After years of crash diets and repeated failures to shed pounds, many patients turn to medical weight loss clinics. Their reasons are often aesthetic, but losing weight is in fact a medical necessity. Excess weight – especially obesity – can lead to life-threatening conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.

This article looks at how much medical weight loss costs, helping you determine if it is a viable solution for your weight problems.

What Is a Medical Weight Loss Clinic?

A medical weight loss clinic is an institution supervised by medical professionals who specialize in providing medically proven, sustainable, healthy weight-loss solutions.

People who come to a weight loss clinic get a personalized weight loss program specific to their particular weight issues. Experts who create the program take into account the unique hormonal, metabolic, genetic, and psychological factors contributing to excess weight. The team of healthcare professionals includes physicians, nutritionists, psychologists, and nurses. The program usually lasts several weeks or months.

The clinic typically provides the medical services that are part of the weight loss plan separately as well. These include IV therapy, hormone treatments, nutritional counseling, and more.

Note: Read our article to find out more on medical weight loss.

What Services Do Medical Weight Loss Clinics Provide?

The program starts with a consultation with a physician who asks questions about the patient’s life and performs tests to determine the root causes of their weight gain. The doctor will examine the following:

• Lifestyle habits (diet, level of physical activity, smoking, alcohol)
• Home and work environment
• Stress level
• Sleeping patterns
• Potential medical conditions
• Hormonal status
• Medications the patient is taking
• Blood chemistry, and more

Medical weight loss clinics tailor the program individually for each patient based on the initial consultation and lab test results. The plan usually includes a combination of the following therapies:

Diet modification – The cornerstone of every weight loss plan is a change in eating habits. Medical providers create detailed eating plans for their patients based on their unique requirements. The nutritional plan may include meal replacements, detoxification diets, calorie and portion control, and nutritional counseling. The meal plans are usually evaluated and modified every week.

Supplements – Clinical practice suggests certain vitamins and supplements promote weight loss and improve the patient’s health. Some of the best supplements for weight loss include vitamin C, magnesium, vitamin B6 and B12, chromium, etc.

Prescription medications – Medical providers take into account the patient’s overall health and may prescribe medications to suppress appetite, enhance metabolism, and balance digestion. If they find the patient has accompanying medical issues, they may also start them on medications for blood sugar (e.g., metformin), blood pressure, cholesterol, and other factors often caused by excess weight.

Weight loss injections – Medical weight loss programs may include the weekly administration of weight loss injections. Vibrant Vitaly Clinic’s patients experience impressive results with Semaglutide injections, the approved therapy for type 2 diabetes which is often used to lower blood sugar and promote weight loss in overweight and obese patients.

Note: Learn how Semaglutide for weight loss works.

Vitamin B12 injections are also effective in managing weight by improving some of the causes of weight gain, such as slow metabolism, stress, tiredness, and poor sleep.

Lipotropic injections or Skinny Shots are commonly given to overweight patients to help eliminate toxins, enhance metabolism, and burn excess fat.

Fitness program – Many medical weight loss programs include an integrative fitness plan to enhance the therapy results. Apart from helping patients shed pounds, exercise lowers blood sugar levels, strengthens the heart, builds muscle tone, and improves mood.

Counseling - The main factors contributing to overeating are often psychological. Most medical weight loss programs include psychological counseling to help patients overcome issues that are blocking their progress.

Weekly follow-ups – Patients visit their medical providers every week for a new weighing, blood pressure check, injection, new meal plan, evaluation of progress, and a modified plan for the following week based on results.

Medical weight loss programs provide a well-rounded approach, promoting gradual, safe, and sustainable weight loss.

How Much Does Medical Weight Loss Cost?

Medical weight loss pricing varies depending on the patient’s needs, the therapies included in the program, and its duration. Patients without accompanying medical issues and with fewer pounds to shed may reach their ideal weight after 4-6 weeks. Obese patients often require at least six months to see significant results.

The average 12-week programs for moderate weight loss typically cost several hundred dollars. Longer plans are more expensive.

At Vibrant Vitality Clinic, medical weight loss plans start at $249 and include an initial assessment, recommendation for treatment options and a diet plan, and a follow-up appointment. The final price depends on the required add-ons – medications, injections, individual fitness programs, etc.

Patients with a lot of excess weight who require Semaglutide injections may expect to pay $1,800 for a 6-month treatment.

Conclusion

Overweight and obese patients are at a much higher risk of severe diseases than people in the healthy weight range. Investing in a safe weight loss treatment will help you radically improve your quality of life, restore your health, and may spare you from racking up expensive medical bills in the future.

Contact our experienced medical professionals at Vibrant Vitality Clinic to work out a successful weight-loss strategy tailored to your needs.