Helping You Reach Your Weight Loss Goals
Weight Loss
The health risks of excess body weight (body fat) are well known, and, not surprisingly, weight loss is a common health goal. However, traditional weight loss programs are notoriously ineffective, with data showing that as much as 90% of people regain the weight lost in a year or two.
Science, and our own experience, show us that achieving lasting weight loss on your own is rare. If achieving your health, weight, and longevity goals is a priority for you, consider getting expert guidance from a team that has experience helping people like you create a health plan to lose weight that works for their individual needs. The HealthspanMD™ team is here to aid you in taking control of your weight.
If you’re ready to achieve your goals, build lasting habits, and improve your overall well being, HealthspanMD™ can help you create your plan. Request your first appointment online with us today, and let’s get started.
Phoenix’s Evidence-Based Weight Loss Center
Weight Loss: What Works & What Doesn’t
Everyone understands the challenges of achieving lasting weight loss. However, what many don’t understand is that the typical strategies of traditional weight loss set people up to fail.
First, let’s talk about what doesn’t work:
- “Eat less, move more.” Anyone who has heard this standard advice understands that while it sounds good – and nutrition and physical activity are critically important to achieving a healthy weight – weight loss is far too complex to be solved by such a well-meaning but overly simplistic strategy.
- Temporary interventions. This is a common strategy that provides short-term results that mostly don’t last. Extreme calorie restrictive diets, high-intensity exercise programs, and meal replacements are frequently advocated for weight loss, yet are remarkably ineffective in the long run.
- Willpower. One of the most common reasons I hear from my patients why they have not been able to achieve their weight goals is that they didn’t have the willpower or motivation. However, a strategy that relies on willpower is highly likely to fail in the long run as willpower is a limited resource.
So, what is the best weight loss method? The truth is, there is no effective one-size-fits-all approach to weight loss. Each person has a unique path to achieving a healthy weight. However, there are some guiding principles to lasting weight loss we use at HealthspanMD™:
- Get healthy to lose weight. While “lose weight to get healthy” is a common approach, what is most effective is to “get healthy to lose weight.” The National Weight Loss Registry of over 10,000 people who have lost on average 66 pounds and kept it off for 5.5 years has found that more than 90% of those who have successfully lost weight and kept it off did so by changing their nutrition and being physically active – in other words, they developed healthy habits that led to lasting weight loss.
- Use systems. While a willpower strategy often fails, what does work for achieving complex goals is to build systems. Your HealthspanMD™ plan to lose weight is designed to help you adhere to a system.
- Build habits. Lasting weight loss is achieved by developing habits that support your health and weight goals. We help you build your habit-building system that provides the support you need to go at your pace to achieve lasting weight loss.
- Address the “hidden” barriers to weight loss. Experience has taught us that many people who are eating well and staying active yet can’t lose weight are often sabotaged by one or more of three conditions: Poor sleep, uncontrolled stress, or insulin resistance.
By addressing underlying barriers, building good habits, using an evidence-based system, and focusing on your health, you can achieve your goals, lose weight, and improve your overall health.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the HealthspanMD™ weight loss programs the best fat loss treatment for me?
The latest data shows that over 70% of us are overweight and over 42% of us are obese. But this doesn’t tell the full story. A better measure of unhealthy weight is body fat percentage and/or waist circumference and some have a normal weight, but they are carrying too much body fat – particularly around the middle – than is healthy for them.
Unfortunately, it’s quite rare for people to lose weight and keep it off with traditional weight loss strategies. Most studies show that less than 10% of people can lose weight and keep it off over a year or two.
If you feel like you’ve tried everything and failed, the truth is the traditional ways to lose weight have failed you just like they have failed almost everyone else.
What we have learned is that a comprehensive, personalized, and connected approach is remarkably effective in helping people achieve lasting weight loss.
How do I know if I’m overweight? What are the risks?
Unhealthy weight (also called overweight or obesity) is one of the most common health problems in the world today. Over 42% of people in the US are obese (body mass index (BMI) > 30 Kg/m2) and more than 70% of adults are overweight (> 25 Kg/m2.)
While BMI is not the best measure of unhealthy weight, what is important is that excess body weight (more specifically excess body fat) is a potentially serious health problem. Being overweight markedly increases the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, prediabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, cancer, dementia, fatty liver disease, and early death.
Does your weight loss clinic near me accept insurance?
When it comes to weight loss, health problems associated with weight are sometimes enough to be covered by insurance. However, you should check with your insurance provider to be sure they’ll cover our weight loss service.
In general, HealthspanMD™ is proud to accept insurance from most major providers, including Medicare. View our Insurance page to see our full list of accepted providers, and if you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our friendly, knowledgeable staff.
How can I get started with the best weight loss treatment near me?
At HealthspanMD™, we make it easy to take the first step toward achieving your health, weight, and longevity goals. Just press the Request an Appointment button to schedule your first consultation. You’ll meet with Dr. Hurst to create your Healthspan Action Plan and get clear on your best opportunities to achieve your goals.