Comprehensive Weight Loss Center

Obesity is a complex, clinical disorder with many contributing factors. It doesn’t happen overnight, nor can it be overcome within a short period of time. Successful weight loss requires the right combination of your commitment and perseverance — and medical expertise.

The Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin Comprehensive Weight Loss Center offers a complete range of services and dedicated expertise to help obese individuals succeed in reaching their weight-loss goals.

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For an appointment or more information, please call us at 877-770-LOSE or use our online form.

Offering intensive pre-treatment evaluation, individualized treatment plans, access to all types of specialty care, and long-term follow-up, the Comprehensive Weight Loss Center is an all-inclusive setting that provides the greatest opportunity to achieve success — whether you desire to reach your goals through medically supervised weight loss alone or in combination with bariatric (weight loss) surgery.

Is the Comprehensive Weight Loss Center for You?

The Comprehensive Weight Loss Center is an appropriate option for anyone who is significantly overweight, especially individuals who are obese and struggle with other health issues, such as high blood pressure or cholesterol, diabetes or thyroid disorders. We encourage you to check with your health insurance plan to see what coverage your plan provides for treating obesity.

Incredible Weight Loss Stories

Read the stories of some of our patients and how they overcame challenges to lose weight.

Diagnosing Obesity

Overweight and obesity are characterized by an excessive amount of body fat. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater. BMI is calculated from a person's weight and height and provides a reasonable indicator of body fatness and weight categories that may lead to health problems. A healthy BMI is 18.5 to 24.9, while a higher BMI is associated with a risk of serious health issues. An online BMI calculator is available on the National Institutes of Health Web site.

Because being overweight or obese raises your risk for many medical problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, depression and some types of cancer, it’s very important to treat obesity appropriately – considering the whole person, rather than just the need for weight loss.

The multidisciplinary team at the Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin Comprehensive Weight Loss Center considers BMI to determine if a person is obese. Measuring waist circumference is also helpful in determining risk of obesity-related diseases. The team also identifies secondary causes of obesity and monitors for potential health complications through a careful medical history, physical exam, blood tests, saliva tests and X-rays, if needed.

Overcoming Obesity – Meeting the Challenge

Trying to overcome obesity can be frustrating on many different levels. Obesity is often the result of lifelong lifestyle habits. The amount of energy an obese person takes in, in terms of caloric intake, is more than what they are expending. Over time, it all adds up and manifests in obesity. Suddenly, when a person realizes he or she is obese, it may be hard to comprehend this is not the result of six months or even a year of overeating. It’s a lifestyle pattern that has been present for a long time. Changing that pattern requires a great deal of discipline, dedication and time.

Frustration sets in when people try to undo a lifetime of bad habits in a short amount of time. You have to change the way you eat and the way you move. There is no magic pill or magic fix. There are no “shortcuts” to overcoming obesity. Fad diets may work for a time but, without a comprehensive plan for lifestyle change, the pounds and the frustration are sure to return. Many patients have difficulty making healthy choices because of psychological stress, depression, anxiety and learned behaviors.

Our Approach to Treating Obesity

The Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin Comprehensive Weight Loss Center looks at weight loss as a step-by-step process, rather than a quick fix. Approaching weight loss from all angles helps ensure a healthy weight loss that will remain permanent. The Comprehensive Weight Loss Center offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, whole person approach that determines the exact cause of weight gain and delivers the appropriate, medically supervised course of treatment for each individual – an approach that is a proven route to long-term success.

At the Comprehensive Weight Loss Center, patients have access to a complete team of specialists including endocrinologists, dietitians, exercise physiologists, physical therapists, psychologists, bariatric surgeons and others, such as sleep medicine experts.

Having all of these resources available under one umbrella makes it more convenient for the patient, resulting in higher patient satisfaction. It also ensures that medical professionals can easily communicate with each other as they develop appropriate treatment regimens for each patient. These individualized treatment options include nutritional recommendations, education, eating strategies, activity adjustments, lifestyle modification, psychotherapy or behavioral therapy, and medications (such as appetite suppressants). The experts at the Comprehensive Weight Loss Center will also carefully coordinate medications patients may be taking for other reasons – such as a thyroid disorder or diabetes – to make sure they are working as effectively as possible toward health and weight loss goals.

Along with these treatment tools, bariatric surgery is an important consideration. It is offered as an option to eligible patients early: if a patient is interested in/eligible for surgery, some insurance companies require a specific period of medical supervised weight loss efforts before approving surgery. Requirements range from three to six months, and patients who choose surgery will want each visit for obesity management to “count” toward this goal.

Learn more about our Weight Management Clinics (Endocrinology) and Bariatric Surgery Program, part of the Comprehensive Weight Loss Center.