Weight Loss Management and Weight Loss Surgery

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Beverly Hills 6750 Multi-Specialty Aesthetic Institute in its desire to promote not only aesthetic services but health and wellness services as well, is introducing the BH Meta-Morph Medical Weight Management Program --- a comprehensive approach to strategizing weight loss plans and to manage difficult weight loss cases.

The BH Meta Morph Medical Weight Management Program was developed by Dr. Eduardo Santos --- BH 6750's  Managing Director and concurrent Chairman of the Section of Surgical Nutrition and Metabolic Support at the St. Luke’s Medical Center’s Department of Surgery --- and takes a completely different approach to weight loss management. The program is a comprehensive assessment, prescription and implementation of weight loss therapies that provide an end-to-end solution to weight loss. The Meta Morph Program not only involves the usual dietary and exercise strategies, but also focuses strongly on behavioral modification, mental discipline, endocrine evaluation  and metabolic support. The use of radiofrequency technology (Accent™) to jump-start the process of weight loss and imprint motivation is also an offered strategy, although optional. The use of pharmacologic agents, such as appetite suppressants, is limited and selectively prescribed for patients who meet strict criteria as recommended by the American Society of Bariatric Physicians. Further to all of these, is the option for BH Weight Loss Surgery --- minimally invasive surgical techniques, usually either a sleeve gastrectomy or a gastric banding procedure --- that allows for an average weight loss of 30% of baseline weight.

Dr. Santos says, “We specialize in difficult weight loss cases." Endocrine and metabolic assessment, dietary teaching and exercise are paramount but one of the strong points of the program is our mental game plan! It’s primarily all in the head!”

Furthermore, the need for medical supervision of weight loss is important in seeing to it that possible underlying endocrine, metabolic and psychiatric problems that can impact on weight gain are looked into prior to implementing any strategy. It would be an uphill battle for example, to implement a diet-based weight loss program in a person who has undiagnosed diabetes or is a pre-diabetic (in medical jargon, this is called insulin resistance).

Patients with insulin resistance have a difficult time utilizing available energy sources (e.g. glucose) to support the body’s metabolism. The inability of the body, in particular at the cellular level, to allow insulin to do its work results in blood glucose elevation --- a condition called hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia is associated with the conversion of un-utilized glucose into fat (and therefore fat accumulation), and with immune defense suppression and consequent increased risks for infection. In most instances, there is a need to support these patients with medications to prevent hyperglycemia and its possible consequent effects. Screening for insulin resistance is therefore important when a weight loss plan is initiated. Other conditions which may be overlooked and for which there is a need for screening include: 1) hypothyroidism and sub-clinical hypothyroidism, 2) depression and anxiety, 3) nocturnal eating syndromes, 4) low levels of Human Growth Hormone (HGH), and 5) in females, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and hyperandrogenism.

The BH Meta-Morph Program looks into uncovering these possible hidden problems with a battery of laboratory tests, physical examination, clinical history taking and assessment.

The Meta-Morph Program will also design an individualized diet plan based on the BH 6750 Diet (a high protein, low carbohydrate diet) and will include teaching on visual zoning and portion control of food, food selection, reading food labels and shopping for low-calorie food, advertising traps and hunger control.

It has to be mentioned also, that the connection between exercise and weight control is as simple as it is obvious --- exercise burns calories. As such, exercise is an important part of the weight loss battle.

At the far end of the spectrum of weight loss strategies is the option for BH Weight Loss Surgery. Dr. Santos says, "With the advent of minimally invasive surgical techniques, we can do weight loss surgery procedures on an out-patient basis. Although this may seem radical to some, it is a solution that fits a subset of clients who inspite their best efforts are unable to effectively lose weight. People who are overweight or obese but generally healthy, would be appropriate for BH Weight Loss Surgery. The indications and techniques for BH Weight Loss Surgery can be discussed and recommendations made accordingly.

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