Obesity is a disease many struggle with worldwide. SEARHC offers non-surgical and surgical weight management options to help patients reach and maintain their weight loss goals.  Our role is to provide patients with tools, support and services that lead to long-term weight loss.

Non-Surgical Weight Management

Our Non-Surgical Weight Management providers have specialized in obesity medicine. Appointments focus specifically on medications and lifestyle interventions that lead to weight loss. This may mean adjusting medications that cause weight gain and/or prescribing medications that help with weight loss. The purpose of medication is to make it easier for patients to make healthier nutritional, behavioral and activity choices. Long term weight loss ultimately depends on changing habits. These appointments are available via Telehealth.

Non-Surgical Weight Loss Tools

Nutrition

What, when and how we eat are all important parts of healthy eating habits. Our weight management providers and registered dieticians work with you to build healthy eating habits.

Physical Activity

Physical activity includes both exercise and movement throughout the day. It is not just about weight loss. Exercise has a positive impact on blood pressure, blood sugar, mood and so much more. During appointments, providers will work with you to create safe, attainable and individualized activity goals. Physical Therapy may be an option for those who experience pain with activity or need assistance with strengthening.

Behavioral Changes

Behavioral modification is about identifying unhealthy habits and thought patterns that contribute to our excess weight and replacing them with healthy habits. We may need to address disordered eating behaviors or faulty beliefs we may have around food, our bodies and our ability to change. Behavioral Health providers are available to assist patients needing more intensive interventions.

Medication

As with many other diseases, medication can be an effective and necessary tool of treatment.  Medication helps treat obesity; it does not cure obesity. The purpose of medication is to make it easier to make healthy changes in diet, activity and behaviors. Obesity medications work by decreasing appetite and/or affecting the reward system in the brain to decrease cravings or increase satiety.

Bariatric Surgery

For those with severe obesity or moderate obesity with related diseases such as high blood pressure or diabetes, SEARCH offers the gastric sleeve or Roux-en-Y as surgical weight loss tools. When combined with physical activity and healthy eating habits, bariatric surgery is one of the most powerful tools available in fighting obesity. The majority of the surgical work-up can be done via telehealth with one required diagnostic visit to Sitka prior to surgery.

Learn more about Bariatric Surgery here.

Support Groups

SEARHC offers a monthly virtual support group to bariatric surgical patients on the first Thursday of every month. Members of the SEARHC Bariatric Team facilitate meetings; these meetings are open to the public and participation is confidential. Each session will cover a specific topic and allow participants the opportunity to have questions answered and share helpful tips and resources.

If you have any questions about Weight Loss Services or would like to participate in the virtual support group, please reach out to Leslie deFluiter, Bariatric Coordinator and Weight Loss Services:  Leslied@searhc.org.