Medically Supervised Diet Program

Patients are interested in weight loss for a variety of reasons. The New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery has partnered with the Covenant Hospital System to develop the “Covenant Weight Management Center (CWMC).” The CWMC is a “one stop shop” for anyone with a need of weight loss whether it is 30 pounds or 500 pounds! Patients that are not candidates for Weight Loss Surgery may enroll in a Medically Supervised Diet (MSD) program which was developed under the guidance of Dr. Stephen Boyce the Medical Director of the CWMC.

CWMC offers a comprehensive Non-Surgical MSD program and a Pre-Surgical MSD program for New Life Center patients that are required to have a period of MSD for insurance approval. The CWMC staff includes a Nurse Practitioner, Registered Dietician and an Exercise Physiologist all located in the New Life Center Suite. CWMC offers individualized evaluation, class room setting education and special events such as cooking classes and educational shopping trips to the grocery store.

A medically supervised diet program includes:

• Behavioral Modification
• Exercise
• Medications to control appetite or reduce fat absorption
• A very low calorie formula diet

Our medically supervised diet is ideal for people who are mildly overweight to morbidly obese. The program is structured on a daily intake of 800 or more calories, depending on the individual, using a combination of supplements and foods.

The program is divided into two integrated phases: weight reduction and weight maintenance. Participants receive nutritional food supplements, meal plans and educational materials that emphasize healthy eating, portion control, exercise and behavior modification.

Participants typically lose two to three pounds per week. Health benefits typically include lower blood pressure, lower blood-sugar levels in Type 2 diabetes, lower serum cholesterol, and reduced pain in weight-bearing joints.