https://www.frontierdirectcare.com/frontiermedblog/2018/11/8/how-can-i-lose-weight

A Post from Frontier Direct Primary Care Provider Dr. Peter Lazzopina.

How can I lose weight?

One of the best changes about practicing family medicine in a direct care model is the time it affords us to engage with our patients and get to the root cause of health problems.  For example, today I met a new friend who has insulin resistance or prediabetes. We sat down in the exam room and reviewed her lab results for a few minutes. After that, in 99% of the primary care clinics in the country she would leave with an admonishment to eat a diet high in fiber and low in fat, a prescription for a drug that might promote 5 to 10 pounds of weight loss in some people and a follow up appointment in three months.  

Believe it or not, this is the standard of care for obesity.  Medical weight loss programs across the country promote adherence to an antiquated food pyramid founded on grain consumption.  Yet this consumption of refined and processed grains is the very thing that correlates with the obesity epidemic.  Moreover, the most up to date medical weight loss programs prescribe a slurry of “weight loss” medications which have been shown to promote the loss of a statistically significant number of pounds in a statistically significant portion of the study population.  Does that sound like horse poo to you? Well you may be on to something. In 10 years of being a family doctor I have yet to meet a single person whose obesity was cured by a pill. The final stage in this charade of half measures occurs when the doctor declares that the patient is a lost cause and recommends surgical amputation of a large portion of the stomach.  Needless to say, this procedure cures some but it is not without side effects.

But that is not how it went today.  We talked about the root cause of insulin resistance and discussed how this metabolic syndrome can be cured and reversed.  We identified the habits that led to toxic diet choices and the underlying reasons that drove these habits. We talked about hope for eating better, feeling well again and living healthier far into the future.  She received specific resources for learning about a lifestyle change that will give her more energy and prolong her life.  There were no gimmicks, no pills and no surgeries. We are going to work together to cure her problems.  That’s why Frontier does direct primary care.

Believe it or not, our story gets even better. Frontier Direct Primary Care is proud to partner with pharmacist Michael Muniz to offer free dietary counseling to members with a diagnosis of high blood pressure. Powered by a grant from the Texas Pharmacy Association, Dr. Muniz is able to share his unique expertise and wisdom (which comes from firsthand experience) to teach Frontier members how to apply weight loss principles to their daily lives.  Over the course of five free sessions he is able to equip people to succeed. While participants in the study must have a diagnosis of high blood pressure, Dr. Muniz’s reasonably priced dietary counseling services are available to everyone. Join us today!