Carson-New Weigh Weight Loss is a medical weight loss clinic committed to delivering personalized weight management solutions. These solutions integrate medications, nutritional guidance, and structured exercise plans. The clinic distinguishes itself through its team of knowledgeable experts who craft individualized programs tailored to meet the specific needs and objectives of each patient. Beyond conventional weight loss medications, Carson-New Weigh provides access to contemporary prescriptions like Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Zepbound for eligible candidates. The clinic underscores a holistic approach, incorporating healthy eating habits and lifestyle modifications to foster sustainable and lasting results for its clientele.
The Obesity Pandemic and the Role of Pharmacotherapy
Obesity is a major pandemic of the 21st century, contributing to increased morbidity, mortality, and the burden of healthcare costs. Overweight and obesity are defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a BMI of 25-29.9 kg/m2 and a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, respectively. In the United States, the prevalence of obesity had risen to 42.4% in 2017-2018 and predictive models now suggest that the prevalence will grow to one in two adults by 2030. Internationally, one in five adults now have obesity. The Global Burden of Disease study reports that overweight and obesity are the fourth leading risk for global deaths, and more than 4.7 million adults die each year as a result of overweight or obesity. Obesity is a major risk factor in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes (T2D), musculoskeletal disorders, and several cancers. In certain ethnic populations (i.e., East Asian or South Asian), these comorbidities can develop at lower BMIs.
Principles of Obesity Pharmacotherapy
As with other chronic metabolic diseases, the initial management of overweight and obesity emphasizes sustainable nutritional, physical activity, and behavioral changes that have been shown to reduce weight and lower cardiometabolic risk. However, lifestyle interventions that include caloric restriction and/or portion control alone are insufficient in achieving long-term weight loss maintenance in most patients, with one-third to two-thirds of lost weight regained within one-year following end of treatment, and > 95% weight regained within 5 years.
For patients who have failed to achieve clinically significant weight loss, defined as ≥ 5% of baseline weight after 6 months of lifestyle interventions, professional organizations including The Obesity Society, the Endocrine Society, and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommend AOMs for individuals with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 or BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2 with comorbidities.
For health care professionals using pharmacotherapy for weight management, the following basic principles can be kept in mind:
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- Lifelong treatment: Because obesity is a chronic disease, pharmacotherapy should be prescribed with the intent of lifelong use and as part of a comprehensive management plan that includes nutrition, physical activity, and behavioral counseling. Discontinuation of an AOM often leads to weight regain.
- AOMs affect pathophysiological pathways that lead to obesity: Current obesity pharmacotherapy targets the underlying neurohormonal dysregulations that cause weight gain and prevent sustained weight loss. Changes in hormones in response to diet-induced weight loss, such as reduction in the anorexigenic hormone leptin and increase in the orexigenic hormone ghrelin, create a physiologic environment conducive to the body returning to its previously established, higher body weight set point. Additional adaptation responses to diet-induced weight loss affecting energy expenditure, including reductions in basal metabolic rate, also challenge weight loss maintenance.
- Treatments benefit both weight and comorbidities: The goals of obesity treatment are primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention; that is, to prevent the development or exacerbation of obesity and its complications. For example, improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors and reduced diabetes risk have been consistently reported in the Phase 3 trials for AOM’s.
- Expect heterogeneity in weight loss response: Phase 3 trials have consistently demonstrated that AOMs achieve significantly greater weight loss than placebo when combined with lifestyle modifications. The average efficacy in these studies ranges from 5-23% total body weight loss. However, as with any medical therapy, significant inter-individual response variability has been reported, including the possibility of no weight loss (non-responders) to 25% or greater weight loss.
Historical Perspective
The development of AOMs dates as far back as the 1940s, predating the standard FDA rules and regulations that are familiar today. Drug approval in the 1940s necessitated only proof of efficacy beyond placebo; evaluation of benefit versus risk with controlled investigations was not a requirement until passage of the Kefauver-Harris amendment in 1962. Approval of the first AOM, desoxyephedrine, in 1947 led to the development of a number of amphetamine derivatives for weight loss that have all since been removed from the market due to this amendment. A comprehensive narrative of the history of AOMs covers the development of pharmacotherapy and the FDA’s role in regulation.
