Medical Support
Dr. Steiner's expertise in the field of bariatric medicine and knowledge and experience surrounding the science and physiology of obesity will serve to help you whether you have 10 or 100 or more pounds to lose.
All of our programs are very low in calories and monitored by our physician on a regular basis. This is especially important for those with health conditions such as diabetes mellitus or high blood pressure. Often a person's prescription medications will need to be adjusted when starting a very low calorie program such as OPTIFAST. Your safety is our number one concern.
Dr. Steiner's particular area of clinical interest is the neurochemistry of appetite control and eating behavior. He believes that in some people, abnormal levels of key substances in the brain (called neurotransmitters) result in severe difficulties with appetite control, food cravings as well as "persistent food thoughts". He defines "persistent food thoughts" as the "inappropriate mental imagery and preoccupation with food accompanied by a strong sense of hunger with food seeking behavior. "Persistent food thoughts" can occur shortly after a meal or as a response to specific visual stimuli. Inappropriate food thoughts may occur even following a nutritionally balanced meal.
As a treatment, Dr. Steiner employs a pharmacological approach in helping people overcome appetite issues and "persistent food thoughts" while on our program. He may prescribe certain prescription medications that will help to control an overactive appetite, reduce food cravings and control emotional eating. The overall result is that people find it easier to stick with our structured meal plans and they rapidly lose weight.
