Obesity is a chronic disease characterized by excess body fat that can significantly reduce life expectancy. Four of the ten leading causes of death in the United States are related to obesity, including coronary artery disease, type II diabetes, stroke, and some cancers. If you're struggling with weight management and related health conditions, Cone Health offers a comprehensive program tailored to your individual needs. This article will explore the various aspects of the Cone Health weight loss program, including eligibility, program components, surgical options, and financial considerations.
Is the Cone Health Healthy Weight and Wellness Program Right for You?
The Cone Health Healthy Weight & Wellness Program at Greensboro provides a supportive environment to help patients improve their overall health. To join, adults must have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher. Pediatric patients, those 19 and under, must fall in the 85th percentile. BMI helps determine if your weight might affect your health, and a BMI of 30 or more can indicate a risk for problems like diabetes or heart disease. If you qualify, call (336) 832-3110 to make an appointment, either directly or via referral, keeping in mind that walk-in or same-day appointments are not available. New patients should arrive 45 minutes early for their first appointment, while follow-up appointments require a 15-minute early arrival.
Understanding the Cone Health Approach to Weight Loss
When you have a lot of weight to lose, the weight-loss experts at Cone Health can provide the support you need. Your Cone Health medical weight-loss team understands and targets a wide range of factors that contribute to excess weight, including genetics, biology, medical issues, environment, and behavior. The program is designed to help you manage your weight and any related health conditions with a comprehensive, personalized plan.
You'll work with medical professionals dedicated to helping you achieve your goals. Cone Health emphasizes coordinated care, ensuring your primary care provider is informed about your progress and treatment plan. In most cases, office visits are covered by insurance, with patients responsible for any co-pays at their plan’s rate for primary care visits. A one-time program fee may also apply.
Key Components of the Healthy Weight & Wellness Program
The Cone Health program emphasizes several key areas to support sustainable weight loss:
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Nutrition
Nutrition is considered the first step to losing weight. The program encourages participants to:
- Take note of the feelings and circumstances behind your food choices.
- Pick your favorite foods from each of these categories: whole-grains, proteins, fruits, and vegetables.
Exercise
The program recommends:
- Aiming for two and a half to five hours of moderate to vigorous exercise each week.
Stress Management
When the body experiences stress, it releases hormones like cortisol, which impacts how the body uses sugar and regulates blood sugar levels. Managing stress is crucial for healthy weight loss.
Sustainable Weight Loss
Healthy, sustainable weight loss does not happen quickly. At most, expect one to two pounds difference per week. Think marathon, not sprint.
Bariatric Surgery at Cone Health: A Path to Significant Weight Loss
For individuals who meet specific criteria, bariatric surgery may be an option. Together with surgical partners, Cone Health has helped thousands of North Carolinians lose excess weight and improve their health. Bariatric surgery changes the size and shape of your stomach and may reduce the length of your small intestine to limit the amount of food you can eat or absorb.
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Types of Bariatric Surgery Offered
Cone Health offers several types of bariatric surgery, including:
Gastric Sleeve Surgery: This relatively new procedure involves the permanent removal of 75 to 85 percent of the stomach, leaving a small cylinder that restricts the amount of food that can be eaten. Removal of a large portion of the stomach may affect hunger by changing stomach hormones and by causing food to reach the last loop of the small intestine more quickly, where signals of hunger are mediated.
Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB): Considered the “gold standard” in weight loss surgery, the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass is the most common bariatric surgery procedure performed in the United States. Long-term studies demonstrate substantial sustained weight loss after the Roux-en-Y procedure. The surgeon applies staples across the stomach to create a small pouch at the top of the stomach to receive food. A segment of the small intestine is attached to the pouch, so that food bypasses the rest of the stomach as well as the first part of the small intestine. This decreases the amount of calories you absorb. Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass results average about 60 percent loss of excess body weight.
