July 16, 2015 – For Profit Weight Clinics

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Anchor lead: Are for-profit weight clinics suspect? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Weight loss clinics that operate for profit are under scrutiny as they exploit a mandate in the Affordable Care Act, often without providing weight loss strategies that are known to work, a recent New York Times expose asserts.  Lawrence Cheskin, a weight loss expert at Johns Hopkins, offers his view.

Cheskin: For profit clinics have a place, but you need to be aware of what you’re getting and what the motivations are for what’s being offered.  Not everything is scientifically proven that is offered.  If you’re getting B12 injections and pills, and very little in the way of counseling, you’re better off going to an established, university based, if possible, clinic that does research and if possible tries to improve how we help people lose weight if they have a weight problem.    :28

Cheskin says successful weight loss employs a multipronged approach along with support for behavior change, so people must carefully examine what’s offered in for profit clinics.  At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.