Initially founded in 2015, OCW (Obesity Care Week) has a global vision for a society that understands, respects, and accepts the complexities of weight issues amongst our population. We at Jersey Medical Weight Loss Center are proud to be recognized as an “ OCW Champion” again this year.

Obesity Care Week (OCW) aims to change the way society cares about obesity by:

• Providing science and clinically-based education on obesity
• Advocating for access to affordable and comprehensive care
• Removing weight bias in healthcare, employment, entertainment, and education.

Facts about Medical Weight Loss Treatment:

• Individuals participating in weight management programs tend to lose 3-5% more weight than those following self-directed programs.
• To achieve the greatest rate of success, lifestyle modifications like healthy eating, exercise, and behavior modifications must be combined with medical treatment.
• Medical weight loss also includes prescription medications for continued weight management. Medications approved for long-term obesity treatment, when used with lifestyle modifications, lead to greater weight loss and increased likelihood of meaningful 1-year weight outcomes.
•  Some of the medications used for long-term weight management have been proven to achieve weight-loss of 5-15%.
• Medical weight management decreases the effects of many chronic illnesses like Diabetes, Sleep apnea, etc. Nearly 32% of U.S. adults have hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. Modest weight-loss, as small as 10 pounds, can lower one’s blood pressure.
• Obesity medicine physicians are committed to providing evidence-based treatments for obesity through a comprehensive approach, including lifestyle modifications. These modifications include healthy eating, physical activity, and prescription medicines.
•  Working with an obesity medicine physician can significantly improve the patient experience and overall outcome.
• Insurance coverage for medical weight management is not sufficient. Many individuals affected by excess weight and obesity do not have access to specialized care. This places an economic burden on the healthcare system as costs increase with disease progression.
• Being proactive by starting medical treatment for obesity makes economic sense as these individuals are at risk for developing additional and costlier chronic diseases.

Let’s all join hands in curbing this epidemic and work together to create a society that understands the seriousness of weight-related issues, to remove the barriers and bias. Together we can tip the scale in our favor!

Stay healthy.