Chiropractic News
March 2008
Adding weight loss to your practice
Obesity is a major epidemic currently affecting millions of Americans. And, being overweight can have serious consequences and complications, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain cancers. For your patients, being overweight is also a risk and complicating factor for low-back syndromes, as well as sleep apnea, complicated pregnancy, gallbladder disease, and many other medical problems — not to mention the psychological toll that many overweight individuals face living in a world that puts a premium on thinness. As a chiropractic physician, you are an expert in preventive care, which puts you in an excellent position to offer weight-management services and obesity prevention as part of your practice. When you add these services, you will be performing a service for your community as well as adding to your practice’s bottom line. All weight-loss programs should include three important components:
1. Diet. You may use standardized diets with or without daily menus or create your own. Software is available to create custom diets for patients, complete with menus that include meals and snacks.
2. Exercise. If you are a proponent of “keep it simple,” you can provide handouts and recommendations for exercises, such as walking or using a stationary bike. On the other hand, if you prefer to provide more elaborate help to your patients, you may opt to have your own gym and trainer or develop an affiliation with a gym or trainer. Establishing a relationship with a gym or trainer is also an excellent way to develop a new source of referrals.
3. Follow-up, support, and counseling. Every successful weight-loss program includes some form of follow-up, support, and counseling to provide patients and staff a chance to track progress. It also provides patients an opportunity to discuss problems, such as boredom with the diet or medical complications.
You can offer a weekly weigh-in and counseling with an associate or staff member and then
conduct a monthly follow-up doctor visit for each patient in the program. In addition, you could offer a patient support group. The support you give your patients may be the most important component of the program. Weight loss is an accessible and affordable service countless people need with many of these patients continuing to use other services you offer or referring patients who need those services. Patients may also come for your services and enter a weight-loss program, or come for weight loss and use or refer to your other services. Only your imagination and creativity limit the possibilities.
Test your knowledge about adding a weight-loss program to your practice with this true or false quiz:
[ ] 1. A weight-loss program requires medical supervision.
[ ] 2. The exercise component is the most important part of a successful program.
[ ] 3. Weight reduction is too expensive to be considered an entry-level service.
[ ] 4. Practices have increased opportunities for profit in the weight-loss field.
Answer. No. 4 is the only one that is true. No. 1 is false because as a chiropractic physician you may supervise a program of exercise and nutrition for weight loss. Always check with your state board first, as scope of practice
rules vary.
No. 2 is false because support, follow-up, and counseling are the most important components and predictors of a successful outcome.
No. 3 is also false because weight-reduction services are inexpensive and accessible, and there is a great need for them, making them an ideal entry or gateway to all of the services your practice offers.
Marc H. Sencer, MD, is the president and founder of MDs for DCs, which provides intensive one-on-one training, medical staffing, and ongoing practice-management support to chiropractic integrated practices. He can be reached at 800-916-1462 or through the Web site, www.mdsfordcs.com.
Chiropractic Economics ©2008 | 5150 Palm Valley Rd. Suite 103 | Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 | P:800.533.4263 F:904.285.9944
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