Lap-Band®: This method involves the placement of an inflatable, adjustable silicone band around the upper part of the stomach to create a small pouch that can hold only a small amount of food. The lower, larger part of the stomach is below the band. The amount of restriction is controlled by adding or removing saline from the band. Food will pass from the upper stomach pouch to the lower part more slowly, causing you to feel “full” longer. Lap-Band® procedures are minimally invasive, so patients experience reduced surgical trauma, less pain and minimal scarring, as well as a shorter recovery time.
Minimally Invasive Techniques
Whenever possible, your bariatric surgeon will perform your bariatric surgery using laparoscopic, or minimally invasive, techniques.
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Taking the First Steps Towards Bariatric Surgery
To start the process, you can register for an in-person or online weight loss seminar.
Criteria for Bariatric Surgery Consideration
Take control of your weight - and your well-being - with weight loss surgery at Cone Health. Generally, candidates should:
- Have a BMI more than 40.
- Have a BMI more than 35 with obesity-related health problems.
- People with a BMI more than 60 may also be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Be between the ages of 18 and 65 years of age.
It's important to understand that bariatric surgery is a serious undertaking. Anyone considering this type of operation should understand that the surgery will require that you consume fewer calories, and you must commit to permanent lifestyle changes in order to get maximum benefit from the procedure. Your health insurance company may have additional criteria or exceptions for weight loss surgery. You can expect to lose 40 to 65 percent of your excess weight after bariatric surgery.
Financial Considerations for Bariatric Surgery
Cone Health aims to make surgical weight loss as convenient as possible for its patients. The costs and insurance guidelines are designed to provide clarity and support.
It is essential to contact your insurance carrier to ask about coverage for bariatric surgery and the co-pay amounts you’ll be responsible for. Your co-pay, coinsurance, and deductible, if applicable, must be paid two weeks prior to surgery. If your actual charges exceed this amount, you will be billed for the balance after surgery. If your actual charges are less than the estimated amount, you will receive a refund. All your Cone Health accounts must be paid in full before your surgery.
Additional Weight Loss Support at Cone Health
Weight Watchers (WW)
Cone Health offers Weight Watchers (WW) to employees, providing in-person and virtual weight-loss support from a WeightWatchers Coach and other members. WW Workshops will be exclusively held virtually and in-person at WW Studios. Learn more about Weight Watchers and enroll by going to ww.com/us/ConeHealth.
Nutrition and Diabetes Education Services
All Cone Health employees, regardless of insurance coverage, have access to up to three (3) visits with a Cone Health Registered Dietitian through a Cone Health Nutrition and Diabetes Education Services Center. If you have any comorbidities, a physician referral is needed.
Classes by Healthy Weight Specialists
A series of classes are offered by Cone Health healthy weight specialists to help you reach your goals. Registered Dietitians/Nurses and Certified Diabetes Educators are on staff.
A Patient Success Story: Lisa McMahon
Back in 2016, Lisa McMahon (then 51) attended a Cone Health bariatric surgery conference to support a friend who was considering weight loss surgery. Ironically, Ms. McMahon’s friend ultimately opted not to have bariatric surgery… but Ms. McMahon did. Ms. McMahon shared, “I’ve had weight issues since I was in fourth grade. If you can think of a weight loss program or diet - I’ve tried it."
In October of 2016, Ms. McMahon underwent bariatric surgery at Cone Health. “Before I had the surgery, there was always this little voice inside my head saying, ‘What do you want to eat now?’ and, ‘Aren’t you ready to eat again?’” she said. “But after the surgery, that voice was gone completely."
The procedure changed the way she thought about food and herself. Prior to her surgery at Cone Health, Ms. McMahon struggled with her weight for decades. “I lost 50 pounds quickly - in about three months - and then the rest came off over the course of that next year,” she said. “Since I lost all the weight, I’ve never been more than about 10 pounds over where I was."
Ms. McMahon, who is a nurse at Cone Health, said her experience on the patient side of things within the weight loss surgery department was incredible. “I would absolutely recommend Cone Health to anyone considering weight loss surgery,” she said.