Losing Weight: A Team Approach

with Jeffrey Bahr, M.D., Internal Medicine, Advanced Healthcare

Posted: June 1, 2004

Obesity puts people at greater risk for many diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, gall bladder disease and fatty liver disease. Recent statistics show that 65 percent of American adults are overweight or obese.

Jeffrey Bahr, M.D., an internist with Advanced Healthcare, calls obesity a “multi-factorial” disease, meaning there can be many reasons why a person is overweight or obese.

Jeffrey Bahr, M.D., Internist with Advanced Healthcare "The best way is through modified diet, exercise and behavior modification. Yet, this is also the least-frequently attempted plan when someone needs to lose weight."

Obesity becoming more common
"It's an interplay of genetics and environment," Dr. Bahr said. "Our nation has become much more sedentary. Our jobs are requiring us to sit for longer periods of time, and at the same time, requiring us to work more hours. Because of this, many people have the notion that they don't have time for exercise."

Dr. Bahr added that the preponderance of fast food - often high in calories and low in nutrition - has contributed to obesity's sharp increase in the past 20 years.

He added that primary care physicians - pediatricians, family physicians, internists and gynecologists - have a vested interest in helping their overweight patients lose weight.

"Obesity profoundly affects how we can treat other diseases," he said. "It makes giving adequate treatment more difficult. The majority of my patients are overweight."

Many people are shocked to learn that they are overweight or obese. Because the majority of the adult population is overweight, what looks normal to many people is actually overweight. People who are thin in comparison to the average person are often at their ideal weight.

Historically, physicians have not been given very much information on nutrition and the treatment of obesity in medical school.

New program at Advanced Healthcare
Currently, a team of physicians at Advanced Healthcare is organizing a program to work with patients who are overweight or obese. The health program will be available by fall 2004.

Advanced Healthcare's new program will give patients a tangible plan in approaching a weight-loss goal. It is three-fold and focuses on diet, exercise and behavior modification.

A patient's program is individualized to meet his or her specific needs. While the patient's primary care doctor is the starting point, patients also see dieticians, physical therapists, diabetes educators and other specialists as needed.

"Our true goal is to re-program patients to learn that what is evidence-based is the most effective way to lose weight and keep it off," Dr. Bahr said. "The best way is through modified diet, exercise and behavior modification. Yet, this is also the least-frequently attempted plan when someone needs to lose weight."

However, Dr. Bahr added that it is important to recognize the difference between telling someone that he or she needs to lose weight and showing him or her how to do it.

How it works
Participating patients will start the program with a physical exam by their primary care physician. The person's overall health will be assessed and the physician will recommend a goal for weight loss, usually 5 percent to 10 percent of the person's current weight.

The physician may recommend a type of exercise, based on the patient's interest and ability. Dr. Bahr noted that for most people, a brisk walk of 30 minutes a day is enough. He also stresses to his patients that exercise has many benefits beyond weight loss.

Patients will return to the physician's office for weigh-ins every two weeks. They also come in several times in the first three months to discuss their progress with their physician.

Dr. Bahr said individualized treatment plans are important because of the vast difference among people who need to lose weight. He noted the difference between a person who has been obese his whole life and one who has only recently developed a weight problem.

Dr. Bahr and the physician team who are developing Advanced Healthcare's new program believe it will be an important tool in the local battle against obesity.

"If you took obesity away, a lot of other diseases would also fall by the wayside," Dr. Bahr said. "We are looking forward to beginning the program."

For more information about this program, please call the 24-hour Advanced HealthLine at (262) 512-2880 or (888) 709-2080.

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