Weight Loss and Disease Prevention Head Home
Medical Mentors will provide house calls for weight loss and preventive cardiology. The unique medical practice will offer in-home cardiac risk assessment, medication reduction counseling, mentored grocery shopping, and pantry makeovers.
Denver, CO (PRWEB) August 10, 2008
Medical Mentors, a newly formed cardiology practice, plans to change the way the medical community treats obesity by improving patients' eating habits right in their homes. Local cardiologist Dr. Maria Anderson worked for years in traditional medical groups treating obesity-related illnesses such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea. But with office visits of just 15 to 20 minutes, there was little time to help patients lose weight to treat the cause of those diseases. This week, Medical Mentors (http://www. medicalmentorsonline. com) launched its website to address that concern.
"I was able to prescribe medications to treat the effects of obesity, but there was no opportunity to understand what choices and behaviors were making people overweight to begin with," Dr. Anderson said. She realized that patients needed more intensive intervention to achieve lasting lifestyle change.
Patients recognize the problem as well. A 68-year-old Littleton woman, who sees her doctor regularly for arthritis, diabetes, and coronary artery disease, knows that she should lose weight. She said, "I feel like I'm doing everything right. I see my doctor and take all my medicines. I even had an appointment with a dietitian. But I'm still overweight and I'm not sure how to change that."
Eating in the hospital lunchroom helped Dr. Anderson realize that sharing meals with people would greatly simplify the task of assessing eating habits. She said, "So many people have told me they want to be healthy but don't know where to begin or what they need to change. I saw a huge opportunity in going into the home, sorting through pantries and refrigerators, and seeing what people eat to help them make good choices every day. I'm excited to bring my experience and passion for disease prevention into the community."
About Medical Mentors:
Dr. Anderson formed Medical Mentors to provide in-home weight loss and preventive cardiology consultation. Appointments and a description of services are available by calling (303) 507-2664 or at http://www. medicalmentorsonline. com (http://www. medicalmentorsonline. com). The Medical Mentors website offers free risk assessment tools for cardiovascular disease and obesity-related illness, as well as health and wellness tips, recipes, and suggested readings.
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