Facts about Us
Medi-Weightloss Clinics® Fact Sheet
Medi-Weightloss Clinics® was founded in 2005 by Edward Kaloust. The franchise headquarters is located in Tampa, Florida.
Since 2005, the physicians and medical professionals at Medi-Weightloss Clinics® have treated over 67,000 patients across the United States.
Our patients have lost a combined total of over 2.0 million pounds.
The Medi-Weightloss Clinics® weight loss program was developed based on the five keys to wellness: nutrition, fitness, medicine, education, and motivation.
The average weight loss during the first month on the Medi-Weightloss Clinics® program is 7 pounds the first week and 2-3 pounds each week thereafter.
Body Mass Index (BMI) and Obesity Defined
Your Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a statistical tool used to quickly evaluate your body weight objectively. BMI is a ratio comparing weight to height.
Your Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR, is the number of calories that your body requires per day in a resting state. It can vary from person to person and depends on your eating habits, body composition, and activity level.
Calculate your BMI here- What defines overweight? Individuals are considered obese if they have a BMI greater than or equal to 25, which includes those who are obese.
- What defines obesity? Individuals are considered obese if they have a BMI greater than or equal to 30.
- What defines a healthy weight? Individuals are considered to be at a healthy weight if they have a BMI greater than or equal to 18.5 and less than 25. Underweight individuals have a BMI less than 18.5.
Prevalence of Overweight and Obese People in the United States
The number of overweight and obese people living in the United States has been referred to as an epidemic. Medi-Weightloss Clinics® is committed to providing a physician-supervised weight loss program that helps patients reach their goal weight and transition to a healthier lifestyle. Many people successfully lose weight, only to gain back the pounds. Medi-Weightloss Clinics® has developed a Wellness Program that helps people maintain their weight loss for a lifetime.
- Percent of adults age 20 and over who are overweight or obese: 67%
- Percent of adults age 20 and over who are obese: 34%
- Percent of adolescents age 12-19 years who are overweight: 18%
- Percent of children age 6-11 years who are overweight: 15%
- Percent of children age 2-5 years who are overweight: 11% 1
Childhood Obesity
Today's children are the first generation of Americans that will have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. Obese children are now experiencing what once were considered to be "adult" diseases (i.e. Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol) as early as 6 years old. New research shows that even though an adult may have a normal weight, their life span can still be shorter if they were obese as children.
Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. The prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. The prevalence of obesity among adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 18.1%. 89 Medi-Weightloss Clinics® is in the research and development phases of their pediatrician supervised adolescent weight loss program.
Causes of Obesity
Rising obesity rates result from a number of trends in the United States:- Americans consume an average of 300 more calories per day than they did 25 years ago and eat less nutritious foods;
- Nutritious foods are significantly more expensive than calorie-dense, less nutritious foods,
- Americans walk less and drive more-even for trips of less than one mile;
- Parks and recreation spaces are not considered safe or well maintained in many communities;
- Many school lunches do not meet nutrition standards and children engage in less physical activity ins school;
- Increased screen time (TV, computers, video games) contributes to decreased activity, particularly for children;
- Adults often work longer hours and commute further. 2
Cost of Obesity
In the United States, the annual healthcare cost of obesity is 147 billion dollars per year. 7
On average, people who are considered obese pay $1,429 (42 percent) more in health care costs than normal-weight individuals. 7
For each obese beneficiary:- Medicare pays $1,723 more than it pays for normal-weight beneficiaries.
- Medicaid pays $1,021 more than it pays for normal-weight beneficiaries.
- Private insurers pay $1,140 more than they pay for normal-weight beneficiaries. 7
Health Risks Associated With Excess Body Fat
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ranked obesity as the number one health threat facing America in 2004. Obesity resulted in an estimated 400,000 deaths in the year 2000. 3
Obesity increases a person's risk for developing serious health conditions:- Coronary heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
- Stroke
- Liver and Gallbladder disease
- Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
- Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
- Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility) 4
- The increased risk of death from all causes is 50 to 100 percent higher for obese individuals than normal-weight individuals (BMI 20-25). 5
- Life expectancy of a moderately obese person could be shortened by 2 to 5 years. 6
Sources
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Facts about obesity in the united states. http://www.cdc.gov/pdf/facts_about_obesity_in_the_united_states.pdf
2 Levi, J., Vinter, S., Richardson, L., St. Laurent, R., & Segal, L. M. (2009). F as in fat: How obesity policies are failing in America : 2009. Issue report (Trust for America's Health). Washington, DC: Trust for America's Health.
3 Mokdad, A., et. al., Actual Causes of Death in the United States, 2000. JAMA, 2004; 291:1238-1245.
4 NIH, NHLBI Obesity Education Initiative. Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults. Available online: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/ob_gdlns.pdf
5 Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults-The Evidence Report. National Institutes of Health. Obesity Research. 1998;6 (suppl)2:51S-209S.
6 Fontaine KR, Redden DT, Wang C, Westfall AO, Allison DB. Years of life lost due to obesity. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2003;289(2):187-93.7
7 Finkelstein EA, Trogdon JG, Cohen JW, Dietz W. Annual Medical Spending Attributable To Obesity: Payer- And Service-Specific Estimates. Health Affairs. 2009; 28(5): w822-w831.
8 Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, Lamb MM, Flegal KM. Prevalence of high body mass index in US children and adolescents, 2007-2008. JAMA 2010;303(3):242-9.
9 National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 2004 with Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus04trend.pdf#070. Hyattsville, MD; 2004.