Programs | Medications | Vitamin-B Injections | Costs | Miscellaneous

Programs

What makes your weight loss program different than other programs?

Physician’s Plan Weight Management Medical Clinics treats Obesity as a chronic relapsing medical disease.  Every major medical society considers Obesity as a: “major medical disease that causes many other disease processes”.  The World Health Organization considers it a “Pandemic” which is a worldwide epidemic.  So Dr. Powell and his highly trained medical staff treat the disease of Obesity.  Dr. Powell is the only board certified Bariatric Physician (Obesity Medicine Specialist) and Physician Nutrition Specialist North of Sacramento and has over 15 years of experience in dealing with the disease of Obesity and its complications.

Why Should I Choose Physician’s Plan?

If you are looking for an expert staff that has the experience and expertise to treat your weight issues as a disease process then this is the right program for you.   If you want to learn how your body can work with you or against you; if you want to learn how to take control over food, and to keep the weight off in long term then choose Physicians Plan.  We are dedicated to your safety and long-term success.

What type of programs do you offer?

The programs that we offer are listed here on this website.  They are all customized for the individual in calorie restriction taking into account multiple factors.  These programs range from having complete control of your nutrition removed to a modified adjustment.

Remember that if you are coming to us for help with your weight and nutrition, what you are doing with “your own food” is not working!  It has to be changed and then you will be gradually brought back to a new world of food through our processes.

Each patient is evaluated individually and personalized plans are tailored for your lifestyle and dietary needs.

Do you have to buy the food or can I do my own?

To be brutally honest, “your own food” is NOT working.  The definition of insanity is to continue to do the same thing and expect a different result.  You would be coming to us for our expertise in losing the right weight, which is the fat weight.  We have to protect your muscle mass and that requires a different composition of nutrition that is very difficult to get from “Grocery Food” or “Your Own Food” whichever you want to call it.  If Dr. Powell and his medical staff are going to put your health and their medical licenses on the line they have to be assured that you are getting the “Right” composition of nutrition.  So a certain percentage of your nutrition while you are losing weight under our medical watch will be from our office.  This is customized for the individuals needs.

What is your program? Is it like Jenny Craig?

Our program is a medically monitored by experienced healthcare/medical practitioners (MD and/or FNP/PA) that treat Obesity as a Disease and have over 30 years experience.  It is a customized and medically aggressive program that treats the whole person.  It is not a poorly trained “health coach” or completely untrained “group leader” or an employee at a nutrition shop.

Why do I have to fill out all this paperwork?

Dr. Powell and his very experienced practitioners will be spending at least 45 minutes with on your new patient appointment.  This is a very comprehensive first visit where we go through every facet of your personal/social/medical/nutritional life.  We have to get to know you fully to understand all the factors that have caused the weight gain, but then we have to be able to customize a nutritional plan that will fit your life and generate a successful weight loss.

Dr. Powell also considers the paperwork as a test to see if the person can follow instructions.  If you cannot download or pick up the paperwork and have them completed BEFORE the initial visit how are you going to be able to follow instructions on what we are going to do with your nutrition?  It is not a good way to start.

How long will my first appointment take?

If you come in with all your paperwork completed your initial appointment will take somewhere between 1 to 2 hours depending on the complexity of your medical conditions.

Am I under any long-term obligation?

The only obligation you have is to yourself to do the best you can to improve your health and well being. There is no contract to sign or commitment of any kind. We just ask for the opportunity to assist you for as long as you need us.

Do I have to go to meetings?

No. Your visits are one-on-one consultations. That individual attention is how we can best determine a course of action that is specific to your needs.  

Do I have to be extremely overweight to consider Physician's Plan? What if I only need to lose 10-20 pounds?

Our weight loss programs are not simply for people who are extremely overweight or obese.  They are for anyone who is unhappy or feels unhealthy due to their weight. Dr. Powell’s philosophy is that he would rather have you come to lose 10 to 15 pounds in a medical safety than to go do something unsafe like the “cabbage soup” diet. We will tell you if you shouldn't, or don't need to lose weight, or if you are not the right candidate for one of our weight loss programs for any reason. Our goal is your overall health.

Are your Weight Loss Programs safe if I have diabetes, high blood pressure or other medical conditions?

Dr. Powell and his medical staff have experience in treating patients with Obesity that also have other major medical conditions.  These other diseases include:  cancers, heart diseases, high blood pressure, lung diseases, diabetes, high cholesterol, chronic autoimmune disorders, arthritis, sleep apnea, persistent lymphedema, lower extremity edema, liver disease, kidney diseases, thyroid issues, and many other ailments.

Our medical team will consult with your other physicians if needed to choreograph the safest way to proceed with your weight loss goals. More than this, weight loss is helpful in controlling any further complications that result from these diseases and our weight loss programs can help alleviate many of the these conditions that result from obesity.

