Nutrition
Meet Main Line Health’s dietitians to learn how you can eat well for life and potentially prevent adverse health conditions through changes in your diet.
Obesity
Obesity is the excessive accumulation of weight that exceeds the body's skeletal and physical standards. The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) defines obesity as "a lifelong progressive, life-threatening, costly, genetically related, multi-factorial disease of excess adipose tissue storage." It's the No. 2 cause of preventable death in the United States.
People are considered obese if their body mass index (BMI) is 30 or higher. Although it has a simple definition, obesity is a very complex health condition that's caused by a combination of many factors. It occurs as a result of food and physical behaviors, but it's also influenced by environmental, economic, societal and genetic factors.
Science also shows that our bodies undergo genetic changes in response to our environment. Stress and lack of sleep impact our hormones, which influence hunger response, adipose tissue storage and ultimately, our weight.
Treatments
Obesity can be managed through a combination of lifestyle adjustments, medical interventions and weight loss surgery. The first step is to speak with your primary care provider about your overall health and explore ways to manage your weight. Losing even a small amount of weight can improve your health and reduce certain risks if you are obese.
Available treatment options as part of Main Line Health's Comprehensive Weight and Wellness Program include:
Medical Weight Loss Solutions
With a holistic view of your health condition, your lifestyle and behaviors, personal health goals and even your budget, our team will determine whether a conservative or intensive weight loss program is recommended, and will work with you to decide what aspects of the program will potentially deliver the best results for you, based on your needs.
Endoscopic Bariatric Revisional Procedure
Endoscopic bariatric revisional procedures can be done in an outpatient setting, so you can go home the same day.
Intragastric Balloon Surgery
The intragastric balloon is in fact nonsurgical. This is an endoscopic procedure. This short procedure requires no stitches or incisions and won’t leave any scars.
Duodenal Switch
A duodenal switch procedure reduces stomach capacity and alters calorie absorption to achieve weight loss.
Gastric Bypass
Minimally invasive gastric bypass is a weight loss surgery that creates a newer, smaller stomach and reduces calorie absorption by altering the flow of food in the GI tract.
The Gastric Sleeve / Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy
Minimally invasive sleeve gastrectomy, or gastric sleeve, can be an effective weight loss solution to help maintain long-term healthy weight loss.
Primary Care
Experience comprehensive and compassionate primary care and family medicine services at Main Line Health, delivering advanced care for your overall well-being.
Endocrinology and Metabolism
When hormones are out of balance, you can experience a wide range of problems. Main Line Health endocrinologists can help assess your needs and provide care for any endocrinology and metabolism conditions.
LGBTQ+ Inclusive Care
Receive inclusive LGBTQ+ medical care at Main Line Health in a compassionate and welcoming space at locations in the Philadelphia region.
Comprehensive Weight and Wellness
The weight loss doctors and specialists at Main Line Health in the western suburbs of Philadelphia want you to know that we can help—and we are experts in weight loss that actually works, for a lifetime. Find a weight loss doctor near me.