Weight Loss Program Basics
Candidates
This weight loss program is offered to male and female patients with a BMI (Body Mass Index) over 27 or roughly those who are greater than 20% over ideal body weight.
The program involves taking two medications, which work additively to decrease appetite and one’s taste for food. This allows for rather easy maintenance of a 800-1200 calorie daily intake, which generally results in a weight loss of approximately 1-2 pounds per week.
Regular exercise and nutritional supplements are also important and essential components of this program.
When the desired weight goal is achieved, a smaller dose of the medications are continued indefinitely, thus preventing the yo-yo effect that many “dieters” experience.
Side Effects
Although these occur, they are usually minor and can be controlled by slow increments of dosage. One of the medications has been approved by the FDA for use as an appetite suppressant to treat obesity since 1959, and the other has been approved for use to treat seizures since 1996 and to prevent migraines since 2004. Using the second medication for its appetite suppressant effect is a legal, but “off-label” use.
Costs
- Visits
- Initial Consultation (approx. 45 min.)
- $248
- Follow-up visits every 4-5 wks* (10-15 min.)
- $95
- *Please note that a follow-up visit is required every 4-5 weeks in order to obtain prescription refills and to monitor for the development of side effects. Regular visits also increase the consistency of continued weight loss.
- Medications*
- #1 - 37.5 mg. #30
- $13
- #2 - 25 mg. #60
- $14
- *Cash price at Costco as of 2011.
Office Visits
We require payment at the time of service. We do not file any insurance claims since weight loss treatment is usually a non-covered benefit. We will, however, supply you with the proper coding information if you wish to submit your own claim to your insurance company. There will be a $35.00 charge for missed appointments if a 24-hour notice of cancellation cannot reasonably be given. If you have not been seen for more than 5 weeks, a “Re-entry” charge of $165.00 will apply to re-enter the program.