Medical Weight Loss Program

Clinically Proven Weight Loss

medical examination

We provide non-surgical approach to the treatment of obesity and overweight conditions. Our weight loss programs are based on the latest developments in the fields of nutrition and weight control. You will be treated by a Bariatric Physician —Weight Loss Expert— A medical doctor with special training in Bariatric Medicine and who specializes in the treatment of overweight and obese patients.

Initial Exam

We approach each patient individually and do a careful initial assessment that determines your specific needs. Dr. Aron identifies and treats the hidden causes of weight gain, such as slow metabolism, hormonal and nutritional imbalances or genetic factors. Our protocol includes body fat analysis (BCA), calculation of your BMI, a comprehensive physical examination, including laboratory analysis of blood.

All the information about you is taken into consideration, an appropriate course of treatment can be recommended. The doctor will review the proposed treatment options with you and provide you with a diet that promotes faster weight loss. Each patient is evaluated individually and each program is tailored specifically for your lifestyle and dietary needs. We also realize that the easiest program to follow is the one that has been created especially for you. Therefore there is no single weight loss regimen that defines our treatment protocol. Dr Aron use evidence based up-to-date medical interventions to help you gain control of your weight.

woman on weight scale

Structured Program

You will receive structured dietary guidance based on your blood test results, food preferences, and weight-loss goals. The program we develop for you addresses your body’s nutritional requirements. Our meal planning is based on fresh nutritious foods available at your local grocery store. You will have a choice of many different foods but in smaller quantities than you are probably used to eating. You may actually start to enjoy food more than you have in the past. As time goes by, you will feel so much better that you will want to continue. You will eventually reach the point where your appetite will be satisfied with less food.

Weight Loss Medications

Several safe and effective prescription weight loss medications and natural supplements are successfully used as part of our weight loss program. Weight loss medications used to suppress hunger and add support to your new diet and lifestyle. Appetite suppressants do work, and can be very useful in kick-starting a diet.

If you are struggling to lose weight and believe you can use the extra support provided by appetite suppressant medications and if they are appropriate for you medically you may choose to take them, but you are not obligated to take them. All the medications that we dispense to patents are FDA approved and fully endorsed by the Obesity Medicine Association and the American Board of Bariatric Medicine.

healthy outcomes

Motivation

Weight Loss Motivation is integrated into our comprehensive Bariatric program. Motivation is the key to successful weight loss. We educate patients on all aspects of weight loss and help them gain the skills required to successfully manage their weight for the rest of their lives.

Dr. Aron Medical Weight Loss Program

Answers

How is your program different than others?

When it comes to weight loss, safety is the biggest concern. At our center, you are examined and monitored by a highly trained physician during every visit. Decisions made regarding your care and progress is done so with the expert knowledge of a medical professional. We are dedicated to your safety and long term success.

WeightLossNYC™ is not your typical weight loss center: You will soon come to realize there are many attributes that differentiate us from other weight loss programs. We don’t believe in a cookie-cutter approach.

We Care for Patients, not Customers.

Each patient is examined by a bariatric (weight loss) physician. Each visit you will work directly with Dr Aron, a medical specialist extensively trained in obesity management. Providing individual treatment sets our program apart from advertised commercial weight loss group programs. Additionally, as a medical weight loss program, we do ongoing evaluations of your health status and decrease your medications for weight-related diseases as your health improves. We can also prescribe weight control medications, such as appetite suppressants and others, to assist with your weight loss efforts.

What is the program?

There is no exact answer for this question since every individual’s circumstances are unique and therefore so will be their program. Everyone has different reasons why they seek our assistance, the factors that contributed to their weight gain, the effects the excess weight has had on their medical and emotional health and the type of assistance they are seeking to help lose weight. We also realize that the easiest program to follow is the one that has been created especially for you. Therefore there is no single weight loss structure that defines our treatment protocol.

comprehensive weight loss program

Dr Aron uses evidence based up-to-date medical interventions to help you gain control of your weight. Dr. Aron will also discuss an exercise program with you. There are a variety of dietary programs; some of the diets use grocery store foods, others use food supplements purchased at the center, and some use a combination of the two. All programs have been designed by leading experts in the field of obesity treatments, are clinically proven to be effective and are modified to suit each patient’s individual needs.

The only common element in all our weight loss programs is building a foundation of behavioral modification that will ultimately translate into lifestyle changes to ensure long-term weight control. If you intend on maintaining your weight loss, the first step is to understand that weight control is much more than going on a diet. All things considered, mastering weight control depends on embracing and implementing just basic principles for behavior change. From the very first day of treatment, we begin working on strategies to empower you and help you own these basic principles for behavior change in order to achieve lifelong success with weight management.

Will I need prescription medication?

There is a wide range of appetite curbing medication designed to take the edge off your hunger. When medically indicated and as part of a carefully monitored program, Dr Aron will select the right prescription for you. Dr. Aron uses appetite suppressants to decrease your desire for food and also boost your metabolism. We do everything we can to help you to lose weight without being hungry.

Is it safe?

