Losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be a challenging journey. Fortunately, North Carolina offers a variety of resources to support individuals in achieving their weight loss goals. This article provides an overview of some of the leading weight management programs and resources available in the state, including those offered by Duke Health and UNC Hospitals.
Duke Lifestyle and Weight Management Center
The Duke Lifestyle and Weight Management Center has been dedicated to helping people achieve a life of health and wellness for over 50 years. Their team of experts focuses on helping individuals change their eating habits, adopt healthy lifestyle practices, lose weight, and maintain their weight loss.
Comprehensive Approach
Duke weight management specialists counsel and oversee medical weight loss treatments. The center’s approach includes:
- Comprehensive Consultation and Ongoing Medical Weight Loss Management: Initially, patients meet with a weight management specialist for a thorough evaluation. This includes a discussion about medical history as it relates to weight, eating and activity habits, and any weight-related behavioral issues.
- Exams and Tests: Patients undergo baseline and periodic physical examinations and testing to assess weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose levels, among others.
- Nutrition Consultation: Registered dietitians/nutritionists conduct nutrition assessments and create personalized plans that address weight and health goals. They assist with creating nutrition plans and setting lifestyle goals to help patients adopt healthier eating habits.
- Emotional Wellness: Recognizing the importance of mental health in achieving weight and health goals, the center offers behavioral health counseling. This helps individuals identify behaviors and emotions that prevent successful weight loss, such as binge eating, emotional and mindless eating, self-image concerns, anxiety, and life stress.
- Complementary Treatments: Patients can participate in programs, workshops, and classes through the Duke Integrative Medicine Center or the Duke Health and Fitness Center. The team includes experts who lead one-on-one sessions to facilitate weight loss, offered both in person and through telehealth.
Additional Resources at Duke Health
The Duke Health & Fitness Center provides access to fitness and wellness classes, exercise equipment, a pool, and a sauna. Personal training, nutritional consultations, massage therapy, and medically-based exercise programs are also available. Membership is open to the public.
Insurance and Accessibility
Duke Health contracts with most major health insurance carriers and transplant networks. It is strongly recommended to contact your insurance company before scheduling an appointment to verify that the Duke Health location or provider is included in your network and to understand any co-payments, co-insurances, or deductibles that may apply.
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The Duke Lifestyle and Weight Management Center is accessible via GoDurham bus routes 6 and 11A/11B and GoTriangle bus routes 400 and 405. The closest bus stops are Douglas St at Pratt St and Erwin Rd at Downing St. Duke Transit also provides free bus service to the Duke University Medical Center campus for students, employees, patients, and visitors.
UNC Hospitals' Weight Management Program
The UNC Hospitals' Weight Management Program (WMP) partners with individuals to find ways to achieve long-term weight loss, lead healthier lives, and maximize well-being. The program offers intensive individual and/or group counseling on a variety of topics related to diet, physical activity, strategies for weight loss, and stress management.
Personalized Weight Loss Plans
UNC helps clients identify realistic weight loss goals and develop individualized weight loss plans, which may include a recommendation for medication or referrals to specialists such as dietitians or bariatric surgeons for further assistance as needed.
UNC-MWP at Eastowne
The UNC Hospitals' Weight Program (UNC-MWP) at Eastowne is a multidisciplinary program designed for patients with serious medical illnesses in addition to obesity. Highly trained clinicians conduct comprehensive initial evaluations and discuss a broad range of personalized treatments, from targeted lifestyle-based counseling to weight loss surgery referral. They specialize in long-term treatment strategies using obesity medications with lifestyle changes and limited duration very low-calorie programs (Optifast). This program works closely with other weight management services at UNC and specializes in the management of treatment failures.
UNC Bariatric Surgery Program
The UNC Bariatric Surgery Program is a multidisciplinary team designed for patients interested in undergoing weight loss surgery. It is an accredited American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Center of Excellence, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Distinction Center. The team includes surgeons, nurses, dieticians, mental health providers, and physician extenders. They are experts in minimally invasive, robotic, and open approaches.
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UNC Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG) Program
The UNC Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG) Program provides a non-surgical FDA-approved weight loss procedure for patients. It is performed using a small suturing device and camera that is passed down the patient’s esophagus into the stomach. ESG reduces the size of the stomach by up to 80%, helping patients eat less, feel full faster, and stay full longer, resulting in fast, safe, and durable weight loss. The program works closely with other disciplines (psychologists, dieticians, etc.) to ensure optimal results for their patients.
Additional Resources and Programs
Beyond the specialized programs offered by Duke and UNC, several other resources are available in North Carolina to support weight loss and healthy living.
Aetna Resources
Aetna offers a range of resources for its members, including:
- Aetna® Lifestyle and Condition Coaching: Adult and child (age 6+) nutrition and weight management services are included under the Affordable Care Act’s preventive services, meaning they are covered at 100% for members on the Base PPO Plan (70/30) and Enhanced PPO Plan (80/20). FDA-approved weight management medications and bariatric surgery are covered benefits for eligible members whose primary health coverage is through the State Health Plan.
- 24-Hour Nurse Line: Aetna offers a 24-Hour Nurse Line for all members, providing access to health advice and support anytime.
- LifeMart Program: Aetna’s LifeMart Program offers a variety of discounts. Members can register by visiting Aetna’s member portal or downloading the Aetna app.
Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less
The Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less program includes 15 weekly online sessions delivered by a live Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Each session empowers participants to make healthy lifestyle changes to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. This program is available for all members on the Base PPO Plan (70/30) and Enhanced PPO Plan (80/20).
State Health Plan active members can participate at no cost by entering the coupon/voucher code GNC2025 during registration. Each weekly session is covered at 100% as a telehealth group nutritional counseling visit. To get started, visit www.esmmweighless.com and click “Register Now,” then select “I received a code from my employer” and follow the prompts.
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Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less 2 is a 12-week program intended for those who have completed the Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less program. Classes are held online with a live instructor and are accessible on a computer or mobile device. Lesson topics go more in depth and include Choose Healthy Fats, Manage Stress, Control Sugar, and more. Active State Health Plan members are eligible to participate at no cost with the code GNC22025. Retirees on the Base PPO Plan (70/30) and Enhanced PPO Plan (80/20) may also participate at the fully covered cost, as long as the State Health Plan is their primary coverage.
The Importance of Organ Donation
While focusing on weight loss and healthy living, it's important to consider other aspects of health and well-being. More than 100,000 people are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant, including more than 3,000 North Carolinians. Registering your decision to be an organ donor in the National Donate Life Registry ensures your donor registration travels with you, no matter where you live or move across the country.