Lose Weight And Feel Great? - The Answer Is “Yes,” If Done Correctly

By Memorial Healthcare System

Jan 1, 2026

The Questions Came From Peter Loredo, A 67-Year-Old Hollywood Resident Who Feels He Has Finally Conquered The Obesity He Has Battled Throughout His Life. Weighing As Much As 360 Pounds As Recently As 2024, The 6'4" Loredo Now Checks In At 212 Pounds Following Gastric Sleeve Surgery At Memorial Hospital Pembroke. The Procedure, Which Is One Of The Potential Treatments For Patients Needing To Lose More Than 100 Pounds, Reduces Food Intake And Decreases Production Of Hunger Hormones By Significantly Reducing The Size Of The Stomach. In Addition To Weight Loss, The Laparoscopic Surgery Can Also Improve Obesity-Related Issues That Include Diabetes, High Blood Pressure And Sleep Apnea.

“The procedures we perform are a great jump-start to a healthier life, but they must be accompanied by a change of behaviors, which include making smarter food choices, portion control, and increased exercise,” said Dr. Brett Cohen, Chief of Bariatric Surgery at Memorial Healthcare System. “Our multi-disciplinary approach to helping with lifestyle changes includes Dieticians, Psychotherapists, and Education Programs.”

Cohen’s team, which performed the procedure on Loredo and nearly 500 others last year, stress that clinical supervision is key, whether it’s surgery or the use of GLP-1 Drugs that may be prescribed for weight loss. The medication can be helpful for those that have had a procedure in the past or those with less weight to lose, understanding that either approach can have medical side effects.

“The medications we prescribe can be highly effective for inducing weight loss and improving metabolic parameters, but they are not curative,” said Dr. Luis Santana Lopez, an Obesity Medicine Specialist in the Memorial System. “Patients must still implement nutritional changes and engage in regular Cardiovascular and resistance training to achieve and maintain weight loss. When treatment is discontinued or adherence decreases, the underlying biological drivers of Obesity, including increased appetite signals, reduced energy expenditure, and a tendency to regain lost fat mass, re-emerge. Without ongoing medical support, weight regain is a predictable physiologic response.”

“Obesity is a chronic and progressive disease, and comes with a litany of challenges, so individuals that address the issue are to be commended,” said Dr. Cohen. “But just buying random drugs from Internet pharmacies without proper clinical supervision can lead to significant problems. At Memorial, we believe in a comprehensive approach to weight loss and metabolic health.”

Loredo, who lost nearly 150 pounds following his surgical procedure, has embraced his new lease on life. He is in the gym most days, limits what he eats, and avoids the foods that cause his stomach problems. “Being healthy is what I’m addicted to now. Those doctors gave me a gift and I’ll never give it back.”