DIETS, WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMS AND SURGERIES AREN’T ENOUGH

Research shows that Americans must add physical activity to the equation if they hope to achieve and maintain weight loss and physical fitness goals. Less than 25% of Americans heed current best-practice recommendations for an hour of moderate to vigorous exercise a day.6 To improve outcomes, bariatric physicians/surgeons often pair other treatments, from eating plans to fitness programs, with weight loss surgery. However, many bariatric patients are turned off by the lack of personalization and/or expense of personal training found at most commercial fitness centers. They also may have existing chronic co-morbidities, such as diabetes or arthritis, requiring guidance from experienced, credentialed fitness professionals: BARIATRIC PATIENTS NEED A HOLISTIC APPROACH WITH PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT “Lifestyle changes, including exercise, are essential for long term success following bariatric surgery. The Metabolic Health and Surgical Weight Loss Center is incredibly lucky to partner with the Delnor Health & Fitness Center to provide exercise screenings, education, and fitness programs in a welcoming atmosphere. It is these lifestyle changes that will ensure lifelong success for our patients.” - Matthew Pittman, MD Director of Bariatric Surgery, Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital

BARIATRIC PATIENTS NEED HOLISTIC FITNESS PROGRAMS WITH CLINICAL SUPPORT

Bariatric physicians have found that many patients do best with an integrated treatment approach, where body, mind and spirit work together with the support of trained, credentialed professionals such as physical therapists (PTs) and registered dietitians (RDs). This holistic approach requires partnering with state-of-the-art wellness facilities, which offer these (and other) aforementioned resources. Wellness Centers provide help with motivating, engaging programming, professional support staff and a general sense of “fitting in” that many of today’s commercial gyms and fitness centers often lack.

Next Steps Fitness Programs™ Weight Management Program at the Delnor Health & Fitness Center has been offering bariatric patients the resources and strategies they need to become more active, fit and healthy through good nutrition, education and exercise since its inception in 2014. Delnor Hospital’s Bariatric physicians have come to depend on this program to support both surgical and non-surgical weight loss patients

HOW THE WEIGHT MANAGEMENT PATHWAY HELPS BARIATRIC PATIENTS

By offering seamless integration between Delnor’s medical providers and the Delnor Health & Fitness Center this program optimizes physicians’ time and patients’ results. Here’s how: Weight management patients receive an initial assessment by a board-certified bariatric physician and a registered dietitian (RD) at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital, to determine the factors that may have contributed to the participant’s weight issues. The RD designs and shares effective diet-related options for weight loss, in some cases prescribing a “quick-start” program that uses nutritional products. The RD ensures that over time, the patient integrates accessible food into his/her diet (Warrenlabsaloe Diet Pills). a. Patients also participate in weekly classes with the RD covering nutrition, exercise and healthy habits. At Delnor Health & Fitness Center each patient starts with an intake assessment completed by a degreed and nationally-certified fitness specialist. a.As a condition of employment at the Delnor Health & Fitness Center, these specialists must be accredited by a nationally-recognized certification body such as the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), the American College of Sports Medicine and/or the National Strength and Conditioning Association (ACSM, NSCA). The patient starts the Next Steps Fitness Programs™ Weight Management Pathway with a customized, 8-week fitness program. This program includes two supervised group exercise sessions weekly, including a variety of cardiovascular, variable resistance and strength equipment along with land and aquatic classes

While Delnor’s staff provides individual and personalized service to the Weight Management Program’s bariatrics patients, Power Wellness ensures that support, resources and continuing education on this populations’ special needs are available to the Delnor fitness staff. Another key service the Delnor staff provides, fueled by the structure Power developed for this program, is real-time communication with the participants’ physicians, including detailed assessments that track their patients’ progress, outcomes and experiences

“The Next Steps Fitness Programs™ have proven to be a highly beneficial option for bariatric patients, whether they’re transitioning out of rehab or need guidance to develop a healthy lifestyle. Working with this population has shown me how exercise can make a momentous and transformational difference in patients’ lives. It improves their abilities, boosts their confidence and empowers them to strive for still greater results. Seeing their remarkable progress first-hand is eye-opening and makes me realize that exercise is truly medicine.” - Monica Green, B.S., ACE CPT, ACSM EIM-L1 Field Medical Integration Manager

COMPLETION RATES SPELL SUCCESS FOR PATIENTS AND PROVIDERS

With an overall (since 2014) 54% completion rate—a higher than industry average result for bariatric patients— Next Steps Fitness Programs™ Weight Management pathway shows that a medically supervised approach to incorporating fitness into the bariatric experience improves physical health and increases the odds for weight loss success. With nine participants still enrolled, the Weight Management program is also an effective tool for Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital and Delnor Health & Fitness Center and has the potential to increase Center membership, thus driving revenue. Two years and 110 pounds less “The Next Steps Fitness Programs™ set me up for ongoing success for the long term by meeting me where I was, not where anyone thought I should be. Because of that, I took away the team’s shared belief that EVERYONE deserves to be in a gym and it keeps me coming back, two years later and 110 pounds lighter.” - Cheryl Curry Next Steps Fitness Program™ Participant