Woman’s Hospital physician provides individualized care to manage weight, metabolic health
BATON ROUGE, La. - Woman’s Hospital‘s Drake Bellanger, MD recently earned a certification by the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM), signifying a specialized knowledge in the practice of obesity medicine and distinguishing physicians who have achieved competency in obesity care. He is one of only three physicians Board Certified in obesity medicine in the Baton Rouge region.
Officially recognized as a disease by the American Medical Association in 2013, obesity now affects nearly 35 percent of U.S. adults, contributing to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke and other musculoskeletal and vascular problems.
“Obesity is the most prevalent chronic disease in our society, especially here in South Louisiana,” Dr. Bellanger said. “For some women, weight loss is as simple as nutrition education, but for women with metabolic disorders, treatment may include medication management or surgery.”
Dr. Bellanger’s practice at Woman’s Weight Loss and Diabetes Prevention Clinic is dedicated to helping women find the best individualized weight loss option utilizing the latest innovations in fitness, nutrition, medicine and surgery. He is a strong proponent of preventative medicine and wellness and enjoys the unique opportunity in helping patients with their weight-associated needs, offering all of the latest treatments from nutrition counseling to surgery.
Also Board Certified in general surgery, the Galliano, La., native was the first surgeon in the area to perform laparoscopic weight loss surgery. He performed the first laparoscopic gastric bypass in 2000 and the first gastric banding in 2002, and to date has performed more than 2,000 weight loss surgical procedures.
The ABOM was established in 2011 and serves the public and the field of obesity medicine by maintaining standards for assessment and credentialing physicians. The number of physicians applying for certification continues to grow, including a 22 percent increase in the last two years.
For more information on Dr. Bellanger and the Woman’s Weight Loss and Diabetes Prevention Clinic, visit womans.org/metabolichealth.