Weight Loss Doctors In Indianapolis

The obesity epidemic is spreading throughout the country, and Indianapolis is not immune. According to the Trust for America's Health survey done in 2009, over 68 percent of Americans are obese. In this same year, the survey found that 28.1 percent of Hoosier adults were obese. Many obese people find that they can't reach a more optimal weight on their own and instead seek out medical help. Indianapolis has many options available to you for weight loss doctors, also known as bariatric doctors.

Types

Two general types of weight loss doctors are in Indianapolis: surgical and nonsurgical. While "surgical" obviously entails a bariatric surgery, "nonsurgical" programs cover a wide range of options from simple calorie restriction with exercise to programs that focus on weight loss shakes and medications. Hospital bariatric programs typically offer both options, while nonhospital programs are often nonsurgical only.

Considerations

Weight loss doctors require multiple visits over a period of months whether you choose a surgical or nonsurgical option. Therefore, you must consider financial and geographical concerns. If you want to pursue insurance coverage of your weight loss program, check that the program fits your insurance's parameters; often, the smaller nonsurgical-only doctors are not covered.

Northern Indianapolis

Northern Indianapolis offers a variety of options for weight loss doctors. In Carmel, St. Vincent Hospital offers the St. Vincent Bariatric Center of Excellence. Community Hospital North also has a bariatric program. These programs offer both surgical and nonsurgical options with weight loss doctors. Indy Optifast is on Shadeland Avenue just north of 71st Street and offers a doctor-led program that focuses on nonsurgical weight loss using specialty shakes and doctor intervention.

Downtown Indianapolis

In downtown Indianapolis, several hospitals make up the Clarian Health network. Both Indiana University Hospital and Methodist Hospital house doctors who focus on weight loss. These doctors typically practice out of the Clarian Bariatric Center but also have offices within their respective hospitals. Like the St. Vincent program, the Clarian program has been declared a Bariatric Center for Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

Southern Indianapolis

Southern Indianapolis options for weight loss doctors are growing. Community Hospital South offers access to their network's weight loss doctors. St. Francis Hospital also offers an ASMBS Bariatric Center for Excellence that allows you to choose between surgical and nonsurgical doctors.