Weight Loss Medicine

UAB Weight Loss Medicine (WLM) is a full-service medical clinic dedicated to helping patients lose weight – and keep it off – for the long term. Our approach is rooted in personalized, research-based care and the latest advances in obesity treatment.

Whether you choose to pursue weight loss with medications or without, our team meets you where you are and builds a plan tailored to your goals, health history, and lifestyle. No physician referral is required.

As part of a leading academic medical center, UAB Weight Loss Medicine offers far more than medication alone. We combine nutrition therapy, medical evaluation, lifestyle support, and the latest FDA-approved anti-obesity medications (when appropriate), including GLP-1 and dual-agonist therapies.

A team of obesity medicine experts

Your care team includes physicians who are board-certified in obesity medicine, as well as internal medicine and endocrinology, plus experienced nurse practitioners, registered dietitians, and diabetes educators.

This multi-specialty approach helps ensure that your treatment is safe, personalized, and medically appropriate – especially if you have underlying health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or hormonal disorders.

There is no single diet or treatment that works for everyone. Our providers customize each plan to support sustainable weight loss and improved overall health. Your individual plan may include medication, lifestyle changes, or a combination of both.

Programs & services

Ongoing medical care with physicians and nurse practitioners*

• Medical oversight is essential for effective and safe weight management. Our providers will:
  • Evaluate any underlying causes of weight gain or difficulty losing weight
  • Review current medical conditions and medications
  • Provide expert guidance on FDA-approved weight-loss medications, when appropriate
  • Support patients who prefer non-medication weight loss strategies
• We treat obesity as a chronic, complex medical condition rather than using a “one-size-fits-all” approach.

Individual nutrition visits with registered dietitians

• Our registered dietitians have over 35 years of combined weight-loss counseling experience. They will:
  • Provide individualized nutrition plans
  • Support patients losing weight with or without medications
  • Help patients adopt lifestyle changes for long-term success
• We work closely with insurance providers to expand coverage for nutrition visits whenever possible.

Healthy lifestyle program

• Designed to support patients using anti-obesity medications such as Wegovy® and Zepbound®, our structured healthy lifestyle program enhances results through:
  • Weekly lifestyle and weight-management education delivered by email
  • Ongoing guidance from UAB registered dietitians
  • Research-based strategies to maximize medication effectiveness and sustainability
• Membership cost: $25/month while on medication

Diabetes Prevention Program

• Accredited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), our Diabetes Prevention Program offers a proven, research-based approach to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
• To qualify, patients must:
  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Have a body mass index (BMI) greater than 24
  • Have a diagnosis of pre-diabetes, a history of gestational diabetes, or be at high risk for diabetes

Initial evaluation

When first starting our program, patients receive:

• A complete medical evaluation from an obesity-trained provider
• A review of medical conditions and medications affecting weight
• Body composition analysis, to measure fat mass vs. muscle mass
• Resting metabolic rate testing
• Diabetes and pre-diabetes screening
• A nutrition consult with a registered dietitian
• Customized weight-management planning, with or without medication

Additional services

• Individual visits to review personalized meal plans
• Individual and group sessions with registered dietitians
• Telehealth visits available for select services

Insurance & program fees

Visits and testing with physicians, nurse practitioners, and dietitians are billed to insurance. Coverage for nutrition services varies; please ask your insurance company about coverage for Medical Nutrition Therapy (CPT codes 97802 and 97803).

Resources

• Nutrition After Gynecologic Cancer
• Jump Start Program

Related Specialties

• Cancer Rehabilitation Program
• Outpatient Diabetes and Nutrition Clinic
• Bariatric Surgery