News Release
Losing weight—good for your waistline and your wallet
January 27, 2009
When Dennis Lane of Newton started the Mercy Center for Weight Reduction (MCWR) OPTIFAST® program in May 2008, his first priority was to lose weight. Since starting the program, Dennis, a retiree, has lost more than 70 pounds. Although his waistline has shrunk, his wallet has actually gotten thicker thanks to saving money on medications, doctor co-pays and groceries.
Before starting the OPTIFAST program and losing weight, Dennis was taking eight medications daily to treat his Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels. By losing weight in a safe, medically-supervised program, Dennis improved his blood pressure from 138/92 to 114/60.
“My current blood pressure is in the ‘normal range’ and doesn’t require me to take medication to help regulate it,” says Dennis. He has also been able to control his Type-2 diabetes by losing weight. Today, under medical supervision, Dennis is not required to use insulin to regulate his blood glucose. He also improved his cholesterol levels drastically, which now require him to take a fraction of the cholesterol medication he was taking before his weight-loss.
“Although I’m still on medication for cholesterol, in addition to two other prescriptions, I am now able to purchase generic brands of my prescriptions for $4 a month—something I wasn’t able to do before my weight-loss,” says Dennis.
Another cost-savings that Dennis has been able to enjoy is not seeing his doctor as frequently. Before his weight-loss, he was seeing his primary care provider once every five weeks, which is now decreased to once every three to four months, saving him $25 per co-pay. Since losing the weight, Dennis and his wife have both decreased the quantity of food that they consume, lowering their grocery bill.
“Dennis is a great example of a patient on several medications to treat chronic diseases who can quickly realize the health and economic benefits of losing weight,” says Marcia Flattery, OPTIFAST program coordinator for MCWR. “The economic impact of losing weight is an added benefit to health-related outcomes that our patients can realize,” adds Flattery.
For more information about the OPTIFAST program offered by MCWR, please call (515) 643-8217.
Contact Gregg Lagan
Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines
515-247-3050
cell 515-490-6636