Only two AOMs have been removed from the market in recent history. The administration of sibutramine to individuals at high risk of CVD in the SCOUT trial was widely criticized by the medical community as it did not reflect real-life clinical practice; subgroup analysis of patients with T2D without CVD in SCOUT actually showed no increase in CVD events and a decrease in mortality with sibutramine compared to placebo. The voluntary recall of lorcaserin in 2020 occurred among significant confusion, as long-term data from the CAMELLIA-TIMI 61 trial did not demonstrate an imbalance in adverse events between treatment groups. The FDA has clarified their findings that led to this withdrawal recommendation. When all post-randomization adverse events were considered, not just those that occurred “on treatment” (i.e., those that occurred within 30 days of drug discontinuation) as analyzed in CAMELLIA-TIMI 61, even though similar numbers of patients experienced cancers (n=462 out of 6000 on lorcaserin and n=423 out of 6000 on placebo), a greater number of participants who received lorcaserin compared to placebo were reported with multiple primary cancers (n=20 vs. 8), total cancers (n=520 vs. 470), metastases (n=34 vs. 19), and cancer deaths (n=52 vs. 33). The latency period to reach significance for differences in all cancers between the treatment groups was a little over 2 years, and although the overall cancer rates were low, the FDA felt that benefits of lorcaserin could not yet be judged to outweigh this adverse risk.
FDA-Approved Medications for Weight Management
Today, nine FDA-approved AOMs remain on the market, with six approved for long-term weight loss, of which one is indicated for specific monogenic obesity mutations, and one “device” that functions as a medication.
Phentermine and Diethylpropion
Phentermine (trade name Adipex) was among the first FDA-approved short-term medications for weight loss and remains available today. Phentermine is a sympathomimetic anorexigenic agent. A study from 1968 is the only longer-term controlled trial of phentermine. In this 36-week study, 64 patients were randomized to placebo, phentermine 30 mg daily, or intermittent phentermine 30 mg daily (4 weeks on, 4 weeks off). Both phentermine groups lost approximately 13% of their initial weight, while the placebo group lost only 5%. As discussed below, phentermine in combination with topiramate has been approved for long-term use.
Diethylpropion (trade name Tenuate), another sympathomimetic and derivative of bupropion, is also an approved short-term drug for treating obesity. It acts through modulation of norepinephrine action. A 6-month double-blinded placebo-controlled RCT followed by an open-label 6-month extension in 69 adults with obesity demonstrated diethylpropion 50 mg twice a day resulted in average weight loss of 9.8% at 6 months vs. 3.2% with placebo.
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Phentermine’s and diethylpropion’s main side effects are related to their sympathomimetic properties, including elevation in blood pressure and pulse, insomnia, constipation, and dry mouth. Sympathomimetic agents are contraindicated in individuals with uncontrolled hypertension, known CVD (e.g., coronary artery disease, stroke, arrhythmias, congestive heart failure), hyperthyroidism, glaucoma, or exposure to monoamine oxidase inhibitors during or within 14 days of administration. Caution should be used in patients with pulmonary hypertension.
Orlistat
Orlistat (trade name Xenical) is approved for adult and adolescent obesity (ages 12 to 16). It promotes weight loss by inhibiting gastrointestinal lipases, thereby decreasing the absorption of fat from the gastrointestinal tract. On average, 120 mg of orlistat taken three times per day will decrease fat absorption by 30%. Orlistat has been found to be more effective in inhibiting the digestion of fat in solid foods, as opposed to liquids. Orlistat at a lower dose of 60 mg 3 times daily (trade name Alli) is approved for over-the-counter use in the United States.
Several trials support orlistat’s efficacy for weight loss and maintenance. Rossner et al. found that subjects receiving orlistat lost significantly more weight in the first year of treatment, and fewer regained weight during the second year of treatment, than those taking placebo. Subjects taking orlistat had significantly lower serum levels of vitamins D, E, and B-carotene. However, these nutritional deficiencies are easily treated with oral multivitamin supplementation. Trials in Europe demonstrated similar results over a two-year period. Subjects in the orlistat group lost significantly more weight in the first year (10.2 vs. 6.1%) and regained half as much weight during the second year of treatment, as compared to the placebo group.
The gastrointestinal side effects of orlistat, including fatty/oily stool, fecal urgency, oily spotting, increased defecation, fecal incontinence, flatus with discharge, and oily evacuation, are the main reasons for discontinuation of therapy. These symptoms are usually mild to moderate and decrease in frequency the longer the medication is continued. Administration of orlistat with psyllium mucilloid reduced the incidence of GI side effects to 29% with psyllium vs. 71% without psyllium. Orlistat may reduce the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, which can be mitigated with separate administration of vitamin supplementation.
