Recognizing obesity as a disease also means treating it with the same seriousness as other chronic or life-altering conditions. Just as someone would seek qualified medical care for cancer or another serious diagnosis, Dr. Shauna Levy, MD, believes patients deserve evidence-based care from clinicians who can evaluate their health and offer appropriate options.
“There is absolutely nothing shameful about seeking treatment,” says Dr. Levy. “If you take a medication, have surgery, or work with a nutrition specialist, it does not mean that you failed. It means you are treating your disease.”
For Dr. Levy, that message is central to changing the way patients think about obesity and weight management, particularly in a field where stigma can prevent people from seeking care.
One of the most important changes, she says, is recognizing that obesity is a chronic disease, not a description of a person, and there is no single way to treat it.
Dr. Shauna Levy, MD, Chief of the Division of Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery in Tulane University School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery, has built her approach around that idea. She also serves as Medical Director of the Tulane Weight Loss Center.
“Because obesity exists on a spectrum, treatment has to be individualized,” says Dr. Levy. “What is right for one patient may be completely different from what is right for another.”
For some, treatment may include nutrition counseling or lifestyle support. Others may benefit from medical weight management, anti-obesity medications, including GLP-1 therapies, or metabolic and bariatric surgery.
“My job is to understand the individual patient, understand their disease and help them determine what is going to give them the best opportunity for success,” she says.
That approach now extends across generations. In addition to treating adults through the Tulane Weight Loss Center, Dr. Levy is helping expand care to younger patients through a pediatric and adolescent program with Mary Rossi, MD, and Manning Family Children’s.
“The earlier we intervene, the more likely we are to be successful,” says Dr. Levy. “We do not need to wait for late-stage obesity before we begin treating the disease.”
For Dr. Levy, the future is not simply about having more treatment options. It is about knowing how and when to use them, while helping patients feel supported in seeking the care they deserve.
To learn more about Dr. Shauna Levy and Tulane Weight Loss services: 504-988-2274 | tulaneweightloss.com
