What's Wrong with This Picture?
Many of today's adults grew up surrounded by seductive, larger-than-life advertising images of food: sweet, fatty, and happily consumed by slender, attractive people ... who appear to little else - without gaining a pound!
What a wrong-headed, misleading message! Perhaps the government should force those advertisers to show images of the same people - later in life - as they suffer in coronary and other hospital wards!
Until recent years businesses weren't even required to accurately label their products' nutritional values, so that consumers had little more than a promise regarding what they were putting in their bodies.
The good news is that today the system has improved, with almost universal nutrition labeling and programs like Nu-Living actively promoting nutrition awareness and healthy lifestyles through weight management.
Treatment Themes and Objectives
For all patients, the primary goal of treatment is Reduced Health Risk. This typically consists of Identifying Health Risk Factors, communicating them to my patients, and then implementing a program to improve health through proper nutrition and lifestyle modification
However, I believe each individual has a unique pathway to reach that goal, while employing and learning common skills, strategies, and themes necessary for improved nutrition and weight control. These include healthy eating, daily activity with regular exercise, behavior modification, and effective relapse management with coping skills. Rather than putting all the eggs in one basket (ie: "a diet program," or "an exercise program", etc.) Nu-Living combines these and other components to form a multifaceted wellness plan that recognizes individuality and treats the whole person.
One of the Nu-Living's most powerful themes is Education. Nu-Living teaches patients about the wide-ranging health consequences of overweight and obesity, and further, The program strives to help patients learn and apply key behaviors associated with successful long-term weight control and maintenance.
Concurrent with each program component - nutrition, fitness, behavior, lifestyle and pharmacology - patients have access to state-of-the-art knowledge and methodology, as well as supplemental materials. Rather than simply dole out medications, instructions, directions, etc., Nu-Living educates every step of the way, encourages patient participation with online lectures and reading materials, promotes doctor-patient interaction, discusses the experiences of others and stresses self-monitoring.
Assessing Individual Needs and Differences
Another of Nu-Living's guiding principals is patient individuality. Each patient is unique: a complex interaction of nature and nurture, physiology and psychology, hormonal and genetic influences. In the 21st century, medical science has accrued a powerful and diverse "arsenal" of knowledge and therapies with which to battle obesity on every level. Yet so many of today's faddish, diet and/or exercise programs continue to devise quick, mass-produced, "McDiet" solutions instead of tackling obesity where it lives - on an individual level - to facilitate lasting change. Based on a comprehensive individual assessment - including a complete physiological, psychological and genetic history - we can design most effective combination of therapies in a comprehensive treatment plan. We can provide lasting results, including the reduction of heath risk, increased wellness, vitality and quality of life.
History: details - Weight loss, nutrition, medications, allergies, past medical history, family medical history, social history and a review of any related symptoms will be taken into account when examining your history.
Exam: details - A variety of assessments will be performed, including: blood pressure, heart rate, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), body composition readiness scale, depression scale, cardiopulmonary, abdomen, musculoskeletal, appearance, skin and many others.
Lab Work: details - A variety of lab tests may also be ordered. Some may include: cholesterol, blood sugar, thyroid function, electrocardiogram, blood counts, adrenal function, insulin levels, renal function and liver function.
Getting Started with Nu-Living
Nu-Living Weight Management can improve your health, and your life, through safe, effective, medically-based weight loss and management. There's no better time than NOW to begin - when reducing your weight by as little as 10% to 15% can result in a significant reduction in the health risks associated with obesity. With Nu-Living Weight Management’s help, you can take back the control of your weight.
Your Nu-Living Team
The complex issues of overweight and obesity demand a rigorous, multi-faceted approach to treatment. Your bariatric program at Nu-Living Weight Management will be designed by Bariatrics Specialist Alan Terlinsky MD, and his experienced staff. Depending on your needs, your team may also include your family physician, dietitian, behavioral health specialist, pharmacist, surgeon and other healthcare professionals.
Patients first see Dr. Terlinsky for a complete initial history, physical, and referral to the Nu-Living Program. The in-depth bariatric assessment then procedes under the aegis of Nu-Living, to include comprehensive behavioral and nutritional histories, and interviews. Body mass index, body fat analysis, caloric needs, resting metabolic rate and other factors will be determined, and the data utilized to map the patients unique bariatric profile.This Profile provides Doctor Terlinsky with a precise template through which he can can augment the Nu-Living core program, and provide for patients' individual needs. The resulting personalized treatment strategy will be highly effective - in a program that is challenging, rewarding, and achievable!
