Contact:
Jodi-Ann Bailey
Public Affairs Associate
(718) 780-5367
Because of its serious health implications, the prevalence of obesity has made it a major health concern in the United States. Approximately 142 million Americans are overweight or obese.. The disorder increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions, including hypertension (high blood pressure), type 2 diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease and liver disease. Obesity's multi-faceted nature makes it difficult for it to be "cured" with a single treatment. Recognizing that a multidisciplinary approach is probably the most effective way to deal with the complexities of weight loss management, New York Methodist Hospital, in conjunction with its affiliate, MetroFit, has initiated a physician supervised Comprehensive Weight Management Program.
Photo Caption:
Fitness trainer Joanna Castro, of Metro Fit, assists a patient with her work out as part of New York Methodist Hospital's Comprehensive Weight Management Program. The Program is a joint effort between the Hospital and its affiliate, Metrofit.
"The Program aims to tackle obesity and weight management through a partnership between patients, their families and our health care team," said Alfred Leong, M.D., the program's medical director. Individuals who enter the program receive a medical evaluation and may meet with a nutritionist, fitness expert and behavior modification specialist. Once this is completed, an individualized weight loss plan is designed and monitored by a team that may include physicians (internists, endocrinologists and others), nutritionists, fitness professionals etc.
In addition, NYM's Comprehensive Weight Management Program offers a surgical weight loss option for patients who are unable to lose weight through conventional diet and exercise. Bariatric surgery, which has been proven to be the most effective way to achieve and maintain significant weight loss, is an option for patients who are deemed morbidly obese. New York Methodist Hospital has been accredited as a Center of Excellence for Bariatric Surgery; nearly 1000 such procedures have been performed at the Hospital.
New York Methodist Hospital offers both laparoscopic Roux-en Y gastric bypass surgery and laparoscopic banding surgery, the two most common weight reduction procedures. "Patients who desire the surgery and who, on medical assessment, are determined to be appropriate candidates, receive extensive pre-operative education and follow-up," said Piotr Gorecki, M.D., surgical director of the weight management program and director of bariatric surgery at NYM.
For more information about the Hospital's Comprehensive Weight Management Program or to schedule an appointment, please call 718-246-8580.
New York Methodist Hospital
New York Methodist Hospital, a voluntary, acute-care teaching facility located in Brooklyn's Park Slope, houses 651 inpatient beds (including bassinets) and provides services to over 34,000 inpatients each year. An additional 350,000 outpatient visits and services are logged annually. The Hospital offers Institutes in the following areas: Advanced and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Asthma and Lung Disease; Cancer Care; Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery; Digestive and Liver Disorders; Diabetes and Other Endocrine Disorders; Vascular Medicine and Surgery; Family Care; Neurosciences; Orthopedic Medicine and Surgery and Women's Health. The Hospital, founded in 1881, has undergone extensive renovation and modernization over the years. New York Methodist is affiliated with the Weill College of Medicine at Cornell University and it is a member of NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System.
