In January 2011, Iowa Health - Des Moines is adding an important new component for a comprehensive approach to weight loss: Medical Weight Management. A new physician, Nate Brady, M.D., MPH is joining Iowa Health - Des Moines Weight Loss Specialists to head up this program.
Obesity is currently the largest contributor to preventable death in the U.S. Obesity significantly raises a patient's risk for diabetes, coronary artery disease, hypertension, sleep apnea, arthritis, infertility and erectile dysfunction as well as breast, colon and pancreatic cancers. 70 percent of all diabetes cases are related to obesity. In Iowa, obesity affects one person in three and diabetes affects one person in ten. Diabetes prevention programs have shown that intensive lifestyle counseling to improve diet and exercise behavior can decrease diabetes risk in half.
A medically-supervised weight loss program is different from a commercial weight loss program. Patients have health targets, not weight targets, and their goal is long-term, lifetime health, rather than quick weight loss. Weight loss is a by-product of treatment, not the primary goal. A medical weight management practice does not rely on pharmacologic solutions, exercise alone or other short-term weight loss "quick fix" options.
"By focusing on obesity as a cause of disease, rather than as an associated health problem, I have successfully used a multidisciplinary team to prevent diabetes, decrease weight and improve health," said Dr. Brady. "Just as with weight loss surgery, our new medical weight management program at Iowa Health - Des Moines will use a dedicated team of specialists, including a weight loss physician, dietician, exercise physiologist, health coach and psychology specialists."
Patients that will benefit from the medical weight loss program include diabetic patients with poor disease control or who have limited success with diet changes; pre-diabetic patients; patients diagnosed with "metabolic syndrome"; and patients with a body mass index over 30 who have an obesity-related co-morbidity.
Prospective patients will need to check with their insurance company to see what elements of the program are covered in their insurance plan. Some program charges for testing may require self-payment, or payment using dollars set aside in a healthcare flexible spending account.
Dr. Brady is also Iowa Health's Medical Director for Wellness. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado Medical School in Denver, CO. He completed his occupational medicine residency and Master's degree in Public Health at the University of Iowa. He is board-certified in Preventive Medicine and practiced for nine years in Cedar Rapids, IA, as an occupational medicine physician, focusing on wellness programming and disease prevention.
During his practice in Cedar Rapids, he collaborated with employers to implement proven models of diabetes prevention through intensive lifestyle modification to achieve weight loss and improve health. He has been a frequent speaker on the topics of obesity, workplace wellness, diabetes prevention, and patient care best practices.
"With the addition of medical weight management to our program, we have the ability to serve a broader range of people, helping them achieve improved health, well-being and chronic disease management" said Todd Eibes, M.D., FACS, Medical Director and weight loss (bariatric) surgeon with Iowa Health - Des Moines Weight Loss Specialists.
The new location for Iowa Health - Des Moines Weight Loss Specialists is 6600 Westown Parkway (the former Regency Homes building), Suite 220, West Des Moines, IA 50266 and the telephone number will remain 515-241-2250.