Find a Weight-Loss Doctor, Clinic or Surgeon

Key takeaways

• ABOM certification signals specialized knowledge in obesity care, and ABOM offers a free public verification search.^[1]
• Nearly 1,000 bariatric surgery sites have been reviewed by the MBSAQIP accreditation program, which has a public center search.^[3]
• The American Board of Plastic Surgery lets anyone verify a surgeon's certification online.^[4]
• Medicare covers obesity counseling in primary care for people with a BMI of 30 or more, a good first stop.^[6]

In short: To find a weight loss doctor near you, start with your primary care clinician, then look for the right specialist for your goal: an obesity medicine physician for medical weight management, a registered dietitian for eating, a bariatric surgeon at an accredited center for surgery, or a board-certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist for body contouring and loose skin. Official boards and societies run free search tools where you can check credentials before you book.

This hub explains which professional does what, which credentials to check, where to search, and what to ask at a first visit. Our own provider directory is being built and will list only providers whose details we have checked against public sources, with the date we checked.

Start here: do these next 1-2-3

Which professional for what

• Primary care physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant: a first assessment, screening for weight-related conditions, behavioral counseling and referrals. Many also prescribe weight-management medication.
• Obesity medicine physician: a doctor with extra training in treating obesity, including nutrition, activity, behavior and medication. Certification by the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) signals specialized knowledge in obesity care. See find an obesity medicine doctor.
• Endocrinologist: a hormone specialist, often involved when weight is tied to diabetes, thyroid or other hormonal conditions such as PCOS.
• Registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN): a credentialed nutrition professional who gives personalized, science-based eating guidance, including on a GLP-1 medication or after surgery.
• Bariatric surgeon: performs weight-loss surgery such as the gastric sleeve or gastric bypass, usually as part of a team. See find a bariatric surgeon.
• Plastic surgeon or dermatologist: body contouring, loose skin and skin treatments. These are cosmetic or reconstructive, not weight-loss treatments. See find a board-certified plastic surgeon.
• Behavioral health professional: a psychologist, counselor or therapist for emotional eating, stress, body image or eating disorders.
• Exercise professional or physical therapist: safe activity plans, especially with joint pain or after surgery.

Clinics and telehealth services often bring several of these together. Our guides to weight-loss clinics and weight-loss programs explain what each offers.

Credentials to check, and where

These free tools come from the boards and societies themselves (checked on 2026-10-06):

• Obesity medicine: the ABOM certification verification search shows whether a physician is an ABOM diplomate.
• Bariatric surgery: the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery’s find a surgeon directory lists members by location and procedure. The American College of Surgeons’ MBSAQIP program accredits bariatric centers in the United States and Canada; nearly 1,000 sites have gone through its independent review, and its accredited center search shows them.
• Plastic surgery: the American Board of Plastic Surgery offers a public verify certification tool.
• Dietitians: the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Find a Nutrition Expert search lists registered dietitian nutritionists.

Also check that the clinician holds an active license in your state; your state medical board’s website has a license lookup. “Board certified” should name the board, and you can confirm it with that board directly.

Referrals, networks and cost

Many HMOs require a referral, a written order from your primary care doctor, before you see a specialist, and a plan may refuse to pay for care you get without one. Before booking, ask your plan whether you need a referral and whether both the clinician and the facility are in network. Obesity screening and counseling is on HealthCare.gov’s list of preventive services that all Marketplace plans and many other plans cover without a copay when you use an in-network provider, so a primary care visit is often the least expensive first step. Our insurance hub explains prior authorization and appeals.

Red flags when choosing a clinic

• Promises of a set amount of weight by a set date, or results that “work for everyone”. The Federal Trade Commission lists claims like these among the signs of a misleading weight-loss ad.
• Pressure to pay for a long package up front, before anyone has reviewed your health history.
• No clear answer about who your clinician is, what license they hold, or which medication you would receive.
• Fat-dissolving injections offered for the belly, thighs or arms. The FDA has approved only one fat-dissolving injectable, Kybella, and only for fat under the chin in adults; it has received reports of scars, serious infections and painful knots after unapproved injections, some given at med spas by people who may not have been properly licensed.

If something feels off, it is fine to take time, ask for details in writing and get a second opinion. A good clinician will welcome your questions.

