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.

Our Medical Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Program offers a complete range of services and dedicated expertise to help obese individuals succeed in reaching their weight-loss goals.

Offering intensive pre-treatment evaluation, individualized treatment plans, access to all types of specialty care, and long-term follow-up, the Medical Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Program 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.

Medical Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Program

  • Reach Your Weight-Loss Goals

    The Medical Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Program 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.

  • Meet 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.

  • Diagnosing Obesity

    Overweight and obesity are characterized by an excessive amount of body fat. Our multidisciplinary team considers BMI to determine if a person is obese. 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.

  • Treating Obesity

    We look 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. Our program 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.

    You 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 program makes it more convenient for you, resulting in better outcomes. It also ensures that medical professionals can easily communicate with each other as they develop appropriate treatment regimens for each person. 

    These individualized treatment options include nutritional recommendations, education, eating strategies, activity adjustments, lifestyle modification, psychotherapy or behavioral therapy, and medications (such as appetite suppressants). Our experts will also carefully coordinate medications patients may be taking for other reasons – such as a thyroid disorder or diabetes – to make sure all medications 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 you are interested in and 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 people 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.

Getting Started

Medical Weight Loss Program Orientation

Your journey toward a healthier YOU starts here. Learn more about our program and take the weight-loss quiz at the end.

Bariatric Surgery Preparation

Learn more about bariatric surgery — the procedures, the risks, preparing for surgery, the bariatric diet and more. You'll also get answers to frequently asked questions in this helpful presentation.

Weight Loss Doctors, Surgeons, Endocrinologists, Dietitians and Staff

The physicians and other experts in the Medical Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Program make up a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals in a broad range of medical specialties. Together and in one-on-one consultations, members of this team offer you superior medical knowledge and coordinated patient care proven to help individuals reach their weight loss goals.

Additional Resources

Recipes

To help increase the variety in your diet, the Bariatric Surgery Program offers a selection of recipes for you to enjoy. All of the recipes provided have been reviewed by registered dietitians for optimal nutritional content.

Food Journal

Examining your current eating patterns will shape our nutritional recommendations. Following a nutritionally sound diet ensures you’ll receive all of the nutrients you will need to stay healthy while losing weight.

Outcomes

The Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Bariatric Surgery Program outperforms national benchmarks for quality and safety.

International Patient Program

U.S. News & World Report recognizes Froedtert Hospital as high performing in three adult specialties and 16 procedures and conditions. We are here to help international patients arrange for their care at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee, Wis.