Yes. Our program follows clear clinically proven guidelines. Dr. Aron’s weight loss program is not magic, it’s nutritional science that really works, providing your body with healthy nutrients and a customized program that accommodates your activity level and medical history. Your lab results also alerts us to any pre-existing medical conditions, such as diabetes or high cholesterol. A physician-supervised medical weight loss program may be the safest and wisest way to lose weight and maintain the loss. Overweight and Obesity are frequently accompanied by other medical conditions which might go undetected and untreated in a non-medical weight loss program.

What is the average weight I can expect to lose on your program?

The methods we use are clinically proven and recommended by the Obesity Medicine Association, whose guidelines we follow:

Clinical use of VLCD Diets
Clinical Basis
“Women generally lose 3 to 3½ pounds per week and men lose 4 to 5 pounds per week … These average losses are 2-3 times greater than those resulting from conventional calorie-reducing diets used for the same time period.” [1,2,3]
  1. American Society of Bariatric Physicians™, Use of VLCDs in the Treatment of Obesity, ASBP Approved Position Statement, Nov 2010
  2. Very low-calorie diets. National Task Force on the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity, National Institutes of Health. JAMA. Aug 25 1993;270(8):967-974.
  3. Wadden TA. Treatment of obesity by moderate and severe caloric restriction. Results of clinical research trials. Ann Intern Med. Oct 1 1993;119(7 Pt 2):688-693.

Very rapid weight loss can be achieved when doing a physician-supervised weight loss programs, called a Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) or Low Calorie Diet (LCD). Our program offers such aggressive weight loss programs. These programs are easy to follow and safe when medically supervised. Each program can obtain different results and individual weight loss results vary.

For other less aggressive weight loss programs offered through our clinic, each individual’s weight loss progress is different. Since every person’s needs and preferences are unique, programs are set up with the patient that best fits his/her lifestyle and dietary needs. There are a variety of dietary programs; some of the diets use grocery store foods, others use food supplements in combination with grocery store foods.

Why is your success rate so high in keeping weight off, once it has been reduced?

This is due to the basic thoroughness of the initial medical examination in diagnosing the underlying factors of the patient’s weight problem. The guidelines in nutrition and exercise that the patient receives bring more conscious thought to bear on good health and proper eating habits. As the program progresses, you will feel so much better in every way that you will have less inclination to relapse into your old eating habits.

Physiologically, no two human bodies are alike. What is proper diet and exercise for one person is not necessarily so for another. The Bariatric Weight Loss Program concentrates on the specific need for each individual patient. The Bariatric physician, unlike most other medical doctors, has received special training in nutrition as it relates to problems of the overweight. It is in these ways that the bariatric weight loss program differs from most weight control programs and insures our high success rate.

Do I have to go to meetings?

Structured dieting is only one component of the program. We provide private, one-on-one medical weight loss guidance. Our team is your personal weight-loss and wellness team until you reach your goal weight. As a weight loss team we will offer encouragement, advice and monitor your progress. When you have reached your goal weight, Dr. Aron will direct you towards structures for maintaining your weight loss.

Is your program effective?

Not only is our program effective, it is clinically research proven. You will lose weight on our program safely and consistently.

I’ve wanted to lose weight for a long time. How can you help motivate me to really do it?

Our structure modeling and one-on-one counseling have helped thousands of people done what they thought they would never do: lose weight and keep it off. Each week you'll learn new ways of thinking and behaving while developing healthy weight loss attitudes and skills. We strive to guide you with the supporting structures you need.

Is your program right for me?

It is if you want to lose weight. Results of 10-20 lbs per month may be achieved, though vary depending on your starting weight, which program you choose to follow, and other factors. After you lose weight by following our nutritional program, we stay on the job, with individual counseling and monitoring, to help you keep it off.

Do I have to be extremely overweight to consider your weight loss program? What if I only need to lose 15-20 pounds?

Our weight loss programs are not simply for people who are extremely overweight, but are for anyone who is unhappy or feels unhealthy due to their weight. We will tell you if you shouldn’t, or don’t need to lose weight, or if you are not the right candidate for one of our weight loss programs for any reason. Our goal is your overall health.

You can check now in seconds — Am I Overweight?

How long do I have to stay on this weight loss program?

The length of time you may stay on the program depends on how much weight you wish to lose. As you know, weight loss is not about a "quick fix!"We will work with you to help you to achieve on-going success. You determine your participation in the program. Your target weight is your goal. What we provide is the guidance and tools to meet your needs, a medically proven structure and means to achieve your goals.

What does Bariatric mean?

Bariatrics is a branch of medicine that deals specifically with problems of obesity, or being overweight. It is a very specialized field and only about 1% of the medical doctors in this country are qualified members of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians. Since obesity is a disease, it makes sense to treat it as one. In 1985, the National Institutes of Health, at its Health Consensus Development Conference on the Health Implications of Obesity, stated that obesity is a specific disease entity that should be treated and monitored medically by a trained physician

Bariatric physicians, or bariatricians, are medical doctors who specialize in the treatment of overweight and obese patients and related medical conditions. These licensed physicians have received special training in Bariatric Medicine: the art and science of medical weight management. Bariatricians treat overweight and obese patients with a comprehensive program of diet and nutrition, exercise, behavioral therapy and, when necessary, the prescription of appetite suppressants and other appropriate medications. The word bariatric stems from the Greek root baro meaning heavy or large.

