If you want to lower your body weight but you’d rather not do it on your own, a weight loss clinic might be a good option for you. Some people favor these types of clinics if they have other medical conditions to consider, they want people to hold them accountable, or they intend to lose more than 25 pounds.

Whether you’ve been thinking about a weight loss clinic for a while or just learned about them, here’s what you should know to choose one that’s right for you.

What’s a Weight Loss Clinic?

A weight loss clinic or a weight loss program can vary in how it’s structured. These clinics go beyond general wellness centers or commercial programs. They provide a structured plan designed to help you build healthy habits that support your goal of lowering your body weight. They’re led by health professionals like obesity specialists and registered dietitians or nutritionists, who are trained to help people lose weight safely.

It’s important to note that weight loss clinics focus on helping your overall health. Your plan may include a focus on exercise and on eating a healthy diet. While these changes will lead to weight loss in some people, others may see different results. Most clinics will work with you to make a plan for keeping your healthy habits in place when you’re done with their program. The quality of this plan and the support it offers may be key to the long-term results you see.

What Happens at a Weight Loss Clinic?

The first appointment at a weight loss clinic is usually a consultation. You’ll meet with a healthcare provider who will take a medical history, assess your weight and possibly your body mass index (BMI), and talk to you about your exercise and eating habits. From there, the clinic will create a personalized plan to fit your needs and give you the type of support you’re looking for.

Your plan may involve future meetings with a wide variety of healthcare professionals. You may meet with people who help you design eating plans, develop exercises, make fitness goals, offer weight loss medications that support health and weight loss, and provide behavioral counseling to help you make long-term lifestyle changes. These experts are also likely to include self-care strategies in your plan. You may be asked to attend meetings with a support group, where you can talk to other people on similar weight loss journeys.

Some of your visits will focus on monitoring your health, including your weight, over time. These check-ins will help you get the feedback you need. They will also help you and your healthcare team figure out if your plan is working or if you need to make changes to meet your health and weight loss goals.

How To Choose a Weight Loss Clinic

There are a few factors to look for when you’re searching for a weight loss clinic or medically supervised weight loss program. Make sure to ask questions before you sign up. You can ask how much the program costs and how those costs may be covered, how long most programs last, how they’ll track your progress, and who supervises the care you receive. In addition to medical supervision and ongoing support after the program, the following are key features you should look for.

Credentials

Check into any credentials that a weight loss clinic claims to have. You can ask about these directly or look them up online. If they claim to have doctors certified in obesity medicine, make sure you look into those certifications to ensure they’re real and valid.

Scientifically Validated Methods

You want a weight loss clinic that uses scientifically validated methods to improve your health and help you lower your body weight. You can ask for journal articles on their methods or the overall program.

Some medical weight loss programs involve taking medications. Verify that these have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for weight management. Make sure they’re always prescribed based on approved guidelines. Prescribing and dosing medications should always be led by a qualified medical professional.

Personalized Planning

You want a personalized plan from a weight loss clinic, not a generic, one-size-fits-all plan. Your plan should take into account your current health and fitness status, your goals, the resources available to you, any physical and mental health conditions you’ve been diagnosed with or challenges you face, your culture, and your values. Incorporating all of this into a plan is what makes it work for you long term.

Long-Term Focus

Losing weight fast can be dangerous, so it’s important to find a clinic focused on long-term health. This includes planning for behavioral health changes you make slowly, rather than changing several things all at once. Look for a clinic that can help you reach a healthy weight and keep it off while supporting your overall well-being.

Balanced Discussions of Food

Diet plans that make you stop eating certain foods, talk about some foods as bad, or ask you to drastically restrict your eating won’t help you develop a healthy relationship with food in the long run. Look for a program that’s flexible about what you eat, teaches you how to enjoy your favorite foods in moderation, and provides enough nourishment to keep you healthy.

Realistic Goals

If your weight loss plan doesn’t have realistic goals, you may get discouraged if you don’t meet all of them. Goals related to weight should aim for no more than a 5 percent to 10 percent loss of your body weight over six months.

Weight Loss Clinic Red Flags

Watch out for weight loss clinics that:

• Rely on certain supplements or substances to lose weight
• Promise you’ll lose a lot of weight really fast
• Promote people who have lost an extreme amount of weight as typical clients
• Require expensive testing to evaluate your progress
• Leave out behavioral counseling or other counseling options

There are many programs that can help you lose weight safely and fit your needs. Be cautious about any program that seems unsafe or unlikely to work.

What Happens After a Weight Loss Clinic Program?

Your weight management program should include some sort of follow-up help after you finish your treatment plan. This will look different for different people, but may include additional meetings with the professionals you’ve seen throughout your time there to help you focus on long-term success. You may also be able to continue with a peer support group, or they may help you follow up with your primary care doctor or with a counselor who can continue supporting your goals.

Join the Conversation

On MyObesityTeam, people share their experiences with obesity, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

How did you find a weight loss clinic that worked for you? Let others know in the comments below.