Is it Safe?

Absolutely! Our plan is not a fad diet or a cult-like program. Our program is backed by over 30 years of clinical studies and hard medical science.  There is no starving yourself, no exercising excessively, and no yo-yo effect. Dr. Powell emphasizes that it is hard work and you have to be dedicated and open to some hard work and significant changes in your life. It is not magic; it's nutritional/medical science that really works, providing your body with healthy nutrition and a customized program that accommodates your activity level and medical history. 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 that might go undetected and untreated in a non-medical weight loss program.

How much weight will I lose?

There are so many factors to answering this question:  

• How much excessive weight do you have?

• How aggressive do you want to be?

• How well you can follow instructions and guidance?

• What type of medical conditions you have?

• Male vs. Female?

• What is your activity level?

• What type of job do you have?

• What is your current stress level?

Dr. Powell’s philosophy is that he is not worried if the weight is coming off too slow, he is worried if it is coming off too fast.  If you lose it too fast you could be losing muscle mass and you have a much higher rate of hitting a hard plateau.

Most of our patients lose between 8-20 pounds each month. In the first month, you could see very quick results depending on the program you decide on. During the following months, we help you to maintain a steady weight loss, usually of 2-3 pounds per week. Each individual’s weight loss progress is different. Since every person’s needs and preferences are unique, plans are set up with the patient to best fit his/her lifestyle and dietary needs.  

How long will I have to stay on this plan?

The length of time you may stay on the program depends on how much weight you wish to lose. As you know, weight loss is not about a "quick fix!" We will work with you to help you achieve on-going success. You determine your participation in the program. Your target weight is your goal. . What we provide is the guidance and tools to meet your needs, a medically proven structure, and the means to achieve your goals

What Does Bariatric Mean?

The word bariatric stems from the Greek root “baro” meaning heavy or large.  Bariatrics is a branch of medicine that deals specifically with the disease of obesity, or being overweight. It is a very specialized field and only about 1% of the medical doctors in this country are qualified members of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians. Since obesity is a disease, it makes sense to treat it as one. In 1985, the National Institutes of Health, at its Health Consensus Development Conference on the Health Implications of Obesity, “stated that obesity is a specific disease entity that should be treated and monitored medically by a trained physician.”

Bariatric physicians, or bariatricians, are medical doctors who specialize in the treatment of overweight and obese patients and related medical conditions. These licensed physicians have received special training in Bariatric Medicine: the art and science of medical weight management.

Bariatricians treat overweight and obese patients with a comprehensive program of diet and nutrition, exercise, behavioral therapy and, when necessary, the prescription of appetite suppressants and other appropriate medications.

Programs | Medications | Vitamin-B Injections | Costs | Miscellaneous

Medications

Do you have to take the appetite suppressants? Are they addicting?

You do not have to do or take anything that you don’t want to do.   

There is a wide range of prescription appetite suppressant medications designed to take the edge off your hunger. When medically indicated and as part of a carefully monitored program, the Practitioner will select the right prescription for you. Dr. Powell uses appetite suppressant medications to decrease your desire for food and to slightly boost your metabolism. We do everything we can to help you to lose weight without being hungry!

Most of these medications that we utilize have been FDA approved for over 40 to 50 years and there has never been one documented case of addiction nor dependence to these medications.   

Can I get one of those weight loss drugs?

Dr. Powell has a very good recording describing his philosophy about the Term “Weight Loss Drugs” (click here to listen).  To keep it short, there is no such thing as a weight loss drug or weight loss supplement.  The body is too complicated for that, you have to convince the body that it is safe enough to release one of it’s most precious commodities that it has been storing (fat) and get 2 trillion cells in your body to burn it.

So if you are looking for some magic weight loss elixir there isn’t one. There has never been one and there will never be one.  You have to be committed to changing the way you approach food, liquids, and life to effect a change.  Dr. Powell does utilize as a tool in this whole process prescription appetite suppressant medications but it is dependent on the medical conditions of the patient as well as their desire to use them.

What are the types of appetite suppressants you use?

Here at Physician’s Plan we utilize several different strength and types of prescription appetite suppressant medications as well as some additional supplements that can help with blood sugar stabilization and craving and binge eating control.  These will be discussed with you in detail at your new patient appointment.

What about all these New Weight Loss Drugs that I am hearing about?

Dr. Powell has a great recording that discusses in detail the “New Weight Loss Drugs” that have just been released(click here to listen).

Does everyone get the appetite suppressants?

Not everyone is medically indicated for these medications nor does everyone desire to use these medications.

Why can’t I just buy the appetite suppressants, I don't need to see the doctor.

These medications are approximately 5% to 10% of the battle of weight loss.  They are not weight loss drugs.  These medications are prescription and are considered controlled medications and are required to be prescribed and monitored by a licensed medical practitioner.  

