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What Is Bariatric Medicine?

Bariatric medicine is the branch of medicine which deals with obesity and overweight. Obesity is actually due to an eating disorder which is termed hyperphagia or polyphagia. Frequently when patients lose a significant amount of weight and are no longer overweight they feel they have been cured (this is what happened to Oprah the first time she lost). However, medical science knows that obesity is not cured but can be controlled. In order to keep the weight off, it is necessary to make long term changes in eating habits and exercise patterns.

Obesity is not a minor cosmetic problem, it is a serious disease. If you are more than 20 pounds overweight you have a serious illness and you should see a qualified physician. Our office serves primarily Central and Eastern North Carolina although we see patients from Virginia, South Carolina and more distant areas also. Please check our LINKS if you need help finding a Bariatric Physician nearer you. All of our programs require that the patient be seen at least every four weeks; if you cannot be in the Raleigh-Durham area that frequently it will not be practical for us to treat you. If you call or e-mail us we will try to help you but, unfortunately, there are only about 200 Board-Certified Bariatricians in the United States.

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TREATMENT OF OBESITY, OVERWEIGHT, & RELATED DISORDERS


Dr. Bartels maintains a specialty medical practice serving Central and Eastern North Carolina dedicated to serving the needs of patients who are or have been obese or overweight. We maintain a very high level of professionalism and believe only in the best care.

In the treatment of the disease of obesity, Dr. Bartels uses several modalities which always include diet and exercise and which can also include the use of medications when appropriate.

We have seen a wide range of patients from all walks of life. On one extreme we see patients who have been overweight in the past but who need help maintaining their weight. On the other extreme, we see people who are over 400 pounds above their ideal weight. Over the past eighteen years we have helped thousands of men and women lose a significant amount of weight and keep it off!

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ABOUT DOCTOR BARTELS

George T. Bartels, MD, FAAFP is a bariatric (obesity) medicine specialist and is the only physician in Eastern North Carolina who is Board Certified in the field. After receiving a psychology degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he graduated from Duke University School of Medicine and did post-graduate residency at Tallahassee Regional Medical center.

He is a member of the American Medical Association, the North Carolina Medical Society, the Wake County Medical Society, the American Society of Bariatric Physicians, the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, and several other medical organizations. His awards have included the Physician's Recognition Award from the AMA, election to Fellowship in the AAFP, and election to Phi Beta Kappa.

Dr. Bartels has served as a Delegate to the North Carolina Medical Society and serves on the Board of Trustees of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians.

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LINKS
The American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP)
This is the major organization of physicians who specialize in the treatment of obesity and overweight. (www.asbp.org)


The American Board of Bariatric Medicine (ABBM)
This is the board which certifies doctors as qualified specialists in bariatric medicine. (www.abbmcertification.org)


The North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO)
This is primarily a research organization of which Dr. Bartels is a member but it has some information of interest to some of you. (www.naaso.org)