Medical Weight Loss Centers, East Haven

Eloise Pabst was running out of time. As a result of excessive weight, she was an insulin-dependent diabetic, and her sugars were out of control. Not only was she suffering from high triglycerides and taking three blood-pressure medications, she was enduring chronic back problems, and she couldn't walk long distances. According to her interview on WTNH's Connecticut Style, Pabst's doctor recommended Medical Weight Loss Centers as a last-ditch effort to help her regain her health. The medical staff guided her through their program and helped her lose an impressive 100 pounds in eight months. As noted by physician assistant Monika Fuller in that same news story, Pabst's blood sugars are now stabilized, and she is completely insulin-free. Her triglycerides are normal, and she's cut her blood-pressure medication and reduced her thyroid meds by half. Of her life-changing journey, Pabst said, "Everything is spelled out for you. You know what to eat, they provide the proteins for you … It's very easy. You're constantly eating every two to three hours."

Pabst's story is no different from those of many of the patients at the center—including its own associate medical director, Andy Rodican, PA-C. Rodican himself struggled with diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea before suffering a heart attack in 2002 at the age of 46. He recognized that obesity was the root of his problems, and he now uses what he's learned both personally and as a graduate of the physician associate program at Yale University's School of Medicine to help other people reach their goals. He and his team are specially trained in bariatric medicine. They steer clients toward protein-filled low-calorie and very-low-calorie diets and away from bad carbohydrates.