Losing weight is a lifelong commitment, and it can be difficult to do it alone. Our accredited and board-certified weight management team offers safe, supportive care at the only comprehensive weight loss program in mid-Missouri.
Medical weight loss, or medically supervised weight loss, is a nonsurgical treatment option for people who need help with more than diet and exercise to lose weight.
Our commitment to you and your weight loss journey means our care goes well beyond your treatment or procedure. That includes nutrition counseling, health evaluations, educational classes, support groups, treatment of weight-related issues and follow-ups long after you complete your procedure or program to help you be successful.
Follow-up care is focused on what works best for you, which means we offer telehealth follow-up appointments to help patients who visit us from outside Columbia.
Why choose MU Health Care for medical weight loss?
Our weight management team is staffed with accredited and board-certified experts in weight management and metabolism, with extra training in medical weight loss, and are experts in the safest and most up-to-date weight management treatments.
Patients here also have easy referral access to specialists in many other areas of medicine and, if necessary, have easy access to coordinated care for related conditions such as high blood pressure, sleep apnea and Type 2 diabetes.
Who qualifies for medical weight loss?
Candidates for medical weight loss must meet one of the following criteria:
- Have a body mass index (BMI) of 27 or greater with other health conditions associated with weight
- Have a BMI of 30 or greater without health conditions associated with weight
Conditions frequently associated with candidates for medical weight loss include:
- Cardiovascular disease
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- High cholesterol (hyperlipidemia)
- Hunger
- Joint pain or osteoarthritis
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Type 2 diabetes
How does medical weight loss work?
Our weight management team starts by getting to know each patient, including your weight loss goals and your diet and exercise habits. The first step is a class led by a registered dietitian who provides counseling on dietary and lifestyle changes that can help before your first clinic visit.
An advanced practice provider (APP) will review your medical history with you and talk about any medications you currently take. Using this information, they will discuss all your weight loss options with you, including whether medical weight loss is advised.
If you qualify for medical weight loss, your weight loss team will recommend the best option for you based on your medical history and insurance coverage. If you need more information about insurance coverage, please call 573-882-5673, and our team will work with you to help you understand your benefits and costs.
How much weight will I lose?
Everyone is different, but in most cases, medical weight loss patients lose 5-15% of their total body weight. Medical weight loss will not help you lose weight without other important lifestyle and behavior changes.
Routine follow-up appointments are very important to monitor your weight loss, and to provide continued support, education and accountability to help you take full advantage of treatment.
Our weight management team uses registered dietitians to help you establish or stick with healthy eating habits. Patients who undergo both surgical and nonsurgical weight loss treatments may also benefit from behavioral therapy, and our team will work with you to set up care when appropriate.
Are diet pills safe?
Medical weight loss is also called medical supervised weight loss because doctors can receive special training to understand how weight loss medications interact with your body and with other medications.
When prescribed by a doctor and used as directed, medical weight loss is generally very safe. If your medical history or current medications might lead to serious health problems, your doctor will recommend a different treatment option.
