As a first step, we will look at what medications you take. The medication list may unveil a perfect place to start on the journey towards a healthier weight and lifestyle. It may be surprising to find which popular, and commonly prescribed medications have been found to have a negative effect on losing weight. Some medications will be the sole cause of your weight weight gain. It can't be stressed enough how important it is to discuss all of your medications and supplements with Dr. Ashworth. If you are on insulin, Dr. Ashworth will manage all aspects of your dosing as you lose weight. Some medications may be removed and some added. This is what you should expect from a medical weight loss clinic. Prior to your initial appointment it is highly advised to read: “Weight Gain: When It’s Not Your Fault”. This short e-book written by Dr. Ashworth should be requested and read prior to your first appointment.

Dr. Ashworth’s thoughts on GLP-1 medications such as Semaglutide, the latest craze? He has always made it policy to avoid prescribing new medications until they have been around for 5 years. After this time frame any of the Black Box warnings associated with the medicine will become evident. One can understand his concerns for anything “New” that the FDA states is “Safe and Effective” since the COVID vaccines were unleashed on society. He will not prescribe GLP-1 medications until more long term studies have been published regarding safety and side effects.

Here are some of the side effects from this class of medications. When using these medications the patients lost 38% of their lean muscle! You have a 9 times higher risk of pancreatitis, a 4 times higher risk of bowel obstruction, a 3 times higher risk of gastroparesis (stomach paralysis). Yes, all of these are occurring but are not being reported by the media.

The following is not even mentioned in the Black Box Warning yet! There is a substantial risk of getting medullary thyroid cancers, referred to as Thyroid C-Cell Tumors! We are also seeing explosive breast cancers being diagnosed in women taking these medications. Just understand this, Dr. Ashworth has never had to use medications such as these to help his patients get healthy! We can do it without the risk. If you are determined to use these medications then his clinic is not for you! There are plenty of other clinics out there offering these toxic medications, and the companies that produce them will be there to offer the cancer treatments to try to cure you. They always win, the public always loses.

Aside from appetite suppressants and nutrient packed shakes, Dr. Ashworth tries to help his patients lose weight as naturally as possible.

The most significant breakthrough for Dr. Ashworth came when he began studying bio-identical hormones back in 2005 as a weight management physician. These bio-identical hormones leveled the playing field between the young and old.  

Women are tired of being told they’re just going to have to accept menopausal symptoms as part of growing older. That gaining weight and getting out of breath after a flight of stairs are just part of the process of adding on those years.

Men are equally as tired of hearing that their sex drive, diminishing amount of lean muscle, and increasing aches and pains are inevitable and unavoidable.

While it may be more difficult to lose weight when you’re older, this difficulty is mostly caused by a decrease in hormone production by either the ovaries or testicles, and there is a solution! The solution is bio-identical replacement of those hormones. To get a more detailed explanation of Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement, request and read, “Weight Gain: When It’s Not Your Fault”.

Over the years, Dr. Ashworth has encountered many common disorders that need to be tested for, diagnosed, and treated in conjunction with losing weight. Many of these disorders are surprisingly common and end up being the sole cause of weight gain. From hormone deficiencies and thyroid disorders, to being anemic or having diabetes, these disorders need to be diagnosed and treated while losing weight. You may incorrectly assume your doctor is testing and treating these conditions properly.  It is a huge undertaking and many doctors simply can not find the time.

So many people are burdened by obesity because it is multi-faceted in its causes and treatment options. There are medical, genetic, social, emotional, and cultural relationships that have to be uncovered.  This is just one aspect of what separates Dr. Ashworth's approach from the typical "medically supervised” weight loss clinics. Dr. Ashworth offers a much more integrated, personalized approach that goes way beyond offering pills or injectables and handing out a food program.