Orlando doctor discusses healthy weight management, loss and industry progression
Orlando Health Weight Loss & Bariatric Surgery Institute surgeon, Dr. Muhammad Ghanem, joins WESH 2 to share predictions for the weight loss industry this year
WE TURN THE PAGE ON OUR CALENDARS OVER THE WEEKEND. YES IT’S FEBRUARY, IT’S THE SECOND TODAY. AND THIS DOES GIVE US A NEW OPPORTUNITY TO CHECK ON OUR PROGRESS FROM THOSE RESOLUTIONS OR INTENTIONS AND MAYBE LOOK AT SOME POTENTIAL OPTIONS. IF YOU’RE ON A WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY. JOINING US NOW TO TALK ABOUT WHERE THE INDUSTRY STANDS AND WHAT COULD BE AHEAD FOR YOU, IS ORLANDO HEALTH, WEIGHT LOSS AND BARIATRIC SURGERY INSTITUTE SURGEON DOCTOR MUHAMMAD. GOOD TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR. GOOD TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR SO MANY ARE THINKING I’M GOING TO DROP TEN, 15, MAYBE 20 POUNDS HERE IN IN THE NEW YEAR. AND NOW YOU GET THROUGH JANUARY. WE GO. I DIDN’T DO IT, BUT WE DON’T WANT TO BE DISCOURAGED. THERE’S STILL HOPE FOR US. AND I THINK THAT THERE’S A LOT OF ADVANCEMENT THAT’S TAKEN PLACE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. WHEN IT COMES TO WEIGHT LOSS. WHAT ARE YOU SEEING? YEAH, SO WE’RE DEFINITELY SEEING THAT AS WELL. I THINK THE BIG ISSUE IS THAT PATIENTS HAVE DIFFERENT BIOLOGIES THAT CAN WORK AGAINST THEM AND PREVENT THEM FROM LOSING WEIGHT. AND THIS IS WHERE THE PROBLEM HAPPENS. BUT WE’RE DEFINITELY SEEING A LOT OF CHANGES IN WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR ARSENAL TO MANAGE PATIENTS WITH EXCESS WEIGHT. YEAH. AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT THAT YOU ARE RECOMMENDING OR THAT YOU’RE USING. YEAH. SO FIRST OF ALL, WE’RE SEEING CHANGES WITH THE MEDICATIONS. THOSE ARE GETTING BETTER AS WE GO. AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE START OF THIS YEAR, WE SAW THE FDA APPROVAL FOR ORAL GLP ONE SECOND, MEANING A PILL FORM THAT YOU CAN TAKE TO HELP YOU WITH WEIGHT LOSS AS OPPOSED TO WHAT WE PREVIOUSLY HAD, WHICH WAS ONLY THE INJECTION. ARE THEY AS EFFECTIVE? WELL, THAT IS YET TO BE SEEN. OKAY. WE GOT TO SEE A LITTLE. YEAH. WE NEED MORE DATA TO SEE. ONE THEORY IS THAT THEY MIGHT HELP WITH THE COMPLIANCE OF THE PATIENTS BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE TO INJECT, WHILE THE OTHER SAYS THAT IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE A PILL, YOU’RE MORE LIKELY TO FORGET. AND WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THE EFFECT IS. SO THAT IS YET TO BE SEEN IN THE FUTURE. AND WHAT ELSE ARE YOU LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF WEIGHT LOSS? YEAH. SO WE ALSO HAVE NOW MORE MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES, JUST LIKE THE ONE WE HAVE AT ORLANDO HEALTH THAT OFFER YOU THE WHOLE BASICALLY SPECTRUM OF WHAT YOU NEED AS A PATIENT. ONE OPTION COULD BE MEDICATION, THE OTHER ONE COULD BE SURGERY, WHICH STILL REMAINS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY FOR WEIGHT LOSS. AND THE OTHER COULD BE ALSO JUST LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS. AND I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT A CENTER THAT OFFERS ALL OF THAT FOR THE PATIENT. RIGHT. THERE’S A NEW BIT OF RESEARCH OUT FROM THE BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL SUGGESTING THAT IF PEOPLE STOP GLP ONE MEDICATIONS, THIS FOUND THAT THEY REGAIN THE WEIGHT IN ABOUT A TWO YEAR PERIOD. HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THIS AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT DATA? SO I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THE MEDICATIONS, THE GLP ONE, THEY’RE NOT REALLY MAGICAL BY ANY MEANS. THEY’RE STILL A PILL. WHAT IS THAT OR AN INJECTION. FOR THEM IT MEANS A MEDICATION. JUST LIKE THE DIABETES, THE MEDICATION THAT YOU TAKE, JUST LIKE THE BLOOD PRESSURE PILL THAT YOU TAKE. THAT MEANS THEY WORK. AS LONG AS YOU TAKE THEM. THEY HAVE INDICATIONS, THEY HAVE CONTRAINDICATIONS, AND THEY HAVE SIDE EFFECTS TOO. SO JUST LIKE YOUR BLOOD SUGAR GOES UP WHEN YOU STOP TAKING YOUR DIABETES MEDICATION, THE SAME THING WITH THOSE MEDICATIONS TOO. SO THAT IS TO BE EXPECTED. OKAY. AND WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE HERE? IF SOMEONE IS BEGINNING THIS WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY, HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU SORT OF START THEM OUT ON THAT PATH. SO IT’S IMPORTANT THAT YOU TALK TO AN OBESITY SPECIALIST, WHETHER A SURGEON OR OBESITY MEDICINE SPECIALIST. AND AGAIN, SOMEBODY THAT CAN OFFER YOU THAT WHOLE SPECTRUM OF MODALITIES THAT WE HAVE, WHETHER IT BE MEDICATIONS, SURGERY OR NUTRITION AND ALL OF THAT TOGETHER. OKAY. WHERE CAN EVERYBODY GO IF WE WANT TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION OR CONNECT UP WITH YOU AND THE TEAM AT ORLANDO HEALTH? YEAH. SO IT’S IMPORTANT THAT YOU CAN CHECK OUR WEBSITE AT ORLANDO HEALTH.COM AND LOOK UP THE WEIGHT LOSS AND BARIATRIC SURGERY INSTITUTE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THE INPUT THIS MORNING. AND YOU KNOW, HELPING US ALL LIVE A LITTLE MORE OF AN ACTIVE, HEALTHY, BALANCED LIFESTYLE. AND AND KNOWING THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS OUT THERE THAT CAN HELP, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IF PEOPLE HAVE REALLY BEEN STRUGGLING. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. IT’S IMPORTANT, LIKE YOU STARTED TO SAY, THAT WE STILL HAVE A LOT IN OUR ARSENAL NOWADAYS AND NOT TO GET DISCOURAGED. AWESOME.
Orlando doctor discusses healthy weight management, loss and industry progression
Orlando Health Weight Loss & Bariatric Surgery Institute surgeon, Dr. Muhammad Ghanem, joins WESH 2 to share predictions for the weight loss industry this year
Updated: 10:11 AM EST Feb 2, 2026
Orlando Health Weight Loss & Bariatric Surgery Institute surgeon, Dr. Muhammad Ghanem, joins WESH 2 to share predictions for the weight loss industry this year.Click here to learn more.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Orlando Health Weight Loss & Bariatric Surgery Institute surgeon, Dr. Muhammad Ghanem, joins WESH 2 to share predictions for the weight loss industry this year.