A Physician-Patient Guidebook for a Weight Control Program

This Physician-Patient Guidebook serves as a revolutionary educational tool that allows both the patient and the physician to be "on the same page" literally and figuratively. When many physicians have come out of residency without a full complement of weight reduction teaching skills, it behooves them to read this book. Even patients can gift their physician with this book if their doctor has not yet read it. Physicians can take advantage of Dr Charles J. Neilson MD's experience as a Family Physician from 1977 until 1998 when he initially cared for overweight policemen who fared well on his program. This led to participation by policemen's wives, who were pleased with their husband's results and then their friends finally joining in as well. The program was developed by Dr Neilson after his residency experience when its limited and incomplete weight control training failed to provide success. It is interesting to note that he enjoyed a "word of mouth" succession of patients that sought his weight program without ever resorting to one single advertising effort. Although this Physician-Patient Guidebook is geared for rapid weight loss, and thereby requires a physician's oversight as well as the prescriptions for the appetite suppressant, with dosing changes as well as diuretics, thyroid and potassium supplements, the principles and techniques of behavioral modification, development of impulse control, exercise, and weight maintenance are useful for anybody. There will always be those who like to form-fit any proven program with changes to fulfill personal control needs, but only the exact following of this diet, along with physician oversight, is considered safe in Dr Neilson's experience. This Guidebook is a worthy example of a safe and effective weight control method that does not "cheerlead" patients, continue the goal of "wonderful tasting food", nor promote the idea that a skinnier person is a "better person." This diet program emphasizes only that a skinnier person is "healthier" but that only the development of impulse control, self esteem, and a multitude of ALTERNATE rewards (instead of food) makes one a "BETTER" person.
About the Author: Charles J. Neilson MD, FAAFP is a native 6th Generation Texan, former Marine, and Vietnam Veteran who graduated from UCLA and obtained his medical degree from the Albany Medical College of Union University in upstate New York. He came back home to Texas to attend Baylor College of Medicine in Houston where he studied Family Medicine. He has continued his association with the American Academy of Family Physicians as a Fellow of the AAFP. He was a preceptor to 116 medical students in his office practice after he began a traditional solo private family practice in Houston in 1977. After 21 years he changed to full time emergency medicine which he has practiced since 1999. His experience as an emergency physician has included being a pioneer as the Medical Director of the only real time 24 hour a day rural hospital emergency telemedicine operation in Texas (one of three nationally) in 1999-2004. His development of an effective and safe rapid weight loss program began when he was serving the Houston Police Department as their Boxing Team physician and several overweight policemen asked him for professional help to lose weight. He found out that what he had just learned in residency did not work and he quickly reformulated a program that did work. The satisfied patients' word of mouth helped his program grow until it became a big part of his practice. He has lived in Sugar Land, Texas, a suburb of Houston, since 1985. He has been married for 36 years and has three grown children.