Prediabetes & Medical Weight Loss
Diagnose and Manage prediabetes and improve blood sugar through physician-guided medical weight loss at Scottsdale Weight Loss Center
Prediabetes means your blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. For many people, it is closely associated with insulin resistance and excess weight, making weight management an important part of addressing their metabolic health.
At Scottsdale Weight Loss Center, our medical weight loss physicians provide medically supervised weight loss designed around your health, weight history, and individual needs. With locations serving Scottsdale, Phoenix, Glendale, and surrounding Arizona communities, we can help you take steps to manage your weight and blood sugar before prediabetes progresses.
Understanding Prediabetes and Blood Sugar
Prediabetes means your blood sugar is higher than normal but not yet in the range of type 2 diabetes. In prediabetes your body usually is making enough insulin, maybe even too much insulin, but the body has trouble using insulin effectively (a state called insulin resistance), which causes blood sugar levels to rise over time.
Prediabetes may not cause noticeable symptoms, so many people discover it through bloodwork. We believe all patients should begin a weight loss program with a comprehensive blood panel looking at several metabolic conditions, including prediabetes. Without changes to insulin resistance to improve blood sugar and overall health, prediabetes increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Excess weight is one of the factors along with genetics, a poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle among others that contribute to insulin resistance and make it harder to control blood sugar. Losing weight via improved nutrition may help your body use insulin more effectively and improve blood sugar levels.
Why Can Prediabetes Make Weight Loss More Difficult?
Prediabetes is often linked to insulin resistance, which can make it harder for your body to use blood sugar for energy. This can contribute to increased hunger, weight gain, and difficulty losing weight. As weight increases, insulin resistance may also worsen, creating a cycle that makes weight management more challenging.
Simply eating less or exercising more may not be enough for everyone with prediabetes. Addressing the metabolic factors affecting your weight and blood sugar can make a more comprehensive approach possible and effective.
When Should You Consider Medical Weight Loss for Prediabetes?
Medical weight loss may be worth considering if you have found prediabetes on a blood test, your doctor has told you that you have prediabetes or you have a strong family history of diabetes and have struggled to lose weight or keep it off on your own. It may also be appropriate if excess weight is affecting your blood sugar or contributing to other health concerns.
You may benefit from medical weight loss if you:
- Have been diagnosed with prediabetes
- Have insulin resistance or elevated blood sugar
- Have excess weight that has been difficult to lose
- Have repeatedly lost and regained weight
- Have tried diet and exercise without lasting results
- Have a strong family history of diabetes or prediabetes
- Have other weight-related health concerns
- Want specialized medical support for weight loss and metabolic health
An evaluation with an obesity medicine specialist in Scottsdale, AZ, can help determine whether medical weight loss is appropriate for you and which treatment options may best fit your needs.
Medical Approach to Prediabetes and Weight Loss
At Scottsdale Weight Loss Center, our physicians consider your health, weight history, and factors that may affect your blood sugar and ability to lose weight. Depending on your needs, your plan includes:
- Nutrition guidance to support weight loss and blood sugar management
- Prescription weight loss medications when appropriate
- Medical meal replacements as part of a structured weight-loss plan
- Jumpstart® Program, a 20-week physician-directed weight loss program combining medical care, nutrition, behavioral support, and meal replacements
- Lifestyle strategies to support long-term weight management
- Ongoing medical monitoring to track your progress and adjust treatment as needed
- Management of underlying factors that may affect your weight, including medications and health conditions
Our physicians at Scottsdale Weight Loss Center in Scottsdale, Phoenix, or Glendale use your health history, response to treatment, and weight-loss progress to refine your care and address the factors that may be making weight loss difficult.
Board-Certified Physicians Specializing in Obesity Medicine
Scottsdale Weight Loss Center is led by Dr. Robert Ziltzer MD and Dr. Craig Primack MD, board-certified physicians with specialized training in obesity medicine. Their expertise goes beyond general diet and exercise advice to address the medical factors that can make weight loss difficult, including insulin resistance, medications, underlying health conditions, and changes in metabolism.
