Hm. Let me ask you some questions:
1) Is this a 'chain' of clinics/storefronts run by one doctor (who might or might not be an MD)?
2) Are they pushing drugs such as phentermine, Meridia or Xenical? (which have limited - if any - success - for the price you pay - I know of no one who has had any sort of permanent weight loss from using these drugs).
2a) Are they pushing vitamins? Vitamin shots? "Herbal" fat burners? Fiber cookies? All this stuff that is usually sold by these places is generally WAY, WAY overpriced. Vitamin shots are no better than oral vitamins (which you can buy at the store for way cheaper anyway).
3) How much is this going to cost you? Are they upfront with the cost of the program? can you REALLY afford it?
4) Success - have you personally met anyone who has done this program and had success with it? These places always have a bunch of "before and after" photos to show during the initial sales pitch (a.k.a. 'the free consultation') but what about maintenance? can they give you references to people who have done the program, gotten to their goal weight, and MAINTAINED that weight for 6 months or more?
Before you sign up (I know - they might advertise as 'medical clinics' but bottom line it's sales, sales, sales, just like Jenny Craig - the only difference is that these places can prescribe diet drugs - which DON'T WORK and are dangerous as well) and hand your credit card over to them, take a deeep breath and do a bit of research. A good book to start with would be "Losing It" by Laura Fraser - one of the chapters is about these kind of 'medical weight loss clinics'. Check it out, take care and BE AWARE!
PS - also, a visit to YOUR OWN doctor might be in order before signing on the dotted line...
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Medical Weight Loss??
