By Gabi Rose, MS
If you’ve ever lost 50 pounds just to gain back 60, you know how frustrating it can be to put in all that effort and end up right back where you were before you started….or worse.
The Center for Medical Weight Loss at University Drive is cutting the cord on yo-yo dieting for good by offering customized physician-directed programs for long-term weight loss.
The physicians at the Center boast a staggering 97% success rate when it comes to maintaining weight loss after two years. Our main concern is to help patients keep the weight off after they lose it; this is more important from a health standpoint than losing it in the first place.
“Treating people with weight problems isn’t as simple as telling them to eat less”. “I know as I’ve personally lost more than 120 pounds. Obesity is a disease that needs to be treated by doctors via a customized weight loss program addressing the underlying cause of obesity – food addiction.”
The success of the program is the result of a proprietary 23-step counseling plan that teaches patients how to sustain the weight loss once they achieve it. The program is customized for each individual, and focuses on the behavioral issues of daily life that prevent long term success.
The Center achieves success with difficult cases, such as menopausal women. “Many women do not realize that at menopause the body is preprogrammed to gain fat under the skin and around the organs in the abdomen. This fat slows down the metabolism,” states Dr. Elisabeth Cohn-Gelwasser, the Center’s resident physician. “We utilize enhanced Body Composition Technology to make sure that weight being lost is from fat, and is not just from water or muscle; this gives an individual the best chance of achieving long term weight loss success.”
Many of the prescriptions people take result in weight gain as well. “We routinely communicate with primary care physicians to coordinate proper medications for people having difficulty losing weight,” explains Dr. Cohn-Gelwasser. “Many patients are on the wrong type of diabetes medication and as a result, often gain weight unnecessarily. We can help patients by prescribing newer diabetes medications that do not cause the body to gain weight.”
The Center offers a no obligation initial consultation at a reduced rate as an introduction to their services. Dr. Cohn-Gelwasser will determine how much weight you could expect to lose and discuss various program options designed to meet your long term goals.
The Center is conveniently located at the intersection of Sheridan Street and University Drive in Pembroke Pines, Floirda with extended office hours. To make an appointment, please call 954-966-5700 or visit www.cmwl.or. You can also email Gabi Rose at Gabriela@cmwl.org.
