By Samuel Wasser, MD, Bariatric Surgeon, Virtua Complete Weight Management Program

Diets, gym memberships, weight-loss drugs, surgery—there are more options than ever before on how best to lose weight. Frankly, it can be a bit overwhelming.

Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is a journey that looks different for everyone. Our Complete Weight Management Program is built around providing people with choices and the adjuvant therapies they need, like nutrition and behavioral health support.

How Your BMI and Health Influence Your Weight Loss

Your weight-loss journey is determined by your body mass index (BMI) and your existing health.

Medication is an option if your BMI is between 27 and 29.9 and you have a condition such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It’s also an option if your BMI is 30 or higher and you don’t have other health concerns.

Bariatric surgery may be recommended if your BMI is between 35 and 39.9 and you have certain health conditions, or a BMI of 40 and greater without them.

At our practice, you may see a surgeon, but we are not pushing a sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass. We are all obesity medicine specialists and will work with you to find the best pathway to success.

Weight-Loss Medications Offer Customized Care

Virtua offers the latest FDA-approved medications that, along with healthy eating and exercise, can help you lose weight. GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP drugs mimic natural gut hormones that regulate your blood sugar and tell your brain you’re full, so you eat less. They include Zepbound, Wagovy and Saxenda. All three are given by injection.

Zepbound can lead to an average weight loss of 20 to 22%, while Wagovy and Saxenda offer a 10% to 15% reduction. Ask your insurance plan which medications they cover.

The medications can have side effects like nausea, constipation, heartburn, and fatigue. So it’s not unusual to switch medications. I tell my patients there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for weight loss. If you’re having issues with one medication, we can provide another option.

It’s also important to note that medication and surgery can both be part of your weight-loss journey. You may begin on medication and later decide to undergo bariatric surgery, or vice versa. Our program is designed to provide you with the most effective weight-loss therapies available.

Virtua Offers the Weight-Loss Support You Need

Weight loss has many benefits, including lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, putting diabetes into remission, easing joint pain, treating sleep problems, and enhancing mood.

Having access to a team of clinicians, behavioral health specialists, dietitians, navigators, and support groups is essential to meeting your health needs and achieving long-lasting success.

Be wary of websites where you can obtain medication without ever seeing an obesity expert or having access to the nutrition and behavioral support you need. With our program, you have an obesity medicine team that cares about you and is dedicated to your long-term success.

Get Started on Your Weight-Loss Journey

Our obesity-medicine specialists can help you gain the life you want and feel better, inside and out. Learn more about the Complete Weight Management Program at Virtua.