When the New Year comes around, health and wellness resolutions are at the top of the list. Health professionals understand that weight loss and weight loss management can be a challenge.
Audubon County Memorial Hospital and Clinics (ACMH) is pleased to offer a Medical Weight Loss Clinic to address these challenges. This program is not a fad diet. Directed by a team of health professionals, ACMH’s patient-focused medical weight loss clinic is a non-surgical, comprehensive program that is medically sound and supervised to help patients achieve their weight loss goals.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), states that, “People who have obesity, compared to those with a normal or healthy weight, are at an increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, and mental illness.”
While the American Diabetes Association asks, “Did you know that nearly 9 out of 10 people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes are overweight? If you are overweight, losing some weight could help you manage your diabetes.”
This information provides insight into how excessive weight effects your life from serious health risks to diabetes. According to the CDC, “Modest weight loss can mean big benefits such as improvements in blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugars.”
At ACMH, the Medical Weight Loss Clinic looks at the big picture, taking into consideration each patient’s individual needs, overall health and medical conditions, and weight loss goals. The Medical Weight Loss healthcare team includes a primary care provider, health coach, and a registered dietitian. These health professionals are committed to help you reach your health goals by providing weight loss management, personalized diet and exercise modifications, and one-on-one education.
ACMH recognizes that weight loss is a very personal journey: what works for one patient many not be the right path for each patient. Heather Toft, RN Clinic Director, explains, “The term ‘weight loss’ is so much more than seeing a number decreasing on a scale. It is important that we change our perspective of ‘weight loss,’ and really focus on making long term lifestyle changes. Making changes in our daily living is what is going to help us not only power through losing physical pounds, but also have an impact on our overall health both physically and mentally for years to come. Our team wants to be there to guide and support our participants in their journey of making these lifestyle choices while also being able to monitor their health and overall well-being.”
Vivian Chance, ARNP, discusses the Medical Weight Loss Clinic in terms of the lifelong commitment to health and wellness. Chance states that, “Anyone who has tried to lose weight knows the struggle….I see it every day in my patients who want, sometimes desperately to lose weight. I believe that the only way to be successful at weight loss is to make permanent, healthy changes in your diet and activity habits….Lifestyle changes. It is a process, and we are here to help you!”
The medical weight loss journey starts with an initial consultation where patients will meet one-to-one with a member of the ACMH medical weight loss team to discuss goals, take medical history, and determine next steps for the weight loss plan. If you are interested in learning more about the Medical Weight Loss Clinic, contact Audubon Family Health Clinic at 712-563-4611 or the Exira Medical Clinic at 712-268-5348.