Phentermine/Topiramate
The controlled-release, single-tablet combination phentermine plus topiramate (trade name Qsymia) was approved by the FDA in 2012 as a long-term treatment for obesity for adults with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 or BMI ≥27 kg/m2 with at least one weight-related comorbidity. Phentermine is thought to promote weight loss by increasing norepinephrine release and decreasing its uptake in hypothalamic nuclei, leading to a decrease in food intake. It also acts as an adrenergic agonist that activates the sympathetic nervous system to possibly increase energy expenditure.
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Carson-New Weigh Weight Loss: Services and Expertise
Carson-New Weigh Weight Loss LLC is a trusted weight loss center in White House, TN, offering personalized and effective medical weight loss programs. With a team of knowledgeable experts, they analyze each individual's body and create customized plans that include healthy eating, exercise, and medications to ensure the best results. Their goal is to help clients achieve their weight loss goals by providing expert guidance, individualized plans, and a range of services and products. Carson-New Weigh Weight Loss LLC is dedicated to helping individuals achieve their weight loss goals through personalized programs that focus on nutrition, exercise, and medical interventions. With a team of experienced professionals, they offer customized plans that include medications, supplements, and expert guidance to ensure the best results for each client.
Individualized Plans
The team at Carson-New Weigh works with clients to create custom programs consisting of medications/supplements that will meet their specific needs and goals. They provide clients with an understanding of their weight loss plan and answers to all their questions.
Testimonials
Carson-New Weigh Weight Loss has received positive feedback from clients, including:
- Nikia Williams: "Brandy is amazing she works with you one on one and is always there if you have questions or need help. You can't ask for a better place to go to start getting back in shape!!!"
- Melinda Zimmerlee: "Wonderful clinic. This clinic provides great information regarding nutrition and other things to help. Highly recommend."
- Jaime Weatherford: "Great people! I have recommended many of my friends and family to Carson Weight Clinic."
- Tamela Woodard: "I love that I can get in, get out, and not waste my time sitting in a waiting room forever. I lost 60lbs on phentermine and have kept it off. It works if you work it! I've read that it works for a lot of people when you take it with a meal…not for me. It works ALL DAY for me if I take it with a full glass of water when I get up in the morning, then wait until at least two hours before eating. However, you take it, trust me, this stuff is amazing…"
- Mary Coon: "Brandy is a very good listener and is very compassionate!"
- Dana Frazier: "Great bedside manners and a fabulous person!!"
- Amy Senft: "Always so friendly and very respectful. Always feel like Im leaving my friends house when I leave."
Services and Products
Carson-New Weigh Weight Loss offers a range of services and products, including medical weight loss, phentermine, Topamax, B12, and fat burners.
Locations and Hours
Carson-New Weigh Weight Loss has two locations:
Portland location: 307 Reed St. Portland, TN 37148
- Tuesdays 1:30-5 pm
- Thursdays 10-5:30 pm
- 1st Saturday 9-12 pm
White House location: 491 Sage Rd Ste 600 White House, TN 37188
- Tuesdays 9-12 pm
- Wednesdays 9-5 pm
- Fridays 8-2pm
- 1st Saturday 1-4 pm
New patients are required to be in the office at least 30 minutes before closing.
Kelly Clarkson's Weight Loss Journey: A Holistic Approach
When it comes to Kelly Clarkson's weight loss journey, the singer has been open with fans about how she's changed her lifestyle in recent years. Some of the ways she's lost weight include walking, eating more protein, and medication to help with how her body processes food.
Clarkson started some of these changes to her diet and exercise routines when she moved to New York City, where she hosts "The Kelly Clarkson Show." She shared in an interview that she has a much more active day-to-day living in the city, which has helped with her weight loss. Around the same time, she also started trying out a high-protein diet, which can help with weight loss by keeping you feeling more full and satisfied.
And the original "American Idol" made headlines in May 2024 when she revealed that she was taking a medication to assist in her weight loss. She explained that she'd had concerns about using such a drug due to problems with her thyroid but eventually decided to try it. She broke the news on her talk show.
During a performance in May 2025, Clarkson revealed she likes that people are noticing the change in her appearance.
