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San Diego · Guide · Medical weight loss

Medical weight loss in San Diego

Your weight is one number, and it leaves a lot out. Here's which tests show what it's doing to your health, where weight loss medicines fit, and which San Diego clinics offer medical weight care.

Main tests
Weight, waist and blood pressure Plus blood sugar and a cholesterol panel
What you do
Measurements and a blood draw Sometimes a scan
You get
What your weight is doing to your health And a plan for eating, activity and any medicine
San Diego photograph by Tyrel Johnson · Unsplash

The tests, in plain English

Start with your regular doctor and the basics: your weight, waist size, blood pressure, blood sugar and a cholesterol panel. Together they show whether your weight is affecting your health. A body scan or a metabolic rate test can add detail. Medicines, including GLP-1 drugs, are an option for some people, alongside changes to eating and activity.

Think of your weight like the balance on a bank statement. It tells you the total, but not where it's going. These tests read the line items: how much of you is fat, where it sits, and what it's doing to your blood sugar, blood pressure and liver.

Weight, BMI and waist

BMI, body mass index, compares your weight with your height. It's a quick screen, but it can't tell fat from muscle or show where fat sits. A waist over 35 inches for women or 40 for men is linked to more health problems.

Blood sugar (A1C)

Shows your average blood sugar over the past two or three months.

Blood pressure and cholesterol

Extra weight can raise your blood pressure and add to the conditions that lead to heart disease.

Liver tests

Fatty liver, when extra fat builds up inside the liver, most often affects people with extra weight.

Thyroid test

An underactive thyroid can bring weight gain and tiredness, but both are common and often have other causes.

Body composition (DEXA)

A low-dose X-ray scan that splits your weight into fat, muscle and bone, region by region.

Cash price: $65 to $249

Resting metabolic rate

Measures how many calories your body burns at rest, by reading your breath while you lie still.

Cash price: $50 to $300

Prices that clinics publish on their own websites, across all the cities we cover. Prices change, so confirm with the clinic.

Weight in San Diego, by the numbers

The rate of obesity in San Diego is lower than the national rate. About 1 in 4 adults in San Diego have obesity, compared with about 1 in 3 nationally. That adds up to roughly 660,000 adults in San Diego County.

25.3%of adults in San Diego have obesityUS: 33.2%
660,000adults in San Diego have obesityEstimated from CDC county figures
8San Diego clinics list weight careSee them below
San Diego does better than the US on all 3 measures
Share of adults, 2023. Lower is better.
Obesity
No exercise outside work
Diagnosed diabetes
↓ Data

Source: CDC PLACES, 2023 county estimates. San Diego = San Diego County, weighted by adult population.

longevityclinicshub.com

Your regular doctor can check your weight, waist and blood pressure at a routine visit. The tests above add detail if you want a closer look.

Showing 8 clinics that address medical weight loss in San Diego

How we order clinics
Monica PriceDomarius Hayden, BEXSc; CPT-ACE
Testing studio

Dexa Body, San Diego

Sorrento Valley, San Diego
Strength, fitness & body compositionGenetics & biological ageMedical weight loss

Dexa Body's California site sits on Morehouse Drive in Sorrento Valley, one of four across Utah, Arizona and Georgia. It measures body composition by DEXA, aerobic capacity by VO2 max and metabolism at rest, and sells four trait-panel DNA tests covering weight, aging, athletic performance and micronutrients. Three California staff are named, all exercise and coaching credentialled.

Tests & services

DEXA scan VO₂ max testing Health & nutrition coaching Metabolic rate testing
See if it’s a fit
Erica Oberg, ND, MPH, Dr. Erica Oberg

Dr. Erica Oberg

La Jolla, San Diego
Advanced diagnostics & emerging careBrain & cognitionHormones & energy

Dr. Erica Oberg runs an ocean-view concierge practice on Prospect Street in La Jolla, built around naturopathic and regenerative medicine she has practised since 2003. Care is sold as three-month, six-month and twelve-month programmes alongside per-visit consultations. Named services include NAD+ and Plaquex infusions, peptides, bioidentical hormones, testosterone therapy and GLP-1 weight care.

