{"id":92492,"date":"2026-01-07T16:35:30","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T16:35:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/92492\/"},"modified":"2026-01-07T16:35:30","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T16:35:30","slug":"maimonides-marks-one-year-of-weight-management-center-brooklyn-paper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/92492\/","title":{"rendered":"Maimonides marks one year of Weight Management Center \u2022 Brooklyn Paper"},"content":{"rendered":"

Amid a rise in obesity and Type 2 diabetes citywide, Maimonides Health<\/a> celebrated the one-year anniversary of its Weight Management Center<\/a> at its Doctors Multispecialty Pavilion in Sunset Park on Jan. 6.<\/p>\n

Since its inception, the center, which is Brooklyn\u2019s most comprehensive weight reduction center, offering a full spectrum of services for adults seeking help with weight loss and obesity, has supported 1,000+ patient visits, performed more than 200 bariatric surgeries, and helped patients collectively lose over 1,000 pounds. In 2025, Newsweek named Maimonides one of America\u2019s Best Weight Loss Clinics & Centers.<\/p>\n

The center offers a wide range of weight-loss options, including nutrition education, exercise, anti-obesity medication, and surgical weight-loss procedures. The weight-loss journey is tailored to the patient\u2019s needs, including individualized medical weight management programs, screening for psychological factors and contributors, nutritional evaluation and dietary support, and educational seminars and post-operative support groups.<\/p>\n

\"maimonidesMaimonides Weight Management Center, located at it multispecialty pavillion, celebrated its one-year anniversary on Jan. 6. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

Dr. Alexander Abdurakhmanov, director of Bariatric Surgery at Maimonides Medical Center<\/a>, noted that surgery was more than just about weight loss; it was about the quality of life patients gain.<\/p>\n

Abdurakhmanov explained that the most common weight-loss surgeries are sleeve gastrectomy, which permanently removes about 80% of the stomach, leaving a narrow, tube-like \u201csleeve\u201d that holds significantly less food and produces less of the hunger hormone ghrelin, leading to reduced appetite and calorie intake, and gastric bypass, where a surgeon creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach by separating the upper portion of the stomach from the lower portion. This pouch, which becomes the \u201cnew\u201d stomach, connects to the small intestine via two openings that divert food to the lower part of the digestive system, limiting the amount of food the patient consumes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Patients can expect to lose 30% of their total body weight, Abdurakhmanov explained, emphasizing that bariatric surgery is safe.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re as safe as having your appendix removed, as safe as having your gallbladder removed,\u201d Abdurakhmanov said.\n<\/p>\n

Obesity is a major contributing factor to chronic and life-threatening conditions, and in addition to weight loss, patients experience significant health improvements, including reduced high blood pressure, diabetes \u2014 many patients experience fewer diabetes symptoms and are able to reduce or stop diabetes medications altogether \u2014 cancer risk, and heart disease, as well as improved respiratory health and sleep issues such as obstructive sleep apnea.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur patients are much more comfortable doing their daily tasks, walking up and down the stairs, [and] around the block without getting winded. They feel confident. They\u2019re getting on planes, trains, and buses more comfortably, doing the things they need to do. They\u2019re off their medications. They live longer, healthier lives,\u201d Abdurakhmanov said.<\/p>\n

\"doctorKizzy Charles (left) and Dr. Alexandar Abdurakhmanov celebrated together a year after her surgery. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

Kizzy Charles underwent a sleeve gastrectomy on Dec. 22, 2025, and has already lost 25 pounds. Her goal is to lose another 30 pounds.<\/p>\n

She told Brooklyn Paper that she\u2019d been struggling with weight loss since a breast cancer diagnosis in 2021, and was getting frustrated. Her doctor referred her to Dr. Abdurakhmanov, whom Charles described as \u201cfriendly, kind, and understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was 200 pounds, and I wasn\u2019t pleased about it, because every time I went to Primark and shop, and I\u2019m like, \u2018Okay, this is not how I picture my life,\u2019\u201d Charles shared. \u201cI\u2019m just looking forward to have a healthy life, a healthy environment, so I can set an example for my grandchildren. I\u2019m so grateful that I met Doctor Alexander. He\u2019s an angel sent from God, and he takes very good care of all his patients.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carlos Casanas is another Maimonides weight-loss success story. Weighing 305 pounds and suffering from sleep apnea and fatigue, he had a sleeve gastrectomy one year ago. So far, he has lost almost 100 pounds, and his goal weight\u00a0 is 190.<\/p>\n

\"beforeCarlos Casanas has lost close to 100 pounds after sleeve gastrectomy one year ago. Photo courtesy of Carlos Casanas \"\"Dr. Alexandar Abdurakhmanov (left) and Carlos Casanas, who has lost nearly 100 pounds. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

\u201c[I] was tired all the time,\u00a0 it was just out of control, and I needed to do something about it. Thank God, Dr. Alex came in to help,\u201d Casanas told Brooklyn Paper.<\/p>\n

Now, Casanas exercises three times a week and maintains a healthy diet high in protein and fiber, low in carbs.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been quite a journey,\u201d\u00a0 said Casanas, encouraging others who might be uncertain about bariatric surgery. \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid. Do it. It\u2019s been one of the best decisions I ever made, and I recommend it. No questions asked.\u201d<\/p>\n

While bariatric surgery \u201cjump-starts\u201d the weight loss journey, it\u2019s essential that patients also adhere to a healthy diet and exercise.\n<\/p>\n

Registered dietitian Nina Dahan stressed the importance of a holistic approach to weight loss.\n<\/p>\n

She consults with patients pre- and post surgery, establishing an exercise routine and better eating habits, like mindful eating to recognize fullness signals \u2013research<\/a> has shown that mindful eating plays an important part in successful weight loss and keeping the weight off.<\/p>\n

\"proteinMaimonides Weight Management Center recommends a high protein diet. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

\u201cThe surgery is a tool, just like the medication is a tool. Food is a very personal, emotional thing, and when you take that away, or you minimize that, all of a sudden, that becomes challenging for some patients,\u201d Dahan explained. \u201c I\u2019m here to support you set realistic goals, personalized nutrition to fit your life, so that you don\u2019t feel deprived, that it\u2019s not another diet that you\u2019re going to follow for a short time, this is a lifestyle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maimonides also addresses emotional eating habits, often connected to depression and anxiety.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI start the ball rolling with that, but we do refer to psychologists if we see that that\u2019s needed.\u00a0 This is a whole team approach. It\u2019s a very holistic approach that we have here, and everyone is a piece of the puzzle to support the patient to do what they need to do,\u201d Dahan explained.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Amid a rise in obesity and Type 2 diabetes citywide, Maimonides Health celebrated the one-year anniversary of its…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":92493,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[7544,98,100,99,10438,43726,43727,43728,2953,4429,43729,9679,9682,953,34715,9,24,12,370,63,29764,43730,43731],"class_list":["post-92492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brooklyn","tag-borough-park","tag-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn-headlines","tag-brooklyn-news","tag-diabetes","tag-doctors-multispecialty-pavilion","tag-dr-alexander-abdurakhmanov","tag-gastric-bypass-surgery","tag-health","tag-healthcare","tag-kizzy-charles","tag-maimonides","tag-maimonides-health","tag-maimonides-medical-center","tag-new-year","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-news","tag-newsletter","tag-nyc","tag-weight-loss","tag-weight-management-center","tag-weight-reduction"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92492"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92492\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/92493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}