Baylor St. Luke's Medical Group Physicians Earn Obesity Medicine Certification

The rising popularity of semaglutides like Wegovy and Ozempic has triggered a surge of patients asking their doctors about weight loss options. In fact, the number of physicians certified by the American Board of Obesity Medicine increased by 40 percent from 2022 to 2023.

Family Medicine Practitioner Suhani Bhakta, MD, D-ABOM, and Bariatric Surgeon Brandon Fadner, MD, FACS, D-ABOM, are among those recently certified.

“Like any other board certification, if a patient sees those credentials behind their doctor’s name, they can trust that we are going to understand their disease and treat it effectively with evidence-based medicine,” Dr. Fadner, who practices at St. Luke’s Health Sugar Land, said.

Dr. Bhakta, who practices at the Lake Jackson Primary Care Family Medicine agrees: “Board certification provided us with special training on how to manage a chronic condition which is just as serious as hypertension or diabetes.  Obesity can be a lifelong disease and it is important to take care of the entire patient. That includes understanding how obesity is affecting other chronic diseases and how best to treat it, whether it's by prescribing medication, lifestyle changes, or surgery,” she explains and adds that medication is only one aspect of the treatment of obesity. Lifestyle changes including diet and exercise are important.  “If surgery is indicated, that's one of the other options we look at.”

As a surgeon, Dr. Fadner emphasizes the importance of educating obese patients about their disease and options. “Obesity is unique in that it is largely misunderstood by most people. My goal is for my patients to leave my office having gained an understanding of their disease process and what they want to do about it,” he says.   “We're entering into a very exciting time where we're approaching obesity treatment from an empirical data-driven approach,” Dr. Fadner said.   “We're really changing the lives of people with obesity in a way that we have never before.”

To learn more or schedule an appointment with Dr. Brandon Fadner or Dr. Suhani Bhakta, please visit BSLMG.org.