Doing Well by Doing Good
In celebration of a key milestone, Dr. Janine Darby, founder of Lifestyle Changes, strengthens her commitment to improving people’s health and uplifting her community.
Janine Darby, M.D., has learned a lot in the three years since she founded Lifestyle Changes LLC. She has also enriched a lot of lives, both through her wellness- and weight-loss-centered practice and through her mission to create a stronger, healthier, and more diverse community.
“My goal when I created Lifestyle Changes was to improve the health and wellbeing of each patient who comes to me,” says Dr. Darby, who is dual board certified in family medicine and obesity medicine. “Whether a patient loses 30 pounds or 10 pounds, they’re going to feel energized. Besides helping people manage their weight, I’m also stamping out disease and decreasing their health risks, and all of that makes me feel really good about what I’m doing.”
While most of Dr. Darby’s patients are women between the ages of 45 and 55, her practice serves a wide range of individuals. One of them, for example, is 83 years old. Dr. Darby customizes treatment to each patient’s specific needs.
“Each individual comes to me with different goals and a history of different ailments—breast cancer, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), thyroid issues—so each person’s treatment is unique,” she adds. “Whatever they present with, I make sure nothing hinders their health and their weight loss.”
Dr. Darby’s approach revolves around the so-called “three M’s”: mindset, which refers to changing the way people think about food; movement, meaning exercise; and meal planning, to make sure the body has the fuel it needs to maintain energy, receive proper nutrition, and lose unwanted pounds.
“A breast cancer survivor may not be able to have soy in her diet, depending on the nature of her cancer,” she continues. “Someone who is prediabetic will need to be on a low-carbohydrate meal plan. I also see people who are struggling with high blood pressure, hypertension, and other concerns, so I take all of that into consideration when creating a meal plan. I’m also able to adjust their medications and, if need be, prescribe weight-loss medications.”
Lifestyle Changes has evolved in the three years since its inception. For example, Dr. Darby has expanded the services she offers to include a corporate wellness practice through which she works with business owners to improve the mental and physical health of the work force. These programs, which are customized to each company’s needs, may serve as both an employee perquisite and a competitive advantage.
Dr. Darby’s largest corporate client to date is a New York-based technology firm with 300 employees, almost all of whom work remotely. Dr. Darby’s four-point wellness program includes a one-to-one health assessment and action plan for each employee to take to his or her primary-care physician or specialist; two wellness events per month tied to her three M’s; weekly health tips based on a monthly theme; and exclusive pricing for weight-loss coaching. Dr. Darby says the company’s CEO is “very happy” with the progress he has seen since the program began in November 2021.
“This particular company wanted to improve morale, because you see a lot of companies whose employees are approaching burnout,” Dr. Darby says. “When employees feel that their employer cares about their wellbeing and they actually feel better about their own health, they’re more productive and the company thrives.”
Dr. Darby “wears many hats” apart from her private practice. First and foremost, she is a wife and a mother of four children. She also leads the DEI Task Force, a nonprofit devoted to eliminating discrimination and inequity in Methacton School District and in the surrounding community. In addition, last November Dr. Darby was elected to the Lower Providence Township Board of Supervisors, which she sees as another way to support and uplift her community.
As for Lifestyle Changes, Dr. Darby foresees a continued evolution in her quest to improve others’ health. Through June 30, for example, she’s offering a 30 percent discount on her private-label vitamins and supplements, the Lifestyle Changes Wellness Journal, and her 2020 book, Get Your Sexy Back: A Guide to Bouncing Back After Pregnancy. In the near future she intends to further expand her program to include meal delivery and a library of video health tips.
“People see me as the accountability partner they need,” she says. “The fact that I’m a board-certified physician gives them a lot of comfort. I feel very fortunate to have helped as many people as I have, but I also believe I’m just getting started.”
To learn more about Dr. Darby, her comprehensive approach to weight management, and her corporate wellness practice, visit lifestylechangesllc.com, email info@lifestylechangesllc.com, or call (484) 685-0033.
Photograph by Nina Lea Photography
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, May 2022.
