Common Medical Weight Loss Questions & Answers
Still have questions about Diet Doc and our medical weight loss programs? See if we have your answers here. If you don’t see the answers to your questions below, call us or fill in our contact form and we’ll get back to you promptly.
About Diet Doc
When Diet Doc began in 2009, we operated 22 physical locations across the United States, but our patients’ weight loss success rate was only in the low 60% range. After surveying some of our patients, we found that needing to go to a location in person was often a barrier to success—many of them didn’t have the time to drive to a physical location to pick up their medications, get assistance from a doctor, or seek nutritional advice. For our patients’ convenience, we eliminated physical locations and converted to telemedicine. Since then, our patients’ success rate has risen to 97%.
Telemedicine is a method of utilizing secure video software or phone calls as a way of establishing a doctor/patient relationship. The concept was originally developed to help doctors and specialists in rural areas consult with each other and their patients more frequently, increasing the quality of healthcare in remote regions. Since the early 1990s and 2000s, telemedicine has grown into a global method of providing convenient healthcare to all.
The total cost of a Diet Doc doctor consultation, personalized diet plan, medication, and other products varies based on each patient’s weight loss program and budget. The lowest amount new patients need to get started is $299, with a monthly average cost of $199 during the course of their weight loss treatment.
Yes. Diet Doc patients only talk to real doctors who are licensed to practice medicine in the U.S., were educated in the U.S., and reside in the U.S.
Diet Doc’s consultants are physicians and doctors who personally help each patient create a unique, individualized weight loss and/or anti-aging plan. We do not take shortcuts by hiring nurses or assistants to consult with patients—you can be sure that you’re speaking with an expert on every call.
Diet Doc strictly focuses on medical weight loss. We do not offer primary care health solutions.
Diet Doc is NOT designed to handle medical emergencies. Contact 911 if you are experiencing a medical emergency.
Diet Doc will only provide care for adults ages 18 years and older. However, in rare cases, if approved by a doctor, minors can receive nutritional guidance only (no prescription medications).
Yes! This is one of the most common questions asked by struggling dieters, and we want to help. We are trained medical professionals who will work with you to help you not only understand why you’re struggling to lose weight but find a long-term weight loss solution that will improve your overall health. Read more about our genetic testing services for weight loss.
Yes. Our patients’ health records are kept totally private, and we employ robust encryption methods to protect your personal information. You determine who can see the information in your record.
Yes. Diet Doc visits are available outside of the United States.
Physicians have up to two (2) business days to diagnose or ask for more information if needed.
We require an intake with specific questions to make sure our Diet Doc providers can customize a diet plan for each individual in order to achieve the highest rate of success.
About our Medical Weight Loss Services
Because our programs are specifically designed around each patient’s needs and goals, no two results will be the same. About 97% of the patients who’ve participated in our medically supervised weight loss programs have achieved their weight loss goals, but we can’t give an absolute guarantee.
Many people have success with diet plans that combine sensible meals with exercise, and it’s great if one of these diets works for you. However, many diet plans are complicated and difficult to follow, and dieters have trouble keeping the weight off long-term. We discuss the pros and cons of medical weight loss compared to mainstream diet plans here.
Gastric bypass surgery changes how the digestive system works, often restricting how much someone can eat, how many nutrients they absorb, or both. These procedures can work for many people, but they are invasive surgeries. It is important for you to consider the potential risks and possible side effects before electing to receive a gastric bypass. If you’re considering this procedure, please consult with one of our physicians first to weigh the pros and cons and find out if medical weight loss could create the same results without the potential risk.
The cost of your Diet Doc services will depend on your individualized plan. Each program depends on what you decide to buy. Once enrolled, you may have ongoing consultations with a weight loss nutritionist or coach during the first year at no additional charge.
Diet Doc always makes your safety a high priority. That’s why we only employ accredited physicians who specialize in medical weight loss to help you make your plan and prescribe your medications. Our doctors factor your medical history into your weight loss plan to help ensure a safe weight loss journey. All of our medications are FDA-approved to be safe and effective, and we compound our medication right here in the United States to ensure the quality of our products.
Yes, Diet Doc’s medical weight loss programs can be designed for patients with specific diseases, such as diabetes. Not only can we help patients manage type 2 diabetes, but we can also formulate plans that focus on weight loss for people with hypertension or cardiovascular disease.
No. In fact, we think avoiding hunger is critical to successful weight loss. Our team crafts customized diets and offers effective medications and supplements to help you lose weight without being hungry.
Protein is an essential part of a good nutrition plan. Our plans try to balance meals with the proper amount of fat, protein, and carbohydrates to promote weight loss without leaving you hungry.
A doctor may deny an individual for a specific medication or all medications at their discretion, based on the individual’s health history.
About Diet Doc’s Medications
Diet Doc doctors can typically approve and prescribe medication for a patient, but we do not guarantee prescriptions. It is up to the doctor to recommend the best treatment for each patient. Diet Doc doctors do not issue prescriptions for substances controlled by the DEA, nontherapeutic substances, and/or certain other drugs which may be harmful because of their potential for abuse.
Diet Doc does not dispense prescription drugs. If the doctor prescribes medication, the prescription is submitted electronically by fax to a specialized pharmacy for fulfillment on your behalf, then sent directly to your home or office. You may request that the prescription be filled at a pharmacy of your choice.
No. The practice of prescribing medicine online without videoconferencing or telephone consultation, or without a valid, comprehensive health history, is illegal in the United States. Any company offering such a service is operating outside legal practices.
Diet Doc’s specific medications are available only to Diet Doc patients. The average doctor also tends to have very little medical training in nutrition and is unlikely to prescribe you anything similar. Most doctors don’t have training regarding bioidentical hormones or anti-aging therapies. Diet Doc’s physicians, however, specialize in weight loss and anti-aging medicine and care. They have more than 100 collective years of experience with providing this type of care, and they’re considered experts in the fields of medical weight loss and anti-aging therapy.
A Certificate of Analysis is a seal of approval given by a third-party laboratory that tests the potency and purity of compounded medications. This seal ensures that the medication offered is of a high quality and is effective at what it claims to perform. When purchasing specific compounded medications, you should always demand a CoA from whoever is selling them to you. Diet Doc’s medications offer the CoA.
You will be notified by the doctor if your prescription is approved. All prescriptions are submitted to the pharmacy as “patient specific” in your name and mailed directly to your home or office. If denied a medication during a consultation, you will be verbally notified by the doctor.