Tests & services

Peptide therapy Health & nutrition coaching IV vitamin therapy Exosome therapy +3 more
See if it’s a fit
James D. Fontaine, M.D., Fontaine MD

Fontaine MD

Carmel Valley, San Diego
James D. Fontaine, M.D.
Heart & circulationHormones & energyMedical weight loss

Fontaine MD is a preventive and longevity practice in the Torrey Hills part of Carmel Valley, built on Dr. James Fontaine's stated principle that if it isn't measured, it isn't managed. Every Healthy Aging consultation opens with a medical history, body composition analysis, a comprehensive lab panel and a carotid intima-media thickness scan. Hormone therapy and a full aesthetics menu sit alongside. Led by James D. Fontaine, M.D.

Tests & services

Body contouring Testosterone therapy Botox & fillers Medical facials & skin treatments
See if it’s a fit
Dr. Shawn Vedamani, MDDr. Alex Roher, MD

Hormones and Wellness by SDBody, La Jolla

La Jolla
Dr. Shawn Vedamani, MD, Dr. Alex Roher, MD
2 locations, also in Mission Hills
Advanced diagnostics & emerging careHormones & energyWhole-body baseline

The La Jolla clinic of Hormones and Wellness by SDBody is a free-standing site in La Jolla village, and the only one of the practice's two clinics offering hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Care opens with one of three named lab panels, Hormone, Core or Advanced, drawn at an Optimization Intake, then runs to hormone therapy, medical weight loss, peptides, IV and NAD+, PEMF, red light, infrared sauna and cold plunge. Led by Dr. Shawn Vedamani, MD, Dr. Alex Roher, MD.

Tests & services

Hormone panel Peptide therapy Cold plunge IV vitamin therapy +7 more
See if it’s a fit
Dr. Shawn Vedamani, MDDr. Alex Roher, MD

Hormones and Wellness by SDBody, Mission Hills

Mission Hills
Dr. Shawn Vedamani, MD, Dr. Alex Roher, MD
2 locations, also in La Jolla
Advanced diagnostics & emerging careHormones & energyWhole-body baseline

Hormones and Wellness by SDBody in Mission Hills is the downtown clinic of a two-site physician-led practice founded by two board-certified anesthesiologists. Every care path opens with one of three named lab panels, Hormone, Core or Advanced, drawn at an Optimization Intake and read back against your symptoms. Treatment runs from hormone therapy and weight care to peptides, IV and NAD+, and recovery. Led by Dr. Shawn Vedamani, MD, Dr. Alex Roher, MD.

Tests & services

Hormone panel Peptide therapy Cold plunge IV vitamin therapy +7 more
See if it’s a fit
Suzan Mahdai, MD, MPH, DABOM, MSCPHaider Aldiwani, MD, MPH, CCD

Timely Health

Rancho Bernardo, San Diego
Suzan Mahdai, MD, Haider Aldiwani, MD
Strength, fitness & body compositionAdvanced diagnostics & emerging careCancer risk & screening

Timely Health is a preventive and longevity practice on World Trade Drive in San Diego, led by Dr. Suzan Mahdai and Dr. Haider Aldiwani. Onsite testing covers DEXA whole-body and bone density scans, VO₂ max and resting metabolic rate. Memberships cover weight management, menopausal hormone care and prevention, with Galleri, Myriad and at-home sleep testing as add-ons. Led by Suzan Mahdai, MD, Haider Aldiwani, MD.

Tests & services

DEXA scan GLP-1 weight loss program Peptide therapy VO₂ max testing +7 more
See if it’s a fit

iThriveMD Encinitas

Encinitas
Dr. Samir Damani, MD
Advanced diagnostics & emerging careMedical weight lossMen’s health & testosterone

iThriveMD Encinitas sits on North El Camino Real and opens seven days a week, serving Encinitas, Carlsbad, Solana Beach and Cardiff. The menu names the molecule in almost every case: semaglutide, tirzepatide, sermorelin, PT-141, metformin, methylene blue, low-dose naltrexone, NAD+ and enclomiphene. Labs and a whole-body MRI sit under Diagnostics, and twelve clinicians are named across the group. Led by Dr. Samir Damani, MD.

Tests & services

Full-body MRI GLP-1 weight loss program Peptide therapy IV vitamin therapy +7 more
See if it’s a fit
Testing studio

Live Lean Rx, San Diego

Middletown, San Diego
Strength, fitness & body compositionGut & digestive healthMedical weight loss

Live Lean Rx's San Diego centre sits on Hancock Street near the airport, one of twenty-two sites the brand runs across the country. It measures body composition by DEXA, aerobic capacity by VO2 max and metabolism at rest, and runs IgG and IgA food sensitivity panels in two sizes. Four named packages combine those tests with nutritional consults delivered by a Registered Dietician.

