Dr. Johnson has over 50 years experience in treating overweight patients. In addition to being one of only 12 living Fellows of The American Society of Bariatric Physicians, Dr. Johnson is also one of less than 300 physicians in the world who are Board Certified in Bariatric Medicine; he is also past president of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians (the national society of physicians who treat obesity and related conditions). He has assisted in instructing hundreds of physicians across the nation in the "how to" of treating people with this multi-faceted disease complex. Over 200 physicians have visited his office in Charleston in order to pattern their practice after it. In 1987 his book, The Charleston Program, was published and has sold over 1 million copies.

It's a wonderful feeling to have pioneered the successful PSMF program in South Carolina. There are many now which strive to be "clones", but, unfortunately, they miss several highly desirable and necessary components of the program.

Dr. Johnson was using the Outpatient Protein Sparing Modified Fast (OPSMF, Optifast and Medifast) for 10 years before Trident Hospital, The Medical University, Oprah, or anyone else in South Carolina.

Over the years, there have been many improvements and innovations in the programs designed to help patients lose weight quickly and safely. We've been helped and guided by these improvements, but better yet, by the feedback from the thousands of overweight patients we've dealt with. This extensive experience has led us to the conclusion that permanent success can only be achieved through a COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM.

So, first let's agree on what constitutes a comprehensive program. Probably keystone to your success is education - nutritional, psychological and exercise education. This is closely followed by good self-esteem, motivation, and determination. This means that your complete cooperation is not only needed, it is absolutely essential; otherwise, you will only experience another failure.

It doesn't really matter which of our programs you choose, the above is equally applicable to each one of them.

Interestingly, many overweight people are children of an alcoholic parent. If this is your situation, it will need to be addressed before you can be permanently successful. We'll be happy to get you set up with someone, just let us know.