I’m always amazed at the circular path that life takes. Over the past year, I’ve been deeply immersed in healthcare policy, working within the business side of medicine. Although it’s been incredibly stimulating and challenging, I hope that what I’ve been doing moves the needle forward in terms of treating obesity. Yet, my path keeps bringing me back to my first love, which is women’s health.
Many of you are likely aware that my first career in medicine was as an obstetrician-gynecologist. For 19-plus years, I lived in that space—delivering babies, doing hysterectomies, performing well-woman exams, taking care of women with PCOS, menopausal issues, pelvic pain, infertility, and abnormal pap smears. Before that, even before the idea of being a doctor was a reality, I earned an undergraduate degree in women’s studies. Women and women’s health issues have always been a huge part of my life. Perhaps it’s because I’m a woman, perhaps because my dad was an OBGYN, or perhaps because a huge driver of my behavior is to stand up for those who seem to be marginalized or treated unfairly.
Although I absolutely love the field of obesity medicine and helping people gain control over their weight, I often wonder if I was drawn to the field all those years ago because I felt that people with excess weight were being treated poorly within the healthcare space—which they were, and still are. They were being marginalized, not only by healthcare but by society in general, which they still are.
As someone who has struggled with weight since puberty and comes from a family where most people struggle with weight, I assumed my departure from women’s health into obesity medicine was driven by a subconscious desire to fix something on a personal level. But as I reflect on the work I’ve been doing over the past year, I think there’s more to it than just a personal desire to stop battling weight.
The past few months have brought women’s health issues back into the spotlight in both my life and career. Last spring, I was asked to give a keynote speech in Chicago about women’s health, touching upon obesity, of course. It was a ball to put together and deliver. The Obesity Medicine Association is also hosting our first summit this fall, a conference dedicated to spotlighting how specific fields of medicine overlap with obesity medicine. The topic we chose was women’s health—right up my alley! I was then asked to help design and moderate the conference, which included coming up with topics for presentations and case studies. This put me right in the middle of many fun conversations about women’s health and what people want to hear about, bringing these issues to the forefront of my mind again.
As I worked with presenters to craft topics and build case studies, I realized for probably the hundredth time in my life that there is a huge overlap between practicing women’s health and practicing obesity medicine. Counseling women about general health topics often leads to counseling them about obesity treatment. The themes of my life have come full circle again.
As I look ahead to 2025 and plan where I’ll channel my energy, I’ve been daydreaming about hosting small group coaching sessions centered on various issues in women’s health. Not for just anyone, but for people like you—those already smart enough to realize that working on your health and weight is a process that requires the help of a highly trained team, focusing on all four pillars of health. You are my people, and if I’m going to devote my time and energy into coaching a cohort of people through a stage of life, whether it be menopause, family planning, or new motherhood, I want them to already have a solid foundation of knowledge and to be under the care of a fabulous team, like the one I’ve hired and trained at Heartland Weight Loss.
My gut instinct is to start with menopause, focusing on women entering the stage of perimenopause or who have recently transitioned to menopause. This tends to be a time of weight gain for many women, and the weight gain comes amidst many other changes, making it even harder to manage. There are many contributing factors, some of which are alterable with the right strategy.
For example, estrogen tends to be somewhat protective against developing insulin resistance. If you’ve been paying attention to the information we share in our newsletters, videos, and written materials in the clinic, you know by now that insulin resistance is at the core of most chronic diseases, including obesity. Everything we do in the clinic is focused on controlling the insulin response. If insulin resistance is like a blizzard wreaking havoc on your body, what we do is give you the materials and knowledge to build a shelter against that storm. Estrogen, when it’s present, acts like a windbreaker—it’s not everything you need, but it offers some protection.
Most people, by the time they reach menopause, need more than a windbreaker. Taking estrogen away, when they don’t have other tools to fight the storm, can be devastating. Those who already have a solid foundation—insulated walls and a fireplace, metaphorically speaking—will manage better when estrogen, their windbreaker, is removed.
As I contemplate bringing these small group coaching sessions to life in 2025, I’d love to hear from you about whether you’d be interested and what topics you’d like to see covered. Below this video, you’ll find a link to a brief questionnaire where you can share your thoughts and ideas—I’d love to hear them!
Now, for some housekeeping: We are still tracking referrals, rewarding those of you who refer others to us. Every time a new patient mentions your name as the person who referred them, we put your name into a glass bowl. At the end of each quarter, we draw a few names, and today we have three fun giveaways. If you’ve referred someone recently, pay attention—you might get a call or email letting you know that your name was drawn!
The giveaways this quarter are centered around relaxation: a foot massager, a neck massager, and a massaging seat cushion. Heat and pressure—one of my all-time favorites! Also, we have a new yoga session starting soon. If you haven’t signed up yet, the link is below.
Have a wonderful October and enjoy the transition to fall. Make a conscious effort not to center your fall activities around food. You can enjoy Halloween, the changing leaves, and cooler weather without making it all about pumpkin spice lattes and candy. With a bit of creative planning, I’m sure you’re up to the task.