Dr. David Anderson sees the growing obesity epidemic as a health crisis, and wants to do more to help. During his first 16 years serving the Annapolis community as a family physician, he remembers always treating high blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol issues. “Learning that the number of Americans classified as overweight had grown to two-thirds of the population, I realized that too many of the common medical problems I oft en treated were related to excess weight,” he says. For this reason, in 2008, he decided to devote his practice solely to helping patients achieve better health through medically supervised weight loss, and Annapolis Medical Weight Loss (AMWL) was born.
Board certified in both Family Medicine and Bariatric Medicine (weight management), Dr. Anderson is uniquely qualified to treat patients who are suffering from severe health issues due to obesity, or those just looking to lose 10-20 pounds. AMWL's non-surgical, one-on-one physician-directed program offers strategies unavailable through commercial weight loss programs. He uses his primary care experience to closely manage any medical issues as each patient succeeds in losing weight. Many conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol, require careful monitoring and medication adjustment during the weight loss transition time. Dr. Anderson states, “Oft en medications can be decreased or even discontinued during weight loss. My patients love that.” He communicates any changes with their other physicians.
Dr. Anderson and his staff truly foster an “office of encouragement” in a pleasant and comfortable environment. His caring and compassionate team helps guide and encourage each patient along their journey to better health. At AMWL, this is truly a group effort, and the whole team takes great pride in helping patients achieve and maintain their healthy weight goals. Using new Body Composition technology, Dr. Anderson can accurately measure how many calories each patient burns in a day, and individually predict their amount and rate of weight loss over time.
This doctor is most proud of his patient success stories. He talks enthusiastically about his patient who has lost 130 lbs so far, and is still going. Dr. Anderson beams when he describes how the program has changed people's lives, and the powerful & moving things his patients have said: “I feel better than I have in years…I no longer need blood pressure, arthritis, or cholesterol medicines… I never thought I would feel this good and fit into the size I wore 20 years ago… No longer do I use food as a coping mechanism… I am in control of what I eat… AMWL has led me to a healthy control over my weight and my life, one I am confident I will now maintain.”
Dr. Anderson received his MD degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, and completed his residency training at the University of Connecticut. He enjoys living in the Annapolis area, along with his wife and three children. “I am honored to be recognized by my peers with this Top Docs award. It is a privilege to work alongside my medical colleagues, as we all strive towards the common goal of better health for our patients.”
Q: Why am I gaining weight in midlife, even though my eating habits haven’t changed?
A: There are multiple factors at work that can contribute to this. As we age, muscle mass tends to decrease (especially if exercise habits diminish), which slows metabolism. For this reason, our calorie needs decrease about 5 percent every 10 years. Stress hormones, and in women the hormonal changes of menopause, can work against you by increasing appetite. Medications can also impact your weight. The good news is that there are certainly things you can do to maintain or even lose weight. A medical weight loss plan can devise effective strategies and the appropriate calorie balance for you to achieve and maintain your healthy goals.
— David Anderson, MD, Annapolis Medical Weight Loss
