St. Cloud VA Weight Loss Program Sees Surge in Demand as MOVE! Turns 20

(KNSI) – The rise of weight-loss medications has sent demand surging at the St. Cloud Veterans Affairs Medical Center as its MOVE! Weight Management program marks its 20th anniversary.

Registered dietitian Anne Voigt told KNSI the VA has more than quadrupled the number of weight-management classes it offers in just the past two years. Much of that growth, she says, starts somewhere other than the VA.

“There’s been an increased demand for weight management services with the launch of a lot of weight loss medications. So that’s often how veterans hear about us.”

But Voigt says the program isn’t built around medication. It’s built around a conversation, and one that usually doesn’t start with a number on a scale.

“I would like them to just take a moment and give that second perspective is what we can provide. And oftentimes it really puts the light bulb on for people to make some different lifestyle changes.”

Voigt says the first question veterans get is what’s important to them and why they came in. Often the answer involves a chronic health condition. She says the program sees results with a five to 10 percent change in weight.

Veterans can join through a provider referral or by signing up themselves. After an introductory class, they can take a 12-week or 16-week group series. The program has also added body composition analysis, which tracks muscle mass over time instead of relying on body mass index, or BMI.

The classes are outpatient, though dietitians also work with veterans admitted to the hospital.

Veterans wanting more information can call the VA nutrition clinic at 320-255-6376.

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