Form Health, the National Leader in Science-Based Obesity Care, Launches New Program to Prevent Progression from Overweight to Obesity

Published 12 hours ago via Business Wire

The Overweight Offering Is Designed to Support Weight Loss and Improved Health with Behavior Change, Nutrition, and Physical Activity Delivered by Clinical Specialists

Today, Form Health, the leading provider of science-based obesity care in the United States, announced a new program to prevent progression from overweight to obesity. Individuals with overweight are at an increased risk of developing obesity and weight-related cardiometabolic conditions like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and heart disease. Overweight is a treatable medical condition, and Form’s new offering applies a science-based approach to not only prevent obesity and these conditions but also achieve positive outcomes like weight loss and improved health.

The overweight program is led by Form Health Registered Dietitians (RD) and delivers science-based, personalized lifestyle intervention. Patients in the overweight program begin with a one-time medical visit with a Form Health American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) physician to review medical history, identify comorbidities, and identify any need for further medical treatment. Then, twice each month, patients meet with a dedicated Certified Specialists Obesity and Weight Management (CSOWM) RD virtually and can access their RD between visits via messaging. The RD creates an individualized plan to address behavior change, nutrition, and physical activity. All care is delivered through the Form Health app with tracking tools, including a connected scale, educational resources, and group classes.

Medications are not prescribed or managed as part of the overweight program.

The overweight offering was designed by Form Health Chief Medical Officer Florencia Halperin, MD, MMSc, and Director of Clinical Nutrition Julia Axelbaum, RD, CSOWM, LDN.

“Incredible progress has been made in treating obesity across the United States, but employers remain interested in science-based approaches that broaden the opportunity to help members before obesity and comorbidities develop,” said Jen Cressman, Chief Commercial Officer of Form Health. “Expanding into obesity prevention can help employers avoid the cost of GLP-1s for that population, as well as the high cost to treat cardiometabolic comorbidities, like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. This program was developed by our expert clinical team and with input from our many employer partners. We are excited to roll out this new offering and deliver science-based obesity and overweight care to the Americans who need it.”

Florencia Halperin, MD, MMSc, Chief Medical Officer of Form Health, added, “Form Health’s mission is to change lives through science-based obesity care. Our new overweight offering expands our impact by providing care to prevent obesity and the development of many weight-related cardiometabolic conditions. There is clear science that supports there are many evidence-based clinical tools to help prevent people from progressing to obesity. This program will go a long way in helping more people become healthier.”

Form Health designed the new offering as several of its employer clients requested a solution available to a broader population on the spectrum of weight care- one that not only helped treat obesity but also helped prevent it among high-risk members. By addressing overweight, in addition to obesity, employers can improve member health and reduce their overall healthcare spend.

In the United States, 42% of adults have obesity, and 67% of adults have overweight or obesity. Direct healthcare costs for a patient with obesity decrease dramatically with weight loss. According to recent reports, a 5% reduction in BMI drives $3.4k in annual healthcare savings, and a 20% reduction in BMI drives $6.9k in savings. Patients with obesity also have annual indirect costs from workers’ compensation, presenteeism, disability, and absenteeism of $1.8-$7.1k, which is 1.7-2.4x higher than patients without obesity.

The overweight program differs from Form Health’s core obesity offering in three ways:

  • Patient eligibility: The overweight program is for patients with a BMI of 25-29.9 who do not have any weight-related comorbidities and are not currently taking an obesity medication. The obesity program is for patients with a BMI of 30+ or 27+ with one or more weight-related comorbidities.
  • Care Team composition: The overweight program Care Team includes a CSOWM Registered Dietitian who provides ongoing science-based personalized care. Patients have a one-time appointment with an ABOM physician when they start the program. The obesity program Care Team includes an ABOM physician and a CSOWM RD, who both provide ongoing science-based care.
  • Medication: Patients in the overweight program are supported through highly personalized behavioral, physical activity, and nutrition support. Patients in the obesity program may also be prescribed an FDA-approved medication if deemed appropriate by their Form Health physician.

The new overweight offering is only available through employer-sponsored Form Health plans. Several employer clients made Form Health’s expanded services available to members as of January 1.

About Form Health

Form Health is the national leader in science-based obesity care. Our clinical care model consists of one-on-one, personalized care from a dedicated ABOM-certified physician and a CSOWM-certified Registered Dietitian, who develop individualized treatment plans that address behavioral health, nutrition, and physical activity, and include a prescription for FDA-approved medication, if appropriate. Form Health keeps safety, efficacy, and outcomes at the forefront as we incorporate the latest research and science into our approach. This means we’re always innovating, constantly getting smarter about the science of obesity care, relentlessly focusing on exceptional results, and calling out harmful practices that hold back progress. The result is life-changing outcomes for our patients and meaningful ROI for our enterprise partners. Form Health is in-network with national health plans. Learn more at formhealth.co.

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