If you’re thinking about trying a GLP-1, it’s crucial to first schedule a visit with an obesity medicine specialist. They’re the experts in weight-management treatments, and their job is to get to know you, your overall health, and your individual needs to help you reach your goal weight.
That includes performing a baseline evaluation, talking through the benefits and drawbacks of taking a GLP-1, and arming you with information and support that will set you up for success.
“Our baseline health evaluation is extremely comprehensive,” says Katherine Saunders, MD, an obesity medicine specialist with FlyteHealth and Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. “I explain to my patients that it’s like establishing a relationship with a new primary care provider with extra emphasis on everything related to weight and weight-related health complications.”
Dr. Saunders notes that FlyteHealth won’t prescribe anti-obesity medications without a large panel of labs, a series of health questionnaires, and a one-hour initial visit.
You’re unlikely to get this level of care from med spas, online weight loss programs, or compounding pharmacies, which often bill themselves as a quick and easy way to access GLP-1s without the hassle of an office visit.
Saunders warns if a provider offers GLP-1s without a comprehensive checkup and counseling, you should steer clear.
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