Medi-Weightloss® Keeps Its PROMIS(e) In the Fight Against MetS

MetS: Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a condition that is often under diagnosed and can lead to serious complications if left untreated. What people often don’t know is that there is treatment for this condition if diagnosed in a timely manner and treated properly. In order to fully understand the treatment of this condition and its relentless consequences, we first need to understand the root cause of MetS, and its driving force--obesity.

Causes: Excess body weight, especially in the form of central adiposity (belly fat), is the main driving force behind MetS. This as well as lack of exercise, smoking, and even skimping on sleep are contributing factors that lead to an endangering metabolic process called insulin resistance. During this process, excess body fat hinders the body’s ability to utilize sugar properly causing a cascade of inflammatory events throughout the body, damaging blood vessels among other things which eventually can lead to type 2 diabetes, permanent nerve damage, blindness, heart attacks, strokes, and even some types of cancer.  To make matters worse, as insulin resistance develops, the body fights back by producing more insulin which in turn signals the body to store even more fat, thus causing a vicious cycle. In order to halt this vicious cycle, we need to address its root cause, obesity.

Treatment: Multiple studies have shown that the most effective method for treating obesity is intensive lifestyle behavioral therapy.  This type of intervention is precisely what the Medi-Weightloss® Program offers its patients. Our program has been uniquely designed to not only combat obesity and MetS effectively, but also to be able to diagnose these diseases even in their early stages. Our healthcare providers possess a vast knowledge in the disease process and are experienced in the early diagnosis and treatment of MetS and its complications. In addition, our program specifically targets the excess metabolically active fat that instigates insulin resistance therefore, addressing the root cause rather than just the symptoms. As insulin resistance drops, so does the risk of heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes and other health conditions.

Our Commitment: As the industry leader in physician-supervised weight management, Medi-Weightloss® prides itself in its evidence-based approach to the treatment of obesity through clinical research. Medi-Weightloss® was involved in a large five-year clinical trial called the Prospective Metabolic Indicator Study (PROMIS). This trial was the first of its kind on MetS for a physician-supervised weight loss program and a system of its size anywhere in the world! The main objective of PROMIS was to identify the proportion of patients with obesity that were affected by MetS and more importantly, to assess the impact of weight loss on the disease process itself. This information allowed researchers to determine the effectiveness of the Medi-Weightloss® Program and its role in preventing the onset of MetS as well as other health conditions associated with obesity.

In 2019, PROMIS’ trial results were published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Public Health (Oxford University Press). Researchers found:

• Approximately one in two (52%) patients with obesity attending the Medi-Weightloss® Program had Metabolic Syndrome.
• Patients that underwent the program:

• Eliminated or reduced their risk of developing Metabolic Syndrome - the prevalence of MetS within the study population was reduced by 45% in only 13 weeks and subsequently by 73% at 52 weeks in patients.
• Lost significant weight – initial starting body weight was reduced by 14% in the first 13 weeks of the program and by 21% by week 39.
• Reduced body fat - body fat percentage decreased by about 12% in the first 13 weeks of the program.
• Reduced Central Adiposity (belly fat) - waist circumference decreased by about 5 inches after 13 weeks in the program.

• Improved cholesterol - HDL "good" cholesterol levels increased by 35% in 9 months and LDL "bad" levels decreased.
• Lowered blood sugar - at week 13, serum glucose was found to have reduced by about 4%, and again by about 8% at 26 weeks.
• Lowered blood pressure - Systolic blood pressure fell from an average of 125 mm Hg to an average of 118 mm Hg by week 13. Diastolic blood pressure fell from an average of 80 mm Hg to 77 mm Hg.

The study results support that our program not only works, but substantially decreases morbidity (rate of disease in a population) associated with MetS and provides program-specific clinical data that helps Medi-Weightloss® providers in their clinical decision-making.

Our clinical research is part of our commitment to making advances in weight management that allow our healthcare professionals to implement these advances and bring them to you. By dedicating significant resources that identify and address gaps in the scientific literature, the company's clinical research adds to the existing literature with scientific contributions that advance the field of obesity science and practice.