Most people arriving at a weight loss appointment have already tried eating less and moving more. When that does not work, it is usually because something measurable is working against them.
The common causes are an underactive thyroid, low testosterone, insulin resistance, chronically elevated cortisol, perimenopause and menopause, and certain medications. None of these respond to willpower. They respond to being found and treated.
That is why an evaluation here starts with laboratory testing rather than a diet plan.
1. Full history and evaluation. What you have already tried, what changed and when, medications and supplements, sleep, stress and previous results.
2. Laboratory testing. Chosen for your situation — commonly a full thyroid panel, sex hormones, fasting insulin and glucose or HbA1c, lipids, inflammatory markers and cortisol.
3. A plan built on the findings. This may combine nutrition, thyroid or hormone treatment, blood sugar and insulin support, and changes to sleep, stress and activity.
4. Follow-up and adjustment. Testing is repeated where it matters and the plan changes as your results do.
There is no meal replacement product to buy, no fixed diet and no promised number of pounds. If testing shows nothing treatable is driving your weight, Dr. Collins will tell you that rather than sell you a program. Where a cause is found — thyroid, hormones, insulin — treating it is usually what finally makes the rest work.
Dr. Drew Collins, ND has practiced naturopathic medicine since 1984 — more than forty years — with a clinical focus on thyroid, hormone and metabolic health, which is where most stubborn weight problems actually sit. He earned his Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in 1984, practices under Oregon naturopathic license 1332, and was named Arizona Naturopathic Physician of the Year in 1992. He has served as a founding clinical director and professor of naturopathic medicine and as adjunct faculty at Bastyr University and Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. See his full credentials.
Proactive Choice serves patients across Central Oregon — Bend, Redmond, Sisters, Prineville, La Pine, Madras, Sunriver, Tumalo, Terrebonne and Powell Butte.
Dr. Drew Collins, ND at Proactive Choice offers physician-supervised weight management in Bend, Oregon. He has practiced naturopathic medicine since graduating from Bastyr University in 1984 — more than forty years — and practices under Oregon naturopathic license 1332. Appointments can be booked using the form on this page or by calling (858) 333-5196.
This is the most common reason patients come in, and it usually means something measurable is working against you. The frequent culprits are an underactive thyroid, low testosterone, insulin resistance, chronically elevated cortisol, perimenopause or menopause, and certain medications. None of these respond to eating less. They respond to being identified and treated, which is why testing comes before any plan.
Testing is chosen for your situation rather than run as a fixed panel, and commonly includes a full thyroid panel, sex hormones, fasting insulin and glucose or HbA1c, a lipid panel, inflammatory markers and cortisol. The point is to find the mechanism keeping your weight up so the plan addresses a cause rather than a symptom.
No. There is no meal replacement product, no fixed diet to buy and no fad protocol. It is a clinical evaluation followed by a plan built around what your testing shows, which may include nutrition, thyroid or hormone treatment, insulin and blood sugar support, sleep, stress and exercise. Recommendations are adjusted over time as your results change.
A conventional weight loss visit is usually short and ends with advice to eat less and move more. A naturopathic evaluation is longer, starts with laboratory testing, and treats weight as a symptom of something else — most often thyroid, hormonal or metabolic. Dr. Collins has worked in hormone and thyroid medicine for four decades, which is the overlap most weight problems actually sit in.
Frequently, yes. Low testosterone is associated with increased body fat and reduced muscle mass in men, and an underactive thyroid slows metabolism directly. Both are common, both are measurable and both are treatable. Dr. Collins evaluates them as part of a weight assessment — see testosterone replacement therapy and hypothyroidism care.
Yes. The hormonal changes of perimenopause and menopause shift where the body stores fat and reduce insulin sensitivity, which is why weight can change without any change in diet. This is treatable, and hormone status is assessed as part of a weight evaluation — see menopause care and bioidentical hormone replacement.
It depends on what is driving the weight, and an honest answer is not available before testing. Correcting an underactive thyroid or low testosterone can change things over a few months. Insulin resistance usually takes longer. Dr. Collins will tell you what is realistic for your situation rather than promise a number.
Yes. Much of weight management — reviewing laboratory results, adjusting a plan, follow-up — works well over secure video. Dr. Collins sees telemedicine patients located in Oregon, California and Arizona. Initial evaluation may include in-person assessment and laboratory work.
Coverage for naturopathic care and for weight management varies considerably between insurers and plans, and the two are often treated separately. Proactive Choice can provide documentation to submit to your insurer, but coverage is determined by your plan — see our guide to insurance and naturopathic care in Oregon.
Complete the form below to request an appointment with Dr. Drew Collins. You can also call the clinic at (858) 333-5196.
