Whether you’re considering bariatric surgery or nonsurgical endoscopic procedures for weight loss, good nutrition is crucial to your overall treatment plan. Our registered dietitians offer Nutritional counseling services to help you build healthy, lifelong eating habits.
Personalized Nutrition Counseling for Weight-Loss Procedures
Registered dietitians at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital and Barnes-Jewish Hospital have years of experience helping people, specifically bariatric patients, understand and apply healthy nutrition principles for successful weight loss.
Our dietitians offer focused, one-on-one counseling for our weight-loss patients. Your first visit, usually about an hour long, is unhurried, uninterrupted time for you to get to know each other and discuss your current diet, physical activity and other lifestyle issues.
Our dietitians help prepare you for success after your weight-loss procedure and for the rest of your life. Together, you’ll come up with your goals for dietary and lifestyle changes that work for you and your family.
Nutrition Counseling: Topics We Cover
Depending on your individual needs, our dietitians cover topics including:
- Evidence-based education: We debunk nutrition myths and promote physical activity and smoking cessation.
- Healthy foods: We recommend eating less sugar and fast food, and more fruits and vegetables, for example.
- Portion control: Learn how to measure properly sized portions.
- Mindful eating: We review how to pay attention to your food, drink and the full experience of eating.
- Proper chewing: We recommend chewing each bite 15 to 20 times.
- Protein: We discuss sources of healthy protein and recommended amounts.
Nutrition Counseling: What You Can Expect
The number of visits with our dietitians depends on the treatment you choose (either bariatric surgery or nonsurgical procedures for weight loss) and your health insurance plan. Some plans require four to seven months of nutrition counseling or a certain number of visits. Check with your health insurance company to find out what your plan’s requirements are.
If you choose one of our bariatric surgeries, you’ll begin meeting with our dietitians before your operation. Learn more about our bariatric surgery options.
For endoscopic procedures, the number of visits, and coverage for each visit, vary for each treatment offered. Find out more about our nonsurgical procedures for weight loss.
Nutrition Counseling: Coordinated Care with Specialists
Our dietitians, behavior coach, and nurse practitioner keep in touch with your primary care physician to coordinate your care, especially if you have another condition such as diabetes or an eating disorder. Your weight-loss team can also refer you to other providers for additional care as needed. These referrals are the financial responsibility of the patient. Referrals available include:
- Diabetes education services
- Psychologists for therapy, as weight-loss treatment changes your relationship with food
- Psychiatrist who specialize in eating and weight patterns including binge eating disorder
- Physical therapists for exercise programs and treatment at either WUSM Physical Therapy locations, or our on-site Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation Center (STAR), for conditions that can interfere with exercise
Contact Us
For more information or to schedule an appointment with a bariatric physician or registered dietitian, call toll-free at 844-542-9378.
OFFICE LOCATIONS AT BARNES-JEWISH WEST COUNTY HOSPITAL
Washington University Bariatric Endoscopic Therapy
Medical Office Building 4
1044 N. Mason Road, Suite 330
Creve Coeur, MO 63141
Washington University Bariatric Surgery
Medical Office Building 4
1044 N. Mason Road, Suite 320
Creve Coeur, MO 63141
Diabetes Education and Nutrition Counseling Service
Medical Office Building 1
1040 N. Mason Road, Suite 103
St. Louis, MO. 63141
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OFFICE LOCATION AT BARNES-JEWISH HOSPITAL
Washington University Bariatric Endoscopic Therapy
Center for Advanced Medicine
4921 Parkview Place, Suite 10B
St. Louis, MO 63110
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