Baptist Health Offers Hospital-Based Weight Loss Plan to Help You Fulfill Your New Year's Resolution

Jacksonville, Florida, January 5, 2007 -- Nearly two out of every three Americans are overweight or obese, which is why losing weight is one of the most common New Year's resolutions. According to a Harris Interactive® poll in December 2005, more than 97 percent say they will need support doing it.

With one of the few hospital-based weight loss programs in Northeast Florida, Baptist Health offers the Healthy Solutions® Weight Management Program. Conducted by registered dietitians who are specially trained in obesity management, Healthy Solutions® provides intensive lifestyle education, meal replacements, personalized attention and an emphasis on long-term weight maintenance. This program was developed by Health Management Resources (HMR)®, a privately owned national healthcare company specializing in professional programs for weight and health management.

The Healthy Solutions® program uses HMR® weight-loss shakes and entrees, along with a minimum of five servings of vegetables and fruits. Calorie intake for the plan ranges from 1,200 to 1,600 calories/day. This plan provides a structured, easy-to-follow diet that includes weekly one-and-a-half hour sessions with a registered dietitian. Average weight loss is 26 pounds in the first 12 weeks. To further help patients achieve success, the Wolfson Wellness Center at Baptist Heart Hospital will offer a discount to HMR® participants.

More than 50 published references show that people using meal replacements -- such as the HMR® entrees and shakes -- lose and keep off, on average, three times more weight than those on conventional diets. In addition to meal replacements, the Healthy Solutions® program teaches long-term lifestyle changes that produce successful weight and health management. "Healthy Solutions® has proven results," says Yvonne McCormick, RD, team leader of Diabetes and Nutrition Resources at Baptist Medical Center Downtown. "Active HMR® participants are keeping off an average of 19 percent of initial body weight more than two years after weight loss. That far exceeds the established 'gold standard' in the medical literature of five to 10 percent of initial body weight kept off one-year post-weight loss.

To attend a free orientation, call 904.202.2140.