ProHealth’s Weight Management Services helps people manage change

ProHealth Care’s Weight Management Services team is helping people lose weight as they spend more time at home.

Services are provided through video, telephone and office visits. They focus on each individual’s health metrics and daily aspects of life that affect weight management. Patients also receive links to online resources.

The team includes a physician, nurse wellness coach, clinical dietitian and psychotherapist. Together they provide personalized weight management plans, behavioral health care, and evidence-based health and nutrition coaching to help patients achieve dietary and weight goals.

“I have been amazed at our patients’ dedication to their wellness and weight loss during this time,” said Julie Larsen, MD. “Improving overall health, blood pressure, diabetes and metabolic syndrome — a group of risk factors that raises the risk for heart disease and other health problems — has always been important to them. Now, preventing COVID-19 complications is an additional motivating factor.”

ProHealth weight management patients are finding opportunities to meet weight management goals because of the pandemic’s social limitations. They are eating out less, planning meals, grocery shopping on a regular basis, preparing their own food, sitting down at the table, and eating more natural foods.

Planned food shopping, particularly online shopping, helps patients make deliberate choices and avoid impulse purchases, have healthy ingredients on hand for recipes, and manage their budgets.

ProHealth’s weight management nurse tests grocery chain online shopping tools and helps patients learn how to order items from their weight management plan shopping lists. Many websites allow people to save food choices online for ease of reordering, and stores offer curbside pickup and home delivery, leaving online shoppers with more time for food preparation and healthy activities.

More time at home also means more time for exercise and self-care. The ProHealth team helps patients create new family and personal habits that include walking, spending time in nature and practicing self-care. Everyone in the household can benefit, and children can develop lifelong skills.

“Our comprehensive program focuses on sustainable lifestyle changes that can also enhance resiliency,” Dr. Larsen said.

Office visits are held on the campus of ProHealth Waukesha Memorial Hospital. To learn more about the program, call 262-928-3880 or schedule a free, private consultation at ProHealthCare.org/WeightManagement.