For patients with prediabetes, this expertise allows the physicians to address weight management and metabolic health together. They can evaluate your individual health needs and develop a medical weight loss plan that may include nutrition guidance, prescription weight loss medications, structured programs, and ongoing monitoring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can GLP-1 medications help with prediabetes?
GLP-1 medications can help eligible patients lose weight and may improve blood sugar control. An obesity medicine specialist can determine whether a GLP-1 medication is appropriate and also which GLP-1 may be best for you based on your health history and treatment goals.
How much weight should I lose to improve prediabetes?
Even modest weight loss may provide metabolic benefits, but your ideal goal depends on your starting weight, health, and individual risk factors. Your medical weight loss plan can establish a realistic goal and track your progress over time.
Can losing weight prevent prediabetes from becoming type 2 diabetes?
Weight loss, healthy eating, and regular physical activity can reduce the risk of prediabetes progressing to type 2 diabetes. Medical weight management can provide additional support when lifestyle changes alone have not produced lasting weight loss.
What happens if my blood sugar returns to normal after weight loss?
Returning blood sugar to a normal range is a positive sign, but maintaining healthy weight and lifestyle habits remains just as important. Your medical team will continue monitoring your progress and help you maintain your results.
How quickly will I lose weight?
Weight loss varies from person to person and depends on factors such as the aggressiveness of your treatment plan, starting weight, health, and response to treatment. Your care team can monitor your progress and adjust your plan when needed.
Take Control of Your Weight and Prediabetes
Don’t wait for prediabetes to worsen. Take the next step with physician-guided medical weight loss at Scottsdale Weight Loss Center. Our obesity medicine specialists can evaluate your health, weight history, and goals, and help you determine which treatment options may be right for you.
Call us to schedule your medical weight loss consultation in Scottsdale, Phoenix, or Glendale today.
Nick's Story
"I wish I would have come here first. We spend all our time reacting to the next great weight loss tip or program. It might work for a while, but does not last and we end up yo-yoing from one fad to the next – as we gain more weight." Read More
Lost 44.5 lbs
"I had no trouble adhering to the meals and they really helped catapult my progress! The classes were so beneficial to me because they helped change my thinking about how I viewed health, nutrition, and fitness.
I will always have my relationship with Scottsdale Weight Loss Center. They truly helped me change my life forever." Read More
Lost 60 lbs
"Dr. Ziltzer and everyone who I have come in contact with at the Scottsdale Weight Loss office have been so encouraging and I look forward to seeing them each week. It is now a year and 2 months later since I started. I am down 60 lbs., which is the average amount a 9-year-old weighs, it is crazy to think I lost a whole person! I feel amazing, I hit my goal weight in November 2021 just before Thanksgiving. Nothing on my body hurts anymore..." Read More
Lost 66 lbs
"The best thing I did was call the Scottsdale Weight Loss Center. I have a lot more energy, I'm not hungry, and it feels great.
You can take it from me that this is a program that produces results. The staff is always positive, supportive, and never judgmental.
Your visits always result in positive reinforcement, no matter if you had a good week or a bad week." Read More
Lost 101 lbs
"Here I am at the lowest I have been since high school weighing in at 155lbs. I have lost 101 lbs, BMI of 39 when I started, to 21.6, and of course at body fat % of 47.1 to 26.5%. I told myself by my 30th birthday I wanted to be confident in the way I look and I owe it all to SWLC. The entire staff is so welcoming and they are rooting for you just as much as you are rooting for yourself...." Read More
Reviews
Meet Our Team
Robert Ziltzer, MD, FACP, FAAP, FOMA
Diana Bone, FNP-C
Craig Primack, MD, FACP, FAAP, MFOMA
Kristen Ash, FNP-C, FNP-BC
