Maimonides Health opened its new Weight Management Center in January, creating a new center for Brooklynites seeking help with obesity and weight loss. As one of the most comprehensive weight management centers in Brooklyn, it brings an award-winning multidisciplinary team of doctors, surgeons, and nutritionists together to guide patients through the many options available for safe, medically supervised weight loss and maintenance.
Obesity is on the rise in New York and across the country. From 1997 to 2022, the percentage of New York State adults who have obesity increased from 16% to 30.1% (1). In 2023, the CDC found that across 23 states, more than 35% of adults are living with obesity. No state had an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35% just ten years prior(2). Currently, the prevalence of obesity among American adults is 40.3% (3).
With this epidemic only rising, mitigation and prevention at the public health level is complex. Often, obesity is directly linked to environmental and socioeconomic factors like availability and affordability of healthy food, opportunity for safe and accessible physical activity, and access to healthcare and health education. Obesity-related diseases and co-morbidities include type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, stroke, sleep apnea, arthritis, and some cancers. Weight loss at any age reduces risk in these areas and is also associated with reduced symptoms of depression.
At the Weight Management Center, our team meets patients where they are, giving them the dedicated, judgment-free support they need to focus on their health. Available treatments include obesity medications, such as GLP-1s recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, health behavior and lifestyle interventions, and surgical procedures.
“At a time when almost 50% of the US population is projected to be diagnosed with obesity by 2030, there have never been more ways of successfully addressing it — whether through lifestyle changes, medication, or surgical intervention,” said Matthew A. Weissman, MD, MBA, FAAP, Chair of the Department of Medicine at Maimonides Medical Center.“Maimonides has made it easier than ever for Brooklynites to find the help they need.”
Surgical Interventions
Research has shown that modern bariatric procedures have strong evidence of efficacy and safety. All patients with severe obesity – and especially those with type 2 diabetes – should be engaged in a shared decision-making conversation about the risks and benefits of surgery compared with continuing usual medical and lifestyle interventions, and the decision about surgery should be driven primarily by informed patient preferences (4).
“Bariatric surgery is so safe and so effective. These operations have become as safe as having your appendix or gallbladder removed. It’s more dangerous to live with obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes,” said Alexander Abdurakhmanov, MD, Director of Bariatric Surgery at Maimonides. “Our patients are thrilled with their results, and they always say they wish they had it done sooner. At Maimonides Weight Management Center, we’ve been recognized for having exceptional surgical outcomes by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), and we’ve been a Comprehensive Center for more than 10 years.”
Newsweek named Maimonides Medical Center one of the Best Weight Loss Centers of 2024. Additionally, Maimonides has been recognized as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Our surgeons are experts in bariatric surgery, with extensive training in minimally invasive laparoscopic and robotic techniques that allow for safer procedures and quick recovery. Our surgical teams also recognize the unique needs of their patients, with nursing staff and anesthesiologists specially trained in caring for people who are living with obesity.
Lifestyle Interventions
Comprehensive lifestyle modifications – including diet, physical activity, sleep hygiene techniques, stress management, and behavioral therapy – have been shown to help patients with obesity live healthier lives (5).
Without additional intervention, lifestyle modification participants typically regain one-third of their lost weight in the year following treatment, with continued weight gain thereafter. Factors including individuals’ renewed vulnerability, in the absence of support, can contribute to weight gain. Additionally, people often must work just as hard to maintain their weight loss as they did to achieve it; most research participants reported that maintaining a weight loss is far less rewarding than losing weight. Having the support of the Maimonides Weight Management Center can help patients to be healthy long-term and avoid these common setbacks.
Studies have shown that the most successful intensive lifestyle interventions for obesity are highly individualized, which is an important aspect of care that the Weight Management Center provides. For lifestyle modification approaches topersist in the long term, individual responsibility for behavior change must be joined with collective and institutional responsibility to create a food and activity environment that supports healthier choices. Even after their primary phase of weight loss, Maimonides patients have access to post-operative support groups and other resources designed for long-term success.
“No one has to manage their weight alone. Whether you have serious health concerns and want a professional opinion, or if you just want some support on lifestyle changes, we have multiple options for your weight management needs,” says Nina Paddu, DO, Maimonides primary care physician and fellowship-trained obesity medicine specialist. “There is support and solutions that will fit every patient’s needs.”
For patients who have long struggled with obesity and don’t see improvement from the advice of primary care providers, or those who are struggling to manage obesity-linked conditions like sleep apnea, diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease, and more, comprehensive weight management could be the missing link in their care. Healthy, safe weight loss and management is possible, and our care teams at Maimonides are helping more Brooklynites reach the level of wellbeing they’re striving for.
For more information on the Weight Management Center, visit https://maimo.org/treatments-care/maimonides-weight-management-center/. For questions and to refer patients, call 718-283-MWMC (6962).
- https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/obesity/#:~:text=Obesity%20Prevalence&text=The%20percentage%20of%20New%20York%20State%20adults%20who%20have%20obesity,high%20school%20degree%20or%20equivalent.
- https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p0912-adult-obesity.html#:~:text=New%20CDC%20population%20data%20from%202023%20show%20that,in%20each%20U.S.%20state%20is%20living%20with%20obesity.
- https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db508.htm
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2770015
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7027681/