Medication and Lifestyle Changes
Clarkson did not specify what weight-loss medication she is taking beyond that it is not Ozempic. She confirmed the rumors during a May episode of "The Kelly Clarkson Show" when chatting with Whoopi Goldberg, who’s also been open about using Mounjaro, another weight-loss drug.
While the “American Idol” winner was initially unsure about trying medication to lose weight, she said she decided to “because my blood work got so bad."
“My doctor chased me for like two years, and I was like, ‘No I’m afraid of it, I already have thyroid problems,’” she explained.
“Everyone thinks it’s Ozempic - it’s not. It’s something else,” she told Goldberg. “But it’s something that aids in helping break down the sugar. Obviously my body doesn’t do it right.”
She added that she didn’t notice how much weight she’d gained prior to starting the medication. But catching a glimpse of herself on camera one day prompted her to pause and ask herself “Who the f--k is that?” she recalled.
"My heaviest, I was like 203, and I’m 5 foot 3 and a half," Clarkson continued. "It’s funny because people assume, ‘Oh she must’ve been miserable, depressed, whatever,’ and I was like, ‘No I was not.'" “I was never insecure about it, I was happy,” she added.
In addition to taking a weight-loss drug, Clarkson has made lifestyle changes for her long-term health.
In January 2024, she credited her move to New York City for helping her get active. In an exclusive interview with People, she revealed that she's lost weight because she's now taking her wellness seriously and walking more. She did not address her gym routine but said, “Walking in the city is quite the workout." Clarkson chose to relocate her talk show to New York from Los Angeles in 2023. “I was very unhappy in L.A. and had been for several years. I needed a fresh start,” Clarkson told People. California, she said, wasn't good for her mental health. In New York, she adopted a few other wellness trends, too. "I’m really into infrared saunas right now. And I just got a cold plunge because everybody wore me down," the "Piece By Piece" singer added.
As for her diet, Clarkson isn't doing anything extreme. “I eat a healthy mix,” she told People. “I dropped weight because I’ve been listening to my doctor - a couple (of) years I didn’t. And 90% of the time I’m really good at it because a protein diet is good for me anyway. I’m a Texas girl, so I like meat - sorry, vegetarians in the world!" “But I still splurge. The other night I had a frozen yogurt with my daughter, and it was magical," added the Grammy winner, who shares daughter River Rose, 10, and son Remington, 8, with ex-husband Brandon Blackstock.
Clarkson's Thyroid and Other Health Issues
Clarkson has spoken before about her thyroid and autoimmune issues and trying to lose weight to address them.
For example, she changed her diet and ended up losing about 37 pounds, she told TODAY’s Hoda Kotb in 2018. “I know the industry loves the weight gone, but for me, it wasn’t really the weight,” Clarkson said at the time.
Back then, to lose the weight, Clarkson focused on a lectin-free diet, she told Extra. Lectins are the proteins that bind carbohydrates. Clarkson read a book about lectins and cut them out of her diet which meant no legumes, beans, whole grains, dairy and certain veggies. "I literally read this book, and I did it for this autoimmune disease that I had and I had a thyroid issue, and now all my levels are back up," she said during the interview. "Literally, I haven’t worked out at all."
During a January 2024 episode of her talk show, she revealed she was prediabetic. “I wasn’t shocked,” Clarkson said. “I was a tiny bit overweight. … They were like, ‘You’re prediabetic. You’re right on the borderline.’ And I was like, ‘But I’m not there yet.’”
Two years after finding out, she decided to change her lifestyle habits.
Having prediabetes means your blood sugar levels are higher than normal but still lower than the range for Type 2 diabetes, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Exercise and a healthy diet can help reduce the risk of it progressing.
Clarkson’s Weight Struggles
Throughout her years in Hollywood, the "American Idol" star has had to deal with a lot of commentary about her size. She told Glamour UK in 2020 that being thin doesn't always give her more confidence, adding that she got her coaching role on "The Voice" after gaining some weight.
“I got on the No. 1 television show at my heaviest point, because it was right after I had kids, and it was like they didn’t care,” Clarkson said. “Paul (Telegdy, chairman of NBC Entertainment) hired me from NBC because he loved my personality, he loved that I connect with people and I’m really raw and real. It had nothing to do with my sex appeal or my look aesthetically. It had to do with me as a person. I think it’s really up to artists to force people to have that mentality.”