We are the state's first Comprehensive Weight Management Center. Unlike other programs that might offer one or two options, Central Mississippi Medical Center has created a clinical pathway to treat obesity in all manner of patients. In 2002 we started the Bariatric Surgery Center. This is a hospital based comprehensive program that includes a thorough medical history and physical, nutritional counseling, psychological evaluation, pulmonology evaluation, gastric bypass surgery, long term follow up and an ongoing support group. In 2004 we felt it necessary to introduce the Medical Weight Management program. In this endeavor we teamed up with Novartis for the use of the “OPTIFAST ®” meal replacement therapy. Patients who enter our Medical Weight Management program will undergo a thorough history and physical, meal replacement therapy, medical follow up, weekly counseling, and a supervised exercise program.

Get the Flash Player to see this player. To read about each of our weight management procedures, click here for view a PDF guide.

Obesity is a chronic disease, meaning that its symptoms build slowly over an extended period of time. Obesity can be a contributing factor to a number of other disease processes, which are covered later. However, an estimated 5-10 million Americans are considered not just obese, but morbidly obese. Obesity becomes "morbid" when it reaches the point of significantly increasing the risk of one or more obesity-related health conditions or serious diseases (also known as co-morbidities) that can result either in significant physical disability or even death.

Patients come to us every day looking for weight loss. Many have tried other programs and been unsuccessful. Many feel that we are their last hope. At times, they are accused of looking for the “quick fix”. The Comprehensive Weight Management Center is not the quick fix. It is a medically supervised, scientifically validated program to address the disease of obesity and morbid obesity.

Patients who enter our Medical Weight Management program are screened for medical conditions that might preclude them from safely taking part. They are required to make weekly visits with our medical team, to attend the educational classes and patients must follow the meal plan and the individualized exercise prescription provided.

Weight loss surgery is major surgery. Its growing use to treat morbid obesity is the result of several factors: Our current knowledge of the significant health risks of morbid obesity; and the relatively low risk and complications of the procedures versus not having surgery. This site will provide valuable information about the benefits and risks of medical weight management and weight loss surgery. However, the best way to get a full assessment of your condition is to attend one of our informational seminars to determine if one of our weight loss programs may be an option for you.