Weight Loss and Medical Weight Management Program

Fitter Me is a medical weight management program that provides weight loss supervision under the direct care of a physician board certified in obesity medicine. We believe obesity is often a lifelong condition, and engaging and re-engaging our clients on an as-needed basis is a guiding principle of our service. Our goal is to help you improve your overall health.

We will help equip you with the tools needed to help manage your weight while also providing medically supervised treatments which have been proven to help patients achieve a healthier weight. We do not promote fad diets, supplements or other treatments whose value has not been proven.

Services include:

• Lifestyle counseling to promote weight loss
• Treatment using weight loss medications
• Assessment of overall cardiovascular risk with appropriate recommendations

Your First Appointment

Initially, your doctor will inquire about your weight loss goals and determine if they are possible to achieve safely over time. Your first appointment will consist of an assessment of your medical, surgical, and family history. You will also be asked about goals and motivations for weight loss, and also what you have tried in the past. Your doctor will then ask you to take him/her through a typical day, with an emphasis upon identifying habits which may contributing to excess weight. You will undergo a physical examination, which includes measurement of waist circumference and assessment of overall cardiovascular risk. Based on your specific interests and eligibility, your doctor will discuss and offer different treatments. You will also meet with the clinic psychologist, who will further explore behaviors contributing to excess weight and provide you with goals to follow.

Follow-Up Care

Your follow-up appointments depend upon a number of factors, including your own progress and preferences. Most patients return monthly during the first six months, and less often thereafter. The clinic psychologist will contact you periodically by telephone to provide encouragement and assess your progress.

We care for a broad variety of adult patients, age 18 and older, who are interested in achieving and maintaining a healthier weight. Patients should have a body mass index (BMI) of at least 25kg/m2, but the majority of our patients have a BMI of 30kg/m2 or higher. For a typical 5’4” tall woman, this corresponds to a weight of 175 pounds or higher; for a typical 5’10” man, this corresponds to a weight of 209 pounds or higher. We are interested in patients who are seeking a high quality, physician supervised option for weight management.

A referral is not necessary, though a large proportion of patients are referred to Fitter Me by their primary care physicians.

Basic assessment, follow-up services, and counseling are typically covered by most insurance plans. Some plans also provide coverage of obesity medications.

Additional Services

• Surgical weight loss and gastric balloon therapy services are not provided under Fitter Me. However, your doctor may believe they may be right for you and will refer you, should you choose, to our UH Bariatric Surgery Center.
• Dietitians can be extremely valuable for some patients, and your doctor can refer you appropriately to our Clinical Nutrition Services.
• Counseling will be done by your physician and a psychologist who is familiar with the science of behavior change.
• We also do not provide specific commercial or non-commercial weight loss diets, exercise programs, or meal replacements. You and your doctor can discuss these services to help find one that is right for you.

Location

Fitter Me weight loss management services are available at the following location:

UH Minoff Health Center at Chagrin Highlands
3909 Orange Place
Beachwood, OH 44122
Get Directions