TELEMEDICINE IN NEW MEXICO
Online Weight Loss
Treatment
Patient-centered, expert quality, affordable online weight loss
treatment in New Mexico.
Why Weight Loss?
According to the Obesity Medicine Association (2020), “Obesity is defined as a chronic, relapsing, multi-factorial, neurobehavioral disease, wherein an increase in body fat promotes adipose tissue dysfunction and abnormal fat mass physical forces, resulting in adverse metabolic, biomechanical, and psychosocial health consequences.”
Obesity is linked to multiple health problems including depression, diabetes, hypertension, pain, heart problems, respiratory problems, liver and kidney problems, to mention a few.
How Is Obesity Treated?
Medications
This is indicated for individuals with BMI of 27 to 29.99 with comorbidities and those with BMI of 30 with or without comorbidities. There are multiple medications such as Orlistat (Xenical), Phentermine/Topiramate (Qsymia), Semaglutide (Wegovy), Liraglutide (Saxenda), and Naltrexone/Bupropion ER (Contrave) used for weight loss.
Individuals could expect 10% to 20% weight loss depending on the medication.
Bariatric Surgery
This is indicated for individuals with BMI of >35 with comorbidity and those with BMI > 40 with or without comorbidities.
These treatment options includes sleeve gastrectomy, adjustable gastric band, gastric bypass, and bilopancreatic diversion. Individuals can expect 30% to 40% weight loss depending on the kind of surgery.
Lifestyle Modifications
This is indicated for individuals with BMI of 25 to 29.9 without comorbidities. Examples of comorbidities includes diabetes, hypertension, liver disease, heart disease, and kidney disease.
Treatment could include restrictive or non-restrictive diets like intermittent fasting or prescriptive nutritional interventions as well as planned exercises. Individuals can expect 2% to 10% weight loss depending on the type of intervention.
How Do I Know
If I’m Obese?
One of the ways to measure obesity is to calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. Use this Adult BMI Calculator provided by the CDC to calculate your BMI
- Underweight- BMI less than 18.5
- Normal- BMI 18.5 to <25
- Overweight- 25.0 to <30
- Obesity- BMI 30.0 or higher
Another way to estimate your risk for disease, is to measure your waist circumference. You are at a higher risk of developing obesity-related diseases, if you are:
- A man with waist circumference of > 40 inches
- A non-pregnant woman with waist circumference of > 35 inches
Lose Weight with Expert Guidance
Lifestyle Modification Guidance
With lifestyle modification alone, individuals are expected to experience 2% to 5% weight loss.
Expert Led Nutrition
With prescriptive nutritional interventions, expected weight loss is 5% to 10%. With medications, expected weight loss is higher ranging from 10% to 20%
Personalized Plans
We offer individualized plans using prescribed lifestyle changes and medications to meet your weight loss goals. Medications include GLP-agonists- Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, & Rybelsus) and Liraglutide (Saxenda); Bupropion/naltrexone (Contrave), and orlistat (Xenical).
How Much Does Obesity Treatment Cost?
Surgery Cost
- Sleeve gastrectomy: $4000 – $18000
- Adjustable gastric band:
$10000 – $20000 - Gastric bypass: $15000 – $25000
- Biliopancreatic diversion:
$20000 – $30000
Retail Cost
- Semaglutide (wegovy, Ozempic):
$878 – $1386 per month - Bupropion/Naltrexone (contrave):
$319 per month
Blissful Minds Cost
- Semaglutide (wegovy, Ozempic):
$350 per month (provider visit + meds) - Bupropion/Naltrexone (contrave):
- $250 per month (provider visit + meds)
About The Medications
What is Semaglutide?
Semaglutide belongs to the drug class called the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). These drugs are administered as a weekly injection and are also used to treat type 2 diabetes as well as obesity. Semaglutide works by curbing your appetite by making you feel full so you are less hungry, which means you eat less food.
Studies have shown that semaglutide offers cardiovascular benefits such as regulating blood glucose, improving blood pressure, and stopping the progression of plaques in blood vessels that could cause heart disease.
In combination with lifestyle modifications, semaglutide has been proven to provide the most effective weight loss in individuals. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, headache, fatigue, and decreased appetite. Adverse side effects include increased risk for medullary thyroid cancer (animal studies), acute kidney injury, and pancreatitis.
What is Contrave?
Contrave combines two medications (bupropion and naltrexone) which have been shown to target two areas of the brain (hypothalamus and the mesolimbic circuit/reward center) that cause cravings and hunger. Contrave is an oral medication taken twice a day at its optimum dose.
In combination with lifestyle modifications, contrave has been proven to help individuals achieve sustainable results. Common side effects include nausea, constipation, headache, vomiting, dizziness, trouble sleeping, dry mouth, and diarrhea.
Because one of its medications is bupropion, an antidepressant, it could increase the risk for suicidal thoughts or actions in children, teenagers, and young adults under the age of 24 within the first few months of treatment. Other side effects include seizures, risk of opioid overdose if taken with other opioid containing medications, increased blood pressure and heart rate, liver disease, manic epiosdes, angle-closure glaucoma, and increased risk for low blood sugar in patients who also take other medicines for diabetes.
Covered By Insurance
Changing The Narrative
Blissful Minds LLC is a distinguished provider of high-quality, affordable, and patient centered mental health and weight loss telemedicine services in New Mexico. We treat a variety of personal challenges, all without shame or stigmatizing judgement including: obesity, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, phobias, panic disorders, personality disorders, impulsive disorders, addiction disorders (opioids and alcohol), bipolar disorders, premenstrual dysphoric disorders, perimenopausal and menopausal disorders, postpartum depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorders, sleep disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, acute stress disorders, and adjustment disorders.
Enriching Lives
To enrich a life, one must be fully present in that life to provide full support.
Our wrap-around comprehensive system makes support easily available to you at all times through telemedicine in New Mexico.
User friendly video calls for appointments from the comfort of your home
Highly trained professionals certified and experienced in family medicine and psychiatric mental health
After-hours, weekend availability, & same-day scheduling for patient appointments
Direct access to your healthcare provider via our patient portal
Affordable rates for our services
Individualized plans to meet your needs
Get Started Today
Address
New Mexico: 10409 Montgomery PKWY NE #202b Albuquerque, NM 87111
Kansas: 8700 Monrovia
Suite 310
Lenexa KS 66215