A Bariatrician is
a licensed physician (Doctor of Medicine [M.D.] or Doctor of
Osteopathy [D.O.]) who, as a member of the American Society of
Bariatric Physicians (ASBP), has received special training in
bariatric medicine the medical treatment of overweight and
obesity and its associated conditions. Bariatricians address the
obese patient with a comprehensive program of diet and
nutrition, exercise, lifestyle changes and, when indicated, the
prescription of appetite suppressants and other appropriate
medications. (The word bariatric stems from the Greek word
barrios, which translates as heavy or large.)
While any
licensed physician can offer a medical weight loss program to
patients, members of the ASBP have been exposed, through an
extensive continuing medical education program, to specialized
knowledge, tools and techniques to enable them to design
specialized medical weight loss programs tailored to the needs
of individual patients and modify the programs, if needed, as
the treatment progresses. ASBP members are uniquely equipped to
treat overweight and obesity and associated conditions.
A
physician-supervised medical weight loss program may be the
safest and wisest way to lose weight and maintain the loss.
Overweight and obesity are frequently accompanied by other
medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension cancer
and others. A bariatric physician is trained to detect and treat
these conditions, which might go undetected and untreated in a
non-medical weight loss program.
