• How do I calculate my ideal weight?
• How much does it cost to participate in the Weight Management Program?
• Do I have to be a patient at Cedars-Sinai to join the Weight Management Program?
• Do I have to get a referral from my doctor to participate?
• How much exercise should I get while I am on the diet?
• Do I have to drink a lot of water on the program?
• What happens at the weekly meetings?
• Will I have to weigh in every week?
• Does the program involve taking any weight-reducing drugs or vitamin/mineral supplements?
• What if I have other medical problems? Can I still participate?
• What happens after I reach my ideal weight?

• How much weight do you lose after surgery, and how quickly do you lose it?
• I have heard a lot about the body mass index (BMI). What is it and why is it used instead of just weight or percentage of fat?
• What is the risk of bariatric surgery?
• Can anyone who is overweight have weight loss surgery?
• How experienced is the Center for Weight Loss team?
• What should I look for in a weight loss surgery treatment center?

Body mass index (BMI) is often used to determine if someone might be a candidate for weight loss surgery. BMI is a ration between your height and weight. To determine your BMI, visit Body Mass Index. Surgery candidates usually have a BMI of more than 40, or of 35 with one or more severe other conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease.

Only a qualified physician can render a definitive diagnosis of morbid obesity. In addition to BMI, a physician may consider other factors to determine if surgery is appropriate, including if the patient:

• Is more than 100 pounds overweight
• Has exhausted conventional weight loss methods
• Is committed to long-term follow-up care

The Center for Weight Loss at Cedars-Sinai works closely with each patient to devise a plan that best fits their medical needs. Service and product fees vary greatly, depending upon which program option is best for each patient. The first step to determine what will work best for you is to attend a free orientation session. At the session, all of the options offered at the center are discussed, as well as all program fees.

Whether you are a patient at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center or not, you can participate in the Center for Weight Loss, either as a surgical or medical weight loss patient. The center treats patients from across the country and around the world.

We welcome all patients. If your primary care physician recommends Cedars-Sinai¿s Center for Weight Loss or if you decide to take advantage of the expertise of our surgeons, physicians, nurses, dieticians and staff without a physician referral, you are welcome to attend one of our introductory, informational meetings to learn more about our diverse programs and services.

Our dieticians and experts work closely with each patient to devise a diet and exercise schedule that fits each patient's fitness level. We try to coach each patient to slowly increase their level of activity over time at a comfortable rate. Data shows that people who have lost a significant amount of weight need to use at least 2,000 calories in physical activity each week to maintain that weight loss and center staff provide support to ensure our patients have the best chance of maintaining the weight they have lost.

Yes. Water intake is very important to prevent dehydration. Cedars-Sinai Center for Weight Loss physicians and dieticians recommend drinking between 64 and 96 ounces every day.

Weekly meetings provide crucial information and support for patients. The meetings feature behavior modification coaching with physicians, educational information about the weight loss process, and the opportunity to make plans with dieticians and physicians To achieve and then maintain your desired weight loss.

Weighing in is an important aspect of any weight loss program. It allows you to track your progress and, if you are losing weight, chart your progress toward your goal weight, and if you are not progressing as fast as you would like, it can help identify behaviors that may be slowing your ability to reach your goal weight.

When you lose weight, it may affect the nutrients, vitamins and minerals in your body. Therefore, you will take daily multivitamins that complement the nutritional makeup of the meal replacements. The physician on a case-by-case basis may prescribe weight-related medications.

An initial assessment is made by the physician in the Weight Management Program to determine whether you are eligible to advantage of the program. This determination also may involve consultation and input from your primary care physician.

You will transition to the Maintenance Program. In the Maintenance Program, you learn how to deal with common situations of eating in everyday life while maintaining the weight you have lost. You continue to receive support from the multidisciplinary team at the Center for Weight Loss to ensure that you can maintain your ideal weight over the long term.

How much weight is lost after surgery varies, depending on your age, your weight before surgery, your ability to exercise and the type of weight loss surgery you have. On average, patients lose about a third of their initial weight in the first year to 18 months. Heavier patients tend to lose more weight, but initially lighter patients are more likely to lose a greater percentage of their excess weight and come closer to their ideal weight. Weight management programs offered by the Center for Weight Loss will help you further reduce your weight to your ideal weight, if necessary, or to maintain your new, ideal weight.

The body mass index is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared. You may be a candidate for weight loss surgery if you have a BMI of 40 or higher, or if you have a BMI of 35 and also suffer from serious diseases related to obesity, such as diabetes, hypertension, endocrine disorders, cancer, sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and knee, back and joint problems.

Every surgical procedure, from heart bypass to knee replacement, involves risk. Therefore, the decision to have weight loss surgery needs to be evaluated against your overall risk. The experienced surgeons at the Weight Loss Center complete an extensive and comprehensive patient screening process to ensure the medical eligibility of each patient and the appropriateness of the surgery. The evaluation also involves analysis of which option for surgery, adjustable gastric band (LapBand) or laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass will be most effective for each, individual patient. If a patient is not eligible for a surgical procedure, then the Weight Loss Center offers a Weight Management Program that can medically treat obesity.

Physicians at the Center for Weight Loss ensure that every patient undergoes a thorough screening process to identify whether they are appropriate candidates for surgery. Surgical candidates need to be at least 100 pounds overweight. A more accurate measurement is the Body Mass Index or BMI. Surgical candidates need to have a BMI above 40 or a BMI above 30 with other obesity-related conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. In addition, appropriate candidates are those who have tried and failed other weight loss options, including diet and exercise modification. For those not eligible for weight loss surgery, the Center for Weight Loss offers a Weight Management Program that can medically treat obesity to help you lose weight and reach your desired weight.

The entire multidisciplinary team at the Weight Loss Center has extensive experience and prides itself on staying at the forefront of surgical and medical treatments for obesity. The surgeons at the Center for Weight Loss are board certified by the American College of Surgeons and are members of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Our registered dietitian and exercise physiologist have more than 10 years of experience in developing individualized weight-loss regimens. Our licensed clinical psychologists and therapists have been working in the area of eating disorders and obesity for more than 15 years. The WISH Center performs 60 surgical procedures a month.

Surgery is not a quick fix. Successful long-term maintenance of weight loss requires physical and psychological adjustments to a healthier lifestyle. The Center for Weight Loss ensures that our patients have the support and advice from surgeons, physicians, dieticians, psychologists and exercise physiologists to ensure that patients have the greatest probability of achieving and maintaining long-term weight loss. Anyone who is considering weight loss surgery should ask these basic questions of the treatment center:

• Will a psychological, nutritional, exercise and behavioral treatment team be assigned to support you before and after surgery?
• Are there patients from that particular practice you can speak with in advance?
• How much preoperative teaching is involved?
• How much postoperative teaching is involved?
• How many surgeries are being performed monthly?
• How experienced are the surgeons? Is bariatric surgery the core of their practice?