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Department of Medicine


Nutrition and Weight Management Center

Treatment Options
Because we recognize the uniqueness of our patients' needs, we offer a full array of weight management options - and a structured, 16-week weight loss program. This program is complete with group support sessions led by a registered dietitian with experience in weight management. She will assist you toward achieving optimal health and wellness and lifelong success. You will also have medical management by a qualified physician and individual dietitian visits for help with meal planning and implementing behavior modification techniques. Weight loss options include:

  • Balanced Calorie Deficit Diet - This dietary plan helps you learn to change food choices, portion sizes and preparation style. Diets are tailored to individual preferences, lifestyle, and goals in conjunction with a personalized program developed by your dietitian - and YOU.
  • Pharmacotherapy + Diet - Combines a low-calorie diet with the addition of sibutramine (Meridia) or phentermine (these work to decrease your appetite and leave you with a sense of fullness), or orlistat (Xenical), which inhibits the absorption of some of the fat in a low-fat meal plan.
  • Food and Formula Diet - Liquid formula is used along with meals planned with your personal dietitian. This diet allows you the freedom to choose 1-2 meals a day while limiting food choices.
Nutrition Links

  • Getting Started
  • Staff
  • Treatment Options
  • Putting Your Plan Into Action
  • Consults / Referrals
  • Group Support Sessions
  • Nutrition Home


  • Full Liquid Formula Diet - Meals are in the form of chocolate or vanilla frappe-like drinks or soup. This eliminates food choices, making dieting easier. The liquid diet is a complete, nutritionally sound meal plan. You will transition back to whole foods over a prescribed period of time.
  • Protein-sparing Modified Fast - A short-term approach that limits food choices and portion sizes. This diet consists mostly of poultry, fish and lean beef while carbohydrates (breads, cereals, pasta, rice, fruit, and most vegetables) are eliminated, resulting in faster weight loss.
  • Surgery - Gastric bypass surgery may be recommended for patients who are 100 lbs over their ideal body weight. This surgical procedure reduces the size of your stomach and leads to rapid weight loss. The approach has excellent long-term results, allowing patients to lose 80-90% of their excess weight in 10-24 months, with most patients maintaining 48-74% of their initial weight loss after five years. However, there are risks involved. This option, therefore, is usually restricted to patients who cannot lose weight on one of the dietary programs discussed above.







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