USA Today features Dr. Bestermann & “treating obesity”

By HMG

Dr BestermannThe USA Today July 4, 2013 article “Obamacare requires most insurers to tackle obesity” highlights HMG internal medicine physician William Bestermann, MD, as a success story “when it comes to treating obesity,” noting that some doctors, like Bestermann, are “ahead of the curve.”

According to Bestermann, and the USA Today article, a survey of 500 of Bestermann’s patients found that they had successfully lost, on average, 25 pounds each.

How did they do it?

“We don’t talk about calories or amounts. I tell them to cut back on rolls, biscuits, breads and corn bread, sugar, white potatoes and fat,” noted Bestermann, who serves as the director of chronic condition management at HMG. “I recommend they eat lean meats, eggs, low-fat dairy, seafood, beans, fruits and vegetables.”

With many of Bestermann’s patients having type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes, Bestermann’s efforts to encourage weight loss are motivated by the tangible health results his patients will experience. To aid success, Bestermann provides his patient’s nutrition information and recommends helpful resources such as the book, The South Beach Diet.

So far, Bestermann is pleased with the results. As noted in the article, he recently had a patient who lost 108 pounds in 10 months.

The USA Today article focuses on new obesity screening and counseling requirements covered under a preventive services benefit of the Affordable Care Act. The article notes that “there’s new hope for heavy people desperate to lose weight” with many insurers now “stepping up their coverage of obesity.”

The full article is available online at usatoday.com or via this URL address:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/04/obesity-disease-insurance-coverage/2447217/