Obesity is often oversimplified as a disorder of simply eating too much and exercising too little.
We know quite well that it is much, much, more complicated than that. There are many dozens of factors beyond simple diet and exercise that predispose, cause, and contribute to obesity.
An abbreviated list includes internal factors such as genetic predisposition, metabolism, gender, age, hormone imbalances, biochemical and neurotransmitter imbalances, sleep disorders, depression, anxiety, stress responses, other mood disorders, insulin resistance, innate hunger and cravings, and food sensitivities and insensitivities ... and external factors such as other medical conditions and medications, work, work schedules, stress, finances, physical or psychological pain, sedentary lifestyles, lack of exercise, sleep deprivation, family schedules and responsibilities, social influences, cultural beliefs and pressures, urban planning, community layouts, food industry advertising, and unending environmental ques to stimulate eating.
As such, there is no single intervention or single approach that will work for all people to achieve successful long term weight loss. Most people will require a combination of tools to help them achieve their goals.
- a detailed review of your medical history,
- an in depth review of your weight history,
- an analysis of your nutrition and exercise status, and other factors contributing
to weight gain
- laboratory studies (if indicated),
- a detailed body composition analysis (InBody machine)
- EKG and heart studies (if indicated),
We appreciate your busy schedules and respect your time. Traditionally our follow up visits are scheduled on a once monthly basis during the active weight loss period with either Dr. Sicat, Erin Schrinel, Heather Sedwick, or Julie Goodman. The frequency of follow up visits can be customized to more often (for more accountability and intensity) or less frequent (for more flexibility).
During your follow up visits, we will monitor your progress, evaluate and work through the hurdles that you have encountered during the month, and continue to adjust your overall health plan.
Once your have reached your goal weight, we will focus on weight maintenance and space your follow up visits out further.
Because most insurance plans do not cover medical weight loss services, we do NOT accept insurance and we do not submit bills to your insurance company. As such, the cost for a new patient consultation and follow up visits are listed below. We also have a registered dietician who can individually work with you as an option as well.
or Julie Goodman)
reached or maintenance is initiated)
appointment with us
a new patient visit
If you have had labs within the last 1 year and/or an EKG within the last 90 days, please bring a copy to your first visit or arrange a copy to be faxed to our office to (804) 726-1501.
Otherwise, if we request you to have labs drawn, you will be given a printed order request to have these drawn at any LabCorp of your choice. These labs will be billed directly by the lab to your insurance company outside of your clinic visit.
For patients who are interested in using appetite suppressants and EKG is required within the last 90 days. If you need an EKG, this will be obtained during your office visit and is included as part of your visit for no additional cost. Thyroid tests and blood work are required before prescribing any weight loss medications and can be ordered at your initial visit.
If you require any additional more intensive heart studies such as a stress test or heart evaluation, we will give you an order to schedule this with a cardiologist office and this would be billed through your insurance by the cardiologist's office.