Bariatric Center in Jacksonville

If you've been trying to lose weight for some time, you may feel anxious about what to expect.

Before your first visit to the Bariatric Center, you'll receive helpful informational materials and videos to review. These resources give you a clear understanding of what to expect from our program and address frequent questions in advance. This preparation helps you to feel informed and at ease when you come in for your initial appointment.

During your first appointment, your doctor will discuss:

• Your weight-loss goals.
• Your daily routine, including diet and exercise.
• The duration of your weight-loss efforts.
• Your medical history.

Our aim is to identify the best treatment to help you achieve and maintain long-term weight loss.

Your doctor will assess whether you may benefit from one or more of the following approaches:

• Nutrition and exercise adjustments. This may include personalized meal plans, portion control strategies and a customized exercise routine designed to promote gradual, sustainable weight loss.
• Stress management techniques. Practices such as mindfulness, meditation, yoga or other relaxation methods can help lower stress levels, which often contribute to weight gain.
• Behavioral or mental health therapy. Working with a therapist can support you in addressing emotional eating, building healthier habits and managing any underlying psychological factors that may be impacting your weight.
• Weight-loss medications. Prescription medications to treat obesity may be an option to help suppress appetite, reduce fat absorption, or increase feelings of fullness. Your doctor will review the potential benefits and side effects to determine what's appropriate for you.
• More-permanent solutions such as bariatric or weight-loss surgery. For those who need to achieve significant weight-loss or who have had limited success with other treatments, surgical options — such as gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy or endoscopic sleeve procedures — may be considered. These surgeries can support substantial, long-term weight loss.

What to expect at the end of your appointment

You should expect that the end of your first appointment really marks the beginning of your relationship with your care team at Mayo Clinic. Whatever your next steps include, the Bariatric Center team will be committed to providing what you need, when you need it, with the respect, kindness and personalized care mentioned above.

You may also find some specific items and actions already defined. During your first appointment, you may receive, as appropriate:

• Any prescriptions provided by your doctor, such as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) medications like Wegovy or Zepbound, or other obesity medications such as phentermine (Lomaira), topiramate (Qsymia), Contrave, liraglutide (Saxenda) and more.
• Lab testing or imaging orders, if needed, such as an A1C test for diabetes screening, a cholesterol test, thyroid function tests or others.
• A personalized follow-up plan outlining goals, expectations and the next steps to support your health journey.

We look forward to working together to reach your goals.