proven exercise plan instead of unsupervised exercise routines online that may or may not be effective
- Access to professional-grade weight loss medications instead of store-bought supplements and vitamins that may or may not work and may even be potentially dangerous
- Available counseling resources instead of relying on your willpower
The main goal of medical weight loss clinics is to help you manage realistic expectations for what can be achieved through healthy eating, regular exercise, and other lifestyle changes you implement. It might seem complicated to change your lifestyle completely, but by adopting small healthy and sustainable habits in your everyday life, you are on your way to a healthier version of yourself.
Take your first step with our free weight loss seminar to explore our multidisciplinary approach to sustainable weight loss. For questions and concerns, visit our website to message us or call us at (470) 419-4380.
Read more about the common causes of obesity and why it’s considered a serious health condition.