What is body composition analysis (BCA)?

Body composition is the amount of water, lean body mass and fat in the human body. The true definition of obesity is based on the percentage of body fat. Standard height and weight charts are inadequate in assessing a patient’s percent body fat. BCA can determine how much of your body weight is fat mass, and therefore what your percent body fat is. Our highly innovative scale figures this number using bioelectrical impedance, which measures the conductivity of different body compartments using very small electrical currents. Differences in water content within fat tissue compared to lean body tissue affects the how the current is conducted. Our goal is to help you have good quality weight loss, which means, loss of body fat mass only. Rapid weight loss can result is sacrificing too much lean body mass (which may ultimately slow down your metabolism making the weight loss harder to sustain long-term). We want to help you lose weight rapidly, but not at the expense of losing lean body mass. This is why we measure your body composition at each and every visit, so we can monitor the quality of your weight loss.

If you were trying to lose weight on your own and are just using a conventional scale, you may start to lose motivation if you aren’t seeing the scale move fast enough. Weight loss progress, as measured on a conventional scale, can sometimes be erratic and unpredictable due to water fluctuations (especially in women who still are menstruating). This phenomenon can be unsettling if it were unexpected and especially if you have been following a program religiously and don’t see the anticipated loss of pounds on the scale. The benefit of having your body composition analyzed at each visit is you will know when your scale isn’t moving simply due to water retention. In actuality, you may still be losing fat mass, which means you are still improving your body composition and making progress with your weight loss.

The method that we use to obtain this information is called electrical bioimpedence. It is a non-invasive and accurate test. It does require the following preparation instructions: no alcohol consumption within 24 hours prior to your first visit, no exercise, caffeine or food within 4 hours prior to taking the test, and drink 2 to 4 glasses of water 2 hours prior to taking the test.

I have tried many different diet pills in the past. What is the best diet pill on the market today?

There are many diet scams out there that claim quick and easy weight loss, yet most of them don’t work, and in addition can contain harmful chemicals and mixtures of substances that could put you at serious health risks. In addition to OTC diet pills there are countless other pills which claims to have an weight loss effect that are total hype. Don’t be fooled by products claiming to be "All Natural": Herbal formulas and medicines are not regulated by the FDA and may not even contain what the labels say they do. They can also have too much of a vitamin, mineral or herb, or a dangerous combination of all three (that can be toxic to your system). More often they claim to work miracles that are just flat out not true.

There are no magical weight loss pills that will make you lose weight. Even if you lose weight initially you will gain it back, and even more because sustained weight loss requires complex approach and expert knowledge of obesity and weight loss.

You can read many more such warnings on our blog, via FDA tag.

Will I have to change my lifestyle?

Research shows that lifestyle changes are necessary for both weight loss and maintenance of weight loss. We at Dr. Aron Medical Weight Loss Center want you to not only take the weight off, we want you to keep it off, so yes, some lifestyle changes will need to happen. Part of your initial visit with Dr. Aron will include a thorough lifestyle assessment. She will discuss with you ways to make small changes that fit in with your busy lifestyle.

I need to lose weight quickly in preparation for an operation. Can you help?

Yes. For those who require rapid weight loss, we offer a Very Low Calorie Diet which is physician-supervised and closely monitored.

Is your weight loss program safe if I have diabetes or any other medical conditions?

Not only are our programs safe for people with diabetes, hypertension, and other medical problems, they are helpful in controlling any further complications that result from these diseases. More than this, our weight loss programs can help alleviate many of the other conditions that result from obesity, including arthritis, coronary artery disease, sleep apnea, and persistent lymphedema, lower extremity edema, hypertension, and high cholesterol..

Do I need a referral?

We are a direct access facility. One of your rights in New York State is to be able to come to medical providers without a referral. Our program is self-pay, though you may have additional options available to you.

What if I cannot exercise at this time?

You can still lose nearly as much weight. In the rapid weight loss phase, the diet and medication are the most important factors. After you lose your weight and you are trying to maintain it, then some type of exercise is very important.

Should I supplement your program with vitamins?

During your initial visit and all subsequent follow up visits you will receive your recommended nutritional supplementation. These are included in the price of visit. In some cases Dr. Aron may also suggest an additional vitamin supplement program to fit your individual needs. Swelling, water retention, moodiness, dry skin, anemia and hormonal imbalances can be traced back to a vitamin deficiency.

Will I gain it back once I’ve lost the weight?

Our maintenance program provides you with all the knowledge and guidelines to keep the weight off for life. It designed especially for those who have reached a goal and want to maintain success. We’ll remain as your support system as long as you need us.

Who comes to Dr Aron’s Medical Weight Loss Center?

People of all ages come when they need professional help with weight issues, particularly those requiring a change in lifestyle. Many come because they primarily want to lose weight, from just a few pounds to several hundred. Others come because they recognize the importance of normal weight, nutrition, activity and behavioral change in the management of medical problems such as coronary disease, hypertension, diabetes or the metabolic syndrome.