With summer quickly approaching, you may be looking for weight loss options. Whether you just want to drop a few pounds, or you have much more than a few to lose, you are not alone!

Nearly a third of Americans are overweight. At Johnson Memorial, we understand your struggle with weight and have many solutions that will help you achieve your goals.

In addition to surgical and non-surgical weight loss options, we offer educational seminars and support groups to help you become a healthier version of you with encouragement from others who understand your situation and are going through the same process. For more information, contact The Weight Loss and Wellness Center at Johnson Memorial.

Your Weight and BMI

Being overweight or obese can affect many areas of your life. Hearing, "overweight" or "obese" can be frustrating and discouraging. More importantly, it puts you at a higher risks for certain diseases and conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea.

While genetics do play a part in your body makeup, you can control your behavior and lifestyle. Eating healthy foods and exercising regularly are important. 

A person who is overweight has more weight than recommended for height, weight, and gender. The extra weight can be bones, fat, muscle, or water. Obese refers to a person who has too much body weight specifically in the form of body fat.

Your body mass index (BMI) can be used to help you determine the weight management program that is best for you. It uses your height, weight, and gender to determine if you are at risk for weight related health issues. The lower your BMI, the lower your risk of weight related health problems. Click the link to use the BMI calculator on our site: http://www.johnsonmemorial.org/bmi/

Non-Surgical Options

Dieting and exercise can seem overwhelming, especially when you are new to either one. Johnson Memorial has programs that can make it seem a little less daunting. Click here for more information on the following programs through our Weight Loss and Wellness Center.

The healthy weight loss and lifestyle program is a 12 part series that covers cooking tips, behavioral changes, healthy eating, and doctor recommendations. This program includes presentations and interactions with

• Dr. Dana Lindsay, the medial director of the Weight Loss and Wellness Center.
• An appointment with Eileen Williams R.N., the coordinator at the Weight Loss and Wellness Center, who will provide a body composition test, a lifestyle profile, and give you more information about the 12 week class.
• Registered Dietitian
• Personal Trainer
• Behavioral Counselor
• Nutritionist, includes cooking tips, demonstrations, and taste testing

The personal nutritional counseling program is a 4 part program one-on-one program. This program includes

• a body composition test and lifestyle profile
• a personalized nutrition plan
• appointments with a registered dietitian

Surgical Options

Sometimes surgical options are the best way to kickstart your weight loss journey. Usually, surgical options are for people who have a BMI of 40 or more or a BMI of 35-39 with health issues related to excess weight.Contact the Weight Loss and Wellness Center coordinator, Eileen Williams, R.N. to find out if this is for you or if your insurance will cover weight loss procedures. There are payment plans for those people who do not have insurance that will cover these procedures.

Gastric bypass and body contouring after major weight loss are a couple of procedures that Johnson Memorial offers.

Gastric bypass surgery makes the stomach smaller and causes your food to bypass a part of your small intestine. Because your stomach is smaller, you will feel full more quickly and therefore eat less in one sitting. Because you are eating less, less nutrients and food are absorbed leading to weight loss. This is all done with a laparoscopic approach. A few small incisions will be made,  and small instruments and a camera will guide the surgery.

Surgical body contouring after major weight loss is a type of plastic surgery that improves the shape and tone of your underlying tissue and removes excess sagging fat and skin. The result is a more normal appearance with smoother body contours. This is the final phase of your total weight loss experience.

Community Support

Johnson Memorial has a partnership with Johnson County for a healthier community. There are many options for finding additional support outside the walls of the hospital. Here are more support groups for you to check out:

• Partnership for a Healthier Johnson County: Dump Your Plump
  • Community teams participate in this 10-week, nationally award winning weight loss and exercise competition. Meet weight loss and exercise goals for a chance to win a $1,000 team prize! Works great as a worksite wellness program--we do all of the administrative support, you concentrate on your wellness goals. Call Partnership for a Healthier Johnson County, (317) 736-2657 or visit healthierjc.org to learn more or register to participate.
• Partnership for a Healthier Johnson County: Speakers Bureau
  • The Partnership for a Healthier Johnson County Health and Wellness Speakers Bureau is a FREE service that connects quality speakers skilled in a variety of health related topics to Johnson County community groups at schools, clubs, businesses, organizations or civic groups.  Speakers are available to provide health and wellness presentations on a variety of health issues. Your group must have a minimum of 10 participants.
• Get Healthy Franklin!
  • Most of us need a little extra help to make healthy lifestyle choices. We want make it easy for you to know where to go locally to find a little extra support, that's why the Get Healthy Franklin free keytag program was developed to use at a growing list of participating businesses who provide Get Healthy Franklin members healthy discounts and perks!