The Crucial Ingredient: Quality Time
Your experience with doctor Terlinsky and the Nu-Living Program may seem unlike any of your previous medical encounters. In fact, we believe you will be pleasantly surprised.Most physicians "stack" their appointments in an effort to book every minute of each hour, then bounce between examination rooms, giving each patient just enough time to "treat" their problem. This approach is symptomatic of today's insurance dominated medical economics. Not surprisingly, it can only fail any attempt to address obesity, or any other chronic disorder requiring one-on-one physician interaction. Dr. Terlinsky books Nu-Living patients exclusively, to minimize distractions that could compromise his attention to the complex medical conditions of obesity.
Insurance companies are interested in treatments where there are specific beginnings and ends, specific drugs, specific surguries, tests, pills, shots. They can set a quantity limit: 3 shots. 1 pill. 1 surgury. Etc. It follows they are loathe to provide coverage for a program such as Nu-Living, where the doctor's time is the active ingredient, and must be liberally applied until the patient responds.
Nu-Living is the antithesis of today's superficial, managed care environment - that falls so terribly short of addressing America's epidemic of obesity. Nu-Living is the most powerful solution we can devise, however - and we have no interest in offering anything less.
During your program initialization, you spend several hours with the doctor to perform a detailed bariatric history, behavioral screening, and further testing. ( Lab work and EKG as usually included) During this relaxed interview the doctor discusses your symptoms, history, family, lifestyle, personal concerns and many other factors. This begins the educational process that will prove vital to understanding the unique patterns of your disorder, and mastering them for long term success.
In summary; quality time is an essential ingredient in your program's recipe for success. Another ingredient is an attitude of total commitment. The doctor demonstrates this attitude toward time - as much as needed - to diagnose, reach theraputic markers, and advance your treatment goals. If you, as patient, adopt a similar spirit, then we both should achieve well-earned success.
Nu-Living Core Program
Your initial evaluation and initialization sessions will set you on course with your foundation program's personalized diet, nutrition, exercise, behavioral and other theraputic goals. As your test and lab results come in, Dr. Terlinsky will work with you to set short and long term body weight goals. Meantime you will begin learning weight control concepts - and putting them into practice!
Short-term goals will be set as well as a six-month target, with an ultimate weight loss goal designed to produce a realistic body weight and therefore significant long-term reduction in health risk factors. Maintenance of weight loss will be anticipated because basic lifestyle change will have hopefully been achieved. Patients will be expected to have gained insight into the origins of their weight control problem and to have gained the skills to overcome the problem. Helpful books, publications, worksheets and study aids will be recommended and assigned for your use throughout the program.
Meal-Replacement Therapy
After years of study, Meal Replacements have proven to be one of the most effective and healthy weight control therapies. Replacements take the guesswork out of dieting while ensuring patients receive ample healthful nutrition. As substitutes, they remove the temptation of having conventional foods around the house, while providing a tangible reminder of the patient's program with every use. Diets will be designed - incorporating meal replacements - to produce a medically healthy and realistic rate of weekly weight loss; typically ranging from 1 to 4 pounds per week.
Program Duration
Program duration can vary from 3 months to 2 years; according to your needs and goals. After your program's treatment phase ends, your "program" should continue, because, to maintain lasting results, you need lasting change (in attitude, habits, and lifestyle). Patients will be encouraged to participate in an ongoing Maintenance Program to help guard against relapse.Throughout the duration of your treatment, frequent (bi-weekly) meetings with Dr. Terlinsky and the Nu-Living staff will monitor and chart your weight loss progress and make any necessary adjustments. In Nu-Living you will find a nurturing and supportive office atmosphere to help you achieve successful metabolic and nutritional health.
You've Accomplished the Most Important Step: Getting Here!
HOW TO ENROLL IN 3 STEPS
- Use the link below to submit your ONLINE registration form - then follow the "Nu-Living" link to "STEP 1 - QUIZZES & FORMS". Complete the 3 online questionnaires, and print out your program application forms. Call the office if you have a problem printing. You must bring the completed forms with you on your first appointment.
- After printing out your forms, follow the link (bottom of forms page) "STEP 2 - POLICIES & FEES". You must READ and AGREE to our Terms and Policies, before you can be enrolled.
- At the bottom of the policies page, follow the link: "STEP 3 - SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT." Use the Contact Form to schedule your appointment! Please note: you must complete the first two steps before you can schedule your appointment!
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