Tests & services

DEXA scan VO₂ max testing Metabolic rate testing
See if it’s a fit

How a weight care visit usually goes

  1. Your history first

    How your weight has changed, what you've tried, your medicines, sleep and family history.

  2. The testing

    Usually measurements and a blood draw, sometimes a scan. Ask what's included and what costs extra.

  3. Your results, explained

    What your weight is doing to your blood sugar, blood pressure and liver, and what may be behind it.

  4. A plan and a date

    Eating, activity, sleep, any medicine, and when to check in again. Ask if your doctor gets a copy.

If you gain weight fast with swollen feet or shortness of breath, or lose weight you can't explain, see your doctor soon. That needs a diagnosis, not a weight program.

Go deeper

Explainer What a DEXA scan shows about your body, and what it costs

One machine, two scans. What each one measures, how to read your report, and what it costs.
Data Which states have the highest obesity rates?

Adult obesity in every state, on a map and ranked, with what the numbers mean and the checks that matter most.
Explainer VO2 max by age: what’s a good number for you?

A chart by age and sex, how much oxygen your body can use at full effort, and what the test costs.

Common questions

Which clinics in San Diego address medical weight loss?

8 in our San Diego guide: Dexa Body, San Diego, Dr. Erica Oberg, Fontaine MD, Hormones and Wellness by SDBody, La Jolla, Hormones and Wellness by SDBody, Mission Hills, Timely Health, iThriveMD Encinitas and Live Lean Rx, San Diego.

My BMI says I'm overweight, but I'm muscular. Does it still count?

Maybe less than it looks. BMI can't tell fat from muscle or show where fat sits, so doctors read it alongside other signs, like your blood pressure. Your waist size adds a lot, and a DEXA scan can show how much of your weight is actually fat.

What about GLP-1 weight loss medicines?

They copy a gut hormone that makes you feel full. Several are FDA-approved for adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related condition. With a lifestyle program, people lose more than with lifestyle alone. Nausea is common, and weight often returns after stopping.

Are compounded versions the same as the approved medicines?

No. Compounded drugs are mixed by a pharmacy, and the FDA doesn't review them for safety, effectiveness or quality before they're sold. It has received reports of people taking the wrong dose, some needing hospital care. If you're prescribed one, the FDA advises filling it at a state-licensed pharmacy.

I just want a DEXA scan. Where do I start?

Our DEXA scan page lists the clinics near you that offer it. If you plan to repeat it to track your progress, ask how often makes sense and who will go over the results with you.

What does this cost, and will insurance cover it?

It varies. Blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure checks are often covered when your doctor orders them. Body scans and metabolic rate tests are usually self-pay, and coverage for weight loss medicines depends on your plan. Our guides on cost and insurance go deeper.

How do you decide which clinics appear on this page?

A clinic appears here when its own published material shows it offers this kind of care at that location.

Sources (16)
  1. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Weight loss to prevent obesity-related morbidity and mortality in adults: behavioral interventions (2018)
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, About body mass index (BMI)
  3. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Waist circumference (health dictionary)
  4. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Health risks of overweight and obesity
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Diabetes testing
  6. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Insulin resistance and prediabetes
  7. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Diagnosis of NAFLD and NASH
  8. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
  9. MedlinePlus, Weight gain (unintentional)
  10. MedlinePlus, Weight loss (unintentional)
  11. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NHANES dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) whole body data documentation
  12. Direk and colleagues, The relationship between DXA-based and anthropometric measures of visceral fat and morbidity in women, BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 2013
  13. Frankenfield and colleagues, Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2005
  14. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Prescription medications to treat overweight and obesity
  15. MedlinePlus, GLP-1 agonists
  16. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA's concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss

This page is educational information, not medical advice, and it is not a recommendation to have or to skip any test or treatment. What is worth testing depends on your age, your history and your health, so discuss it with a clinician who knows them. If you gain weight quickly with swelling or breathlessness, lose weight you can't explain, or have another symptom that concerns you, seek a medical evaluation rather than a weight program.

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