Medical Weight Management Obesity is a complex disease that affects multiple aspects of health. It can cause or worsen multiple conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and fatty liver disease. Some individuals experience a profound impact on quality of life due to the effect of excess weight on their bodies every day. At the Fleischer Institute Medical Weight Management Center we understand the multiple burdens of obesity on an individual and have created a supportive environment to provide modern, scientifically validated treatments. Our medical services for treating obesity are designed to enhance patient health and quality of life by focusing on long-term, sustained weight loss outcomes. We specialize in treating individuals with medical complexities and serious illnesses who can benefit from managing their obesity. Our Program Due to the complex nature of obesity as a disease, effective treatment and long-term management require a multidisciplinary approach. Additionally, individuals may respond differently to treatments, which is why we offer a range of treatments in a step-by-step approach to accommodate each person’s unique medical goals. An initial comprehensive evaluation is conducted to identify possible causes of obesity, undiagnosed medical illnesses related to obesity, and any barriers to treatment. After the evaluation, the medical provider discusses treatment options with the patient to formulate the treatment and follow-up plan. Our services include personalized dietary modifications with the guidance of a registered dietitian, provided in individual or group sessions. The approach is scientifically validated and culturally relevant, and include Mediterranean-style diets, whole-food plant-based diets, and plant-forward ketogenic diets, based on individual needs. Our team of specialized mental health providers offers individual or group sessions to help improve eating habits, manage stress, and promote better sleep in the context of weight management. We take a careful approach to medication adjustments to minimize exposure to those that can cause weight gain. Our focus is on safely reducing body fat and improving associated health conditions and quality of life using anti-obesity medications. We refer appropriate individuals for bariatric surgical procedures to manage obesity. Additionally, we offer a short-term "protein sparing modified fast program" utilizing low-calorie meal replacements to achieve substantial fat loss in preparation for medical or surgical procedures, in addition to our standard long-term weight management programs designed to promote long-term weight loss and maintenance. For patients who would like to be seen at the Medical Weight Center: Contact your primary care physician to get a referral to the program. After we receive the referral from your medical provider, we will call you to set up your appointment. Please complete a brief medical questionnaire that will be sent to you through MyChart several days before the appointment. If you have questions, please call the Medical Weight Center at 866.633.8255 (Bronx location) or 914.418.6300 (Elmsford location) For Montefiore/Einstein providers referring patients to Medical Weight Center using EPIC: Place an order for “Ambulatory Referral to Medical Weight Management Program”. In the “To Dept” field choose either “MMC WELLNESS CENTER WEIGHT MANAGEMENT” for the Bronx location or “TAXTER ROAD AT 555 WEIGHT MANAGEMENT” for the Elmsford location in Westchester County. Please note the criteria for referral below. BMI of 35 or greater if the patient does not have other obesity-related comorbidities or quality of life limitations. BMI of 27 with an obesity-related co-morbidity or quality of life limitation due to the weight. Post-bariatric medical complications include post-gastric bypass hypoglycemia, weight regain after bariatric surgery, post-surgical diarrhea, and or malabsorption. If reason for referral is not evident based on BMI please add the reason in the comment section.
