Win By Losing
Through Medi-Weightloss in Berwyn, individuals gain the incentive, support, and resources they need to shed unwanted weight and achieve their long-term wellness goals.
The far-reaching effects of pandemic-related disruptions continue to wreak havoc on America’s health. More than 40 percent of U.S. adults surveyed by the American Psychology Association in February 2021 said they experienced undesired weight gain since the start of the pandemic. While the average gain was 29 pounds, 10 percent of those surveyed said they gained more than 50 pounds.
“Now more than ever, it’s important to eat right,” says Alexandra Ott, a Nurse Practitioner with Medi-Weightloss at Medi-Weightloss in Berwyn. “Weight loss can be difficult without the right support, especially with all the disruptions to people’s routines and all the stress people are under.”
Although losing weight can be challenging, people’s long-term health may be at stake.
“Obesity puts people at a higher risk of overall health complications, such as diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome,” Ott adds. “At Medi-Weightloss, we take a medically supervised approach to only to help people with their weight but also to manage the comorbidities that go with increased weight so they can return to healthy living.”
Since Medi-Weightloss opened its doors in December 2009, its patients have experienced some truly remarkable results. In all, Medi-Weightloss patients have dropped more than 100,000 pounds, according to Penny Rose, office manager at Medi-Weightloss’ facility in Berwyn. She suggests the one-on-one counseling from licensed medical practitioners, including two Nurse Practitioners, three Certified Medical Assistants, and a Physician Assistant, has been a boon to patients.
“For a lot of people, food is a legal drug, and people are using it as such—and that’s hard, because you have to eat,” says Nicole Malany, Physician Assistant with Medi-Weightloss. “Unlike drugs, you can’t just say, ‘I will choose to no longer associate with people who eat food.’ Support is key, because it’s all very hard to do alone.”
Individualized attention starts the moment the patient steps onto a Tanita digital scale, which provides a detailed analysis of the individual’s weight, including factors such as body mass index, water content, and body fat. The facility also offers specialized tests so practitioners can gain a better understanding of a person’s metabolism. The patient then meets with a staff member to determine a path forward.
Each treatment plan, which is customized to the individual, can be broken down into three distinct parts: the acute phase, the short-term maintenance phase, and the wellness phase. Rose says the individuals who tend to keep the weight off long term are those who embrace all three phases of treatment. In the acute phase, Medi-Weightloss advises patients to visit the Berwyn office weekly. Once the patient has achieved his or her goal weight, he or she moves into the short-term maintenance phase and “starts gradually adding certain foods back into a diet,” Rose says. Patients are encouraged to visit the office monthly once they enter the wellness phase.
Most Medi-Weightloss patients follow a modified ketogenic diet. This restriction in the consumption of sugars and carbohydrates stimulates ketosis, the metabolic state that enables the body to use its own fat as its principal source of energy. Likewise, most patients are asked to keep a food journal, which Medi-Weightloss practitioners review at weekly visits, so the individual’s diet can be modified, if needed, to promote weight loss.
“The Medi-Weightloss approach works, if you follow it,” Ott says. “Most people lose anywhere from 10 to 15 pounds the first month.”
Individuals travel from far and wide to access the services available at the Medi-Weightloss clinic in Berwyn. These visits not only ensure accountability, but also help to maintain the close, personal relationship between patient and staff. The team at Medi-Weightloss also offers easy-to-follow recipes that teach patients how to prepare healthy and flavorful meals made with only a few ingredients so they can maintain a healthy lifestyle more easily.
Insurance companies recognize the tremendous value associated with the kinds of services provided by Medi-Weightloss, which several years ago became credentialed by most major insurers. In other words, now that such weight-loss programs are covered by insurance, patients have more incentive than ever to take the initiative and regain their health.
“Weight loss is not easy, so there is nothing wrong with needing help, especially now,” Malany adds. “It’s never too late to start making positive changes in your life.”
Medi-Weightloss Clinic
901 Lancaster Ave., Suite 100
Berwyn, PA 19312
(610) 251-2525
Mediweightloss.com
Medi-Weightloss Clinic
901 Lancaster Ave., Suite 100
Berwyn, PA 19312
(610) 251-2525
Mediweightloss.com
Photography by Jody Robinson
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, November 2021.
