Obesity Medicine
Weight management as a tool for disease control
For patients with autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, excess weight isn't just a separate problem — it makes the disease harder to control. Dr. Fellows is board-certified in obesity medicine and offers medical weight management integrated with your rheumatologic care.
Why weight matters in rheumatology
Adipose tissue isn't inert — it's metabolically active and produces inflammatory cytokines that can worsen autoimmune disease activity. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, and other inflammatory conditions often find their disease more difficult to control when carrying excess weight.
The impact is twofold:
Systemic inflammation
Excess adipose tissue drives chronic low-grade inflammation, adding fuel to autoimmune processes. Weight reduction lowers this inflammatory baseline.
Mechanical stress
Every pound of body weight translates to multiple pounds of force on weight-bearing joints. Reducing weight reduces the mechanical load on already-compromised joints.
Newer GLP-1 receptor agonists also appear to have direct anti-inflammatory effects beyond weight loss — another reason these medications are particularly relevant for patients with inflammatory disease.
What we offer
Dr. Fellows holds certification from the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM). Our obesity medicine services focus on medical management — evaluating candidates, prescribing appropriate medications, and monitoring progress alongside your rheumatologic care.
Medication options
We prescribe FDA-approved weight loss medications based on your medical history, current medications, and goals:
- GLP-1 receptor agonists — semaglutide, tirzepatide, and related medications
- Phentermine — short-term appetite suppression
- Qsymia — phentermine/topiramate combination
- Contrave — naltrexone/bupropion combination
- Metformin — where clinically appropriate
Our scope — and its limits
This is a rheumatology practice that offers obesity medicine as an integrated service, not a dedicated weight loss clinic. We focus on the medical management of obesity and its intersection with inflammatory disease.
We don't have an in-house dietician or provide structured meal plans, and we don't prescribe exercise regimens. If you'd benefit from dedicated nutritional counseling, we can refer you to a registered dietician for meal planning support.
Our goal is to help our rheumatology patients achieve better disease control by addressing weight as a contributing factor — not to operate as a standalone weight loss program.
Best suited for:
Patients already receiving rheumatologic care (or establishing care) who want to address weight as part of their overall disease management strategy.
Interested in obesity medicine?
If you're a current or prospective rheumatology patient and want to discuss whether medical weight management could help your disease control, bring it up at your next visit or contact us to schedule.