Is the appetite suppressant a form of speed?

There are no prescription “speed” medications legally on the market, and there has not been for over 50 years.  The medications that we use do not affect the brain and the body in the same way.  They work on completely different pathways and that can be explained in much more detail at your first visit.

What about over the counter diet medications?

There are many diet scams out there that claim "quick and easy weight loss"... they don't work, and in addition can contain harmful chemicals and mixtures of substances that could put you at serious health risks. In addition to “ diet pills" mentioned above there are a variety of other pills which claim to have an weight loss effect: Solidax, Kava-Herbal diet pill, Fat Absorber TDSL, Diet Pill, Dietrine Carb Blocker, Thermolean.

Don't be fooled by products claiming to be "All Natural" - Herbal formulas and medicines are not regulated by the FDA/Government and may not even contain what the labels say they do. They can also have too much of a vitamin, mineral or herb, or a dangerous combination of all three (that can be toxic to your system). More often they claim to "work miracles" that are just flat out not true!

There are no “magical” weight loss pills that will make you lose weight. Even if you lose weight initially you will gain it back, and even more because sustained weight loss requires a complex approach and expert knowledge of obesity and weight loss.

Programs | Medications | Vitamin-B Injections | Costs | Miscellaneous

B-Vitamin Injections
 

Does the Vitamin B injection really work?

What's the benefit to the B Vitamin Shots?

What are the B-Vitamin injections and what is in it?

How often can you get a Vitamin B injection?

Dr. Powell has a great page on this website that is dedicated to all the information and questions that you might have about our B Vitamin injection.  You will find that here.

How much are the Vitamin-B shots?

Please contact the office closest to you for that information.

Programs | Medications | Vitamin-B Injections | Costs | Miscellaneous

Costs
 

What is the cost of a New Patient visit?

The prices for a new patient visit vary depending on the extent of medical needs of the patient and the potential requirement to be seen more frequently.  Please call us for exact fees. Our fees are competitive and cover the visit with the practitioner, new patient package materials, medications (if indicated), vitamin supplements, and weekly weigh-ins.

The cost of the Sneals® is not included. Depending on the plan you select the cost of the Sneals that you purchase from us could be less than what most people spend on themselves for food and drink at home and the occasional eating out.  Again the cost will vary on the calorie requirements and plan selected.  Please call the office for more specific information.

Will Physicians Plan bill my insurance company?

Most insurance plans do not cover Obesity as a disease. We recommend you check with your insurance plan about coverage for medical weight loss since all plans differ. We will be happy to supply you with all the paperwork you need to pursue reimbursement for your out-of-pocket expenses for our professional services should your plan offer that benefit.

What is CareCredit?

Physician’s Plan does use CareCredit.  CareCredit is a credit card for your health and beauty needs that lets you enjoy the benefits of living well today, with special healthcare financing options so you can pay monthly.

With special financing options for health, beauty and wellness, the CareCredit healthcare credit card helps make costly procedures and treatments more manageable with promotional financing options (Subject to credit approval. Minimum monthly payments required.):

• No Interest If Paid In Full: 6, 12, 18 and 24 month special financing options on purchases of $200 or more*;

• 14.90% APR and Fixed Monthly Payments Required Until Paid In Full**: On qualifying purchases made with your CareCredit credit card account. Fixed Monthly Payment amount based on repayment 24, 36, 48 or 60 month period.

• Purchases of $1,000 or more are eligible for a 24, 36 or 48 month offer [and] purchases of $2,500 or more are eligible for a 60 month offer.

How much are the monthly appointments?

The monthly visit fee will include the monthly practitioner visit, appetite suppressant medication (if indicated), supplements, weekly weigh-in, and additional informational handouts and pamphlets.  The price will vary from $130 to $180/month depending on type of medications and supplements dispensed.

Programs | Medications | Vitamin-B Injections | Costs | Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous
 

Do we give out 215 cards?

No.

Will Dr. Powell see minors for the program?

Dr. Powell does treat minors but it is on a case by case basis.  The key to treating a minor child is the parents.  The parents have to be totally behind the process and not expect the child to do it all on their own.

Do you check for Thyroid problems?

Dr. Powell is not an Endocrinologist or a primary care physician.  We recommend that if you are worried that you have a thyroid disorder that you have that checked out by your primary care doctor.  On a case by case, basis Dr. Powell may look at your thyroid labs and evaluate them for you.  This is beyond the realm of your normal weight visit so there would be an additional fee.

Will Dr. Powell refill any of my prescriptions?

Again Dr. Powell is not your primary care physician.  He is treating you for the specific issues of your weight.  If you have other medical conditions that you are taking medications for and you need refills you need to go back to the physician that is taking care of those issues to get the refills.