Telehealth: what to check

Online care can be convenient, but the same standards apply. Confirm that the clinician is licensed in your state, that you have a real consultation, and exactly which medication would be prescribed. Compounded drugs are not FDA approved, and the FDA does not review them for safety, effectiveness or quality before they are marketed, so ask whether a service prescribes FDA-approved brand products. Our guide to compounded GLP-1s explains why this matters.

Prepare for your first appointment

A little preparation makes a first visit much more useful. Bring:

• A list of every medication and supplement you take, with doses.
• A short weight history: when your weight changed, what you have tried, and what helped or did not.
• Any recent lab results, and the names of other clinicians you see.
• Your goals in your own words, and the options you want to ask about, for example from Find My Options or our medications hub.

You can also bring someone you trust to take notes. Tell the clinician if anything about weight conversations has been hard for you in the past; good care should feel respectful.

Questions to ask at a first visit

The NIH suggests asking any weight-loss program or provider about staff qualifications, costs, risks and how they keep you safe. Good first questions:

• What training and certification do you and your team have in weight management?
• Which approaches do you offer, and how do you decide what fits a patient?
• Do you work with dietitians, behavioral health professionals or surgeons?
• What will it cost in total, and which parts does my insurance cover?
• How will we monitor side effects and progress, and what is the plan for keeping weight off?
• For surgery: how many of these procedures have you done, is the center accredited, and what follow-up is included?

Our insurance hub helps you prepare the coverage questions, and the costs hub shows typical prices with dates.

InstaTuck provider directory

We are building a directory of obesity medicine physicians, bariatric and plastic surgeons, dietitians and clinics. Each listing will show where its credentials come from and the date we checked them, and “Verified” only when we verified it ourselves. Location pages will appear only where several verified providers are listed. Listings are never ordered by payment, and any paid listing will be labeled. When the directory opens, you will also be able to request a consultation and choose which providers may contact you.

Questions to ask a professional

• Can you refer me to an obesity medicine specialist, dietitian or bariatric program covered by my plan?
• Could a medical condition or one of my medications be affecting my weight?
• Which approaches would you consider for me, and which specialist should I see first?
• If I am considering surgery, which accredited centers do you work with?

Frequently asked questions

What kind of doctor helps with weight loss?

Start with a primary care clinician. Specialists include obesity medicine physicians, endocrinologists, registered dietitians, bariatric surgeons, and plastic surgeons or dermatologists for contouring and loose skin.

How do I find a weight loss doctor near me?

Ask your primary care clinician or insurer for a referral, then use official searches: ABOM verification for obesity medicine, ASMBS and the MBSAQIP center search for bariatric surgery, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for dietitians.

What does "board certified in obesity medicine" mean?

It means a physician has been certified by the American Board of Obesity Medicine, which signals specialized knowledge in obesity care. You can confirm it on ABOM's public verification search.

Are online weight-loss doctors legitimate?

Many are, but check that the clinician is licensed in your state, that you get a real consultation and which medication would be prescribed. Compounded drugs are not FDA approved.

When will the InstaTuck directory be available?

We are building it now. Listings will show where each credential comes from and when we checked it, and paid listings will always be labeled.

References

1. American Board of Obesity Medicine. American Board of Obesity Medicine. (accessed October 6, 2026) Society statement
2. Find a Surgeon. American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. (accessed October 6, 2026) Society statement
3. Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP). American College of Surgeons. (accessed October 7, 2026) Society statement
4. American Board of Plastic Surgery. American Board of Plastic Surgery. (accessed October 6, 2026) Society statement
5. Find a Nutrition Expert. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (accessed October 7, 2026) Society statement
6. Obesity behavioral therapy. Medicare.gov. (accessed October 6, 2026) Government page
7. Choosing a Safe & Successful Weight-loss Program. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH). (accessed October 7, 2026) Government page
8. FDA’s concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026. (accessed October 7, 2026) Government page
9. Referral (glossary). HealthCare.gov (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services). (accessed October 6, 2026) Government page
10. Preventive care benefits for adults. HealthCare.gov (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services). (accessed October 7, 2026) Government page
11. The Truth Behind Weight Loss Ads. Federal Trade Commission. (accessed October 7, 2026) Government page
12. Using Fat-Dissolving Injections That Are Not FDA Approved Can Be Harmful. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2023. (accessed October 6, 2026) Government page

Facts checked on October 6, 2026

Educational information, not medical advice. Talk with a qualified healthcare professional about your own situation. In an emergency call 911.