Dr. Fabricio Alarcon, M.D. and dietary consultant Jennifer Morelli are the Healthy Outcomes medical team that will assess your current health and body composition by using the most recent advances in medical and nutritional research. Their combined medical and dietitian-nutrition expertise provide you with a unique approach to losing weight safely and maintaining a healthier you.
With more than 12 years treating patients with medical conditions that were directly related to being over weight –– conditions such as such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and more –– Dr. Alarcon became intent on treating the cause of his patients’ ailments. Dr Alarcon’s main area of interest is
related to the biochemichal, hormonal, and neurochemical reactions that occur after we consume food, which ultimately control appetite, metabolism, and food intake. Extensive education and knowledge of these principles form the basis for the Healthy Outcomes individualized scientific-approach to weight loss and maintenance.
While Dr. Alarcon continues his primary care practice in the state of Delaware, he now specializes in bariatric medicine having ranked in the nation's top 10% for his bariatric medicine board exam. As he continues applying the latest advances in bariatric medicine, Dr. Alarcon is passionate about helping other primary care physicians treat obesity so that their patients too can become healthier for life.
A former restaurant owner, Jennifer has always loved meal preparation and the different nutritional values that go into her dishes. As part of the Healthy Outcomes team, she combines her expertise as a dietary consultant and her experience in cooking to work directly with patients to assess and analyze their nutritional needs and then build a personalized meal plan that takes the weight off and keeps it off.
She is dedicated to educating and motivating patients so that they can overcome what may have been a struggle in the past to a new reality that prioritizes nutrition and physical activity as the healthy outcome choice for life.
Many other factors associated with obesity can significantly affect the response to a diet. These factors can also help us guide the proper dietary approach you would benefit the most from. Some of these factors can be measured by doing a comprehensive metabolic analysis, and therefore, have a more scientific medical approach to a weight loss plan that would be more specific to each person.
Some examples of factors that promote obesity and can be corrected or improved with the proper diet intervention/composition include: insulin resistance, inflammation, leptin resistance, oxidative stress, thyroid disease, hormonal imbalances, among others. With the proper laboratory tests, these factors can be properly identified and therefore, intervened. Not all people will respond to the same diet the same way. Simple manipulation of nutrients +/- supplements +/- medicines can help many of these factors and promote a healthier metabolism.
For most people struggling with excess pounds, the obvious solution is to simply eat less. Of course, nothing good can come out of that approach. This is just an example of how using the wrong weight loss approach can lead to lack of success.
One of the bad consequences of multiple weight loss attempts (“yo-yo dieting”) is that it makes it more and more difficult the next time. Every time we lose weight, we not only lose fat, but also lean tissue (such as muscle). Unfortunately, when we regain the weight, it is mostly fat. Also, if the diet plan you used was not properly designed to preserve lean body mass, the muscle loss can be even more substantial.
The fact is that we need as much lean body mass (muscle) to be able to burn calories and have a healthy and strong metabolism. Adequate nutritional composition of meals can maximize results and at the same time provide safety and lean body protection.
Let us design a plan that works for you
Not all people can do the same diet. The dietary composition needs to be different depending on age, activity level, gender, and the presence of other medical problems, such as diabetes, hypertension, high lipids, gout, kidney disease, food allergies, diverticulitis, kidney stones, gallstones, liver disease, among others. If the wrong diet is used in the presence of some of these circumstances, it can lead to serious and potentially dangerous side effects.
In addition, problems like cravings, food addiction, eating beyond satiety, and excessive appetite have a neurochemical (controlled by brain chemicals) basis that can also be manipulated with proper dietary changes and certain supplements.
A healthy outcome for life
The benefits of our approach can be summarized by saying that the weight management recommendations we give to our patients:
Yes. Dr. Alarcon has passed the board exam provided by the American Board of Bariatric Medicine (ABBM), with a distinction of having ranked 12th in the nation on the certification exam.
The Healthy Outcomes approach uses only medically approved weight loss treatments. A bariatric physician performs a complete evaluation prior to starting a program, monitors your progress and adjusts your plan accordingly. Each plan is individualized to your own profile, based on age, gender, metabolism, activity level, medical conditions, and medications you are using to make it not just effective, but safe.
In addition, a comprehensive assessment of your own individual metabolism is performed by blood laboratory tests. This will provide further assistance in selecting the right plan/approach for you.
All our recommendations are supported by extensive medical research. Dietary plans, meal replacements, nutritional supplements, and weight loss medications are used only if proven safe and effective and deemed appropriate for your own metabolic/medical profile.
We monitor you for as long as you need our help. It is important to work together for long-term results. It is not just the initial weight loss what matters, but the long-term weight maintenance too.
Our program is comprehensive. We offer many different strategies to help your effort, including:
Not every person has the same response to one program. Our approach is to determine the right program for you based on your own profile (age, gender, activity level, medical problems, medications, metabolism, etc). As a bariatric center, we offer a variety of different weight management plans.
Medication is used only if indicated and necessary. Medications for weight loss are considered an add-on to your plan, but nutrition is still the most important part of your program. Proper diet will provide lifelong benefits. Medications are only a temporary measure.
If weight loss medications are to be used, a detailed screening will be done to determine their safety in each particular case. We will follow the recommended standards of care for the use of these medications. These medications, like any other prescription drug, have potential side effects. Therefore, proper medical monitoring and supervision is required.
We do not offer bariatric surgery at our center. We use a non-surgical, medical approach. However, in some cases, surgery is an option. If this is the case, we will discuss with you the benefits, risks, and options. A referral to a certified bariatric surgeon can be offered. If surgery is to be done, we will monitor your nutrition before and after the procedure.
We will perform a complete medical evaluation before you start. Then, we will determine the best approach to provide safe weight loss. Keep in mind that in most people, the benefits of weight loss outweigh the risk of staying overweight/obese.
No. Meal replacements are an optional tool to help you succeed. As busy as we all are, sometimes it becomes very hard to comply with dietary changes. One common reason for frustration and failure during any dietary plan is the difficulty we have sticking to the meal plans. Meal replacements are sometimes the only way to stay on track during our busy days.
Our meal replacements are formulated with the proper nutrient composition to work with our weight loss plans. Not all meal replacements are the same –– some have more carbohydrates, some have not enough protein, others have different amounts of vitamins and minerals. These factors may have impact on your metabolism, rate of weight loss and how you respond to a particular weight loss plan.
We take our job, your health and your success very seriously. We have done extensive research on the different products and can offer what we believe is the best nutritional meal replacement for your plan. By using the products we know are right, we will avoid any confusing factors should we do not see expected progress.
