Weight Loss That Lasts, from the Surgeon Who Treats Obesity Both Ways

Why a bariatric surgeon for your medication?

Anyone with a prescription pad can start you on a GLP-1. Very few physicians have spent an entire career studying obesity itself: what drives it, why it resists willpower, and which treatment fits which patient. Dr. Sofiane El Djouzi has. For more than fifteen years, as a bariatric surgeon formerly in the academic world and currently in private practice serving Darien and Bolingbrook, he has treated obesity from every angle, in the endoscopy suite, in the operating room and in the exam room.

A telehealth company can mail you a pen. It cannot do any of the rest.

Where do I see Dr. El Djouzi for medical weight loss?

In Darien, in Bolingbrook, or on video. Consultations are with Dr. El Djouzi personally at whichever office is nearer you, and most follow-ups can be by Zoom. Every new patient completes one short scan and vitals visit at the Darien office before the first dose adjustment.

Call or text (773) 365-1300. Both offices take the same packages and the same insurance coverage guide, and surgery, if it is ever the right step, happens at University of Chicago AdventHealth Bolingbrook Hospital.

Most adults who struggle with weight qualify for medical treatment

You typically qualify with a body mass index of thirty or higher, or twenty seven or higher alongside a condition such as high blood pressure, prediabetes, or sleep apnea. And the bar for meaningful change is lower than most people think: clinicians consider even a five percent weight loss significant for blood pressure and blood sugar.

Not sure where you fall? Three questions tell you if you qualify for medical weight loss.

GLP-1 medications (Wegovy, Zepbound, Mounjaro) in Darien and Bolingbrook

GLP-1 medications are weekly injections that work on the hormones that control hunger and fullness, so you feel satisfied on less food and the constant food noise quiets down. Two are approved for long-term weight management: semaglutide, sold as Wegovy, and tirzepatide, sold as Zepbound. Mounjaro is the same tirzepatide molecule approved for type 2 diabetes, and Ozempic is semaglutide approved for type 2 diabetes. Patients with type 2 diabetes are often prescribed those versions, which changes how insurance covers them.

Who qualifies. A body mass index of thirty or higher, or twenty-seven or higher with a weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, prediabetes or sleep apnea. Three questions on this page tell you where you fall.

How it works here. Dr. El Djouzi prescribes and manages the medication personally, in Darien, in Bolingbrook or by video. The dose starts low and rises on a schedule, with side effects managed early, because the difference between quitting in month two and succeeding in month six is physician work. Our dietitian adjusts your eating to the smaller appetite the medication creates, and body composition scans track fat and muscle separately, so you keep the muscle while you lose the fat.

What it costs. The program fee covers the medical care: enrollment at $647 for the first month, then $297 per month at the founding rate, or the prepaid and concierge options below. The medication itself is bought from the pharmacy, and many PPO plans cover part or all of Wegovy or Zepbound with prior authorization. Every enrollment includes our insurance coverage guide, and we complete the forms your plan sends to our office. See all self-pay prices, surgery and medical, on one page.

Why a bariatric surgeon. A telehealth company can mail you a pen. Dr. El Djouzi has treated obesity in the exam room, the endoscopy suite and the operating room for more than fifteen years, holds board certification in Obesity Medicine, and manages medication, revision and surgery after GLP-1 treatment from one office. If a medication stops working, or if surgery becomes the better option, the conversation happens with the physician who already knows your history.

Every medication above has real side effects, and managing them early is the difference between quitting in month two and succeeding in month six. That is physician work, and it is included in every package.

Results are averages from published clinical trials and vary by individual.

Your insurance coverage guide for weight loss medication

Insurance rules for GLP-1 medications change constantly, and the difference between a covered prescription and a full-price one is often a single well-asked question. Every enrollment includes our plain-language guide so you can have that conversation with your insurer with confidence.

Delivered to your inbox the moment you enroll. Have a question about your plan before then? Call or text (773) 365-1300 and we will walk you through your options.

Regained weight after bariatric surgery? Medication can treat it, not only another operation.

Regain after a sleeve, bypass, lap band, or others is common, and it has physiologic causes: the stomach adapts, hunger hormones recover, and old patterns return. None of that is a failure of willpower, and none of it means your only option is a second surgery. For many patients, weight loss medication after bariatric surgery restores the results without an operation.

The right first step is a consultation. Dr. El Djouzi personally reviews your medical history, your bariatric surgery details, your operative records (if provided) and your anatomy through imaging and endoscopy, something no online weight loss service offers, and then you decide together: medication first, a revision if your anatomy warrants it, or both over time, all from the same physician in the same office.

Ready to Start Medical Weight Loss the Right Way?

Three questions tell you if you qualify. Choose your package, and meet Dr. El Djouzi within days, virtual or in person.