Meet our Physician
Our board-certified weight loss physician, Dr. M. Free, is passionate about safe and effective weight loss that can be delivered through online access to our patients. Dr. Free's goals include reaching patients who have difficulty getting the access they need to physician-driven health due to time constraints, scheduling difficulties, driving issues, and geographic distance.
Marcus Free, MD
Medical Director, Online Weight Loss MD
American Board of Surgery, Diplomate
Board of Obesity Medicine, Candidate
American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
The Obesity Society
Obesity Medicine Association
The Obesity Action Coalition
Dr. Free received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, where he also completed his surgery residency training. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Surgery and candidate of the Board of Obesity Medicine. During his career, he has served as Chief of Staff, Chief of Surgery, Medical Director of Metabolic and Bariatic Surgery, and Assistant Professor Of Surgery at Western Michigan University's Stryker School of Medicine. He is passionate about obesity and metabolic disorders and is the chief investigator of a NIH (National Institutes of Health) registered clinical research project looking at the surgical treatment of type 2 diabetes. Dr. Free is a member of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity, the Obesity Medicine Association, The Obesity Society, and the Obesity Action Coalition. He practices in Michigan and Texas and can be reached at [email protected].
Our Approach
Telemedicine and Weight Loss Treatment - A natural combination
We believe that seeing a physician for many non-emergency conditions or health problems doesn't always require an in-person visit to a doctor's office. A wide variety of health concerns, including being overweight, can be often be safely and effectively addressed through an online visit with a qualified physician. Such encounters are an example of "telemedicine" which we believe truly is the future of healthcare. Telemedicine visits with our board-certified weight loss physician, Dr. Free, are done through a private, secure portal called Doxy.me and typically involve a video and audio connection. You can use your smartphone or tablet (Android or iPhone) or a laptop or other computer from anywhere that's convenient for you to connect to the telemedicine visit for initial consultations and followup visits.
Dr. Free has been providing medical and surgical weight loss treatments in a traditional clinic or hospital setting since 2001. However, we realize that many people in the U.S. with unhealthy body weight are not receiving the treatments they need. Dr. Free believes that telemedicine visits are the best way to reach many of those who would not otherwise be able to seek out a physician in person. In Michigan and Texas, recent changes in healthcare law have made it possible for physicians to provide care for those who experience difficulty getting to a physician's office or clinic. Now, both initial visits and followup visits can be performed through telemedicine encounters. As well, prescriptions can be written, if determined to be medically necessary, through properly conducted telemedicine visits. There's no longer any reason to keep you from starting a journey to a new you--reach out to us today!
Our online weight loss program starts with an initial 30 minute consultation with Dr. Free, during which time your medical and dietary history will be reviewed and a comprehensive strategy developed for your weight loss success. Each patient is unique and so each treatment plan will be different for each patient. However, in general, our weight loss programs include dietary instruction/counseling, addressing behavioral concerns, activity/exercise goals, and prescription weight loss medications.
After your initial visit, you'll be started on an individualized weight loss program with monthly followup visits, also done by a telemedicine visit with Dr. Free, not with a nurse or other non-physician provider. We strongly believe that medical weight loss is a complex health issue that requires the attention of an appropriately-trained, board-certified physician. At each followup visit, Dr. Free will review your treatment goals, progress towards exercise and nutrition goals, and of course, your overall weight loss progress. Once you've reached the goals that have been established, Dr. Free will discuss with you about whether a maintenance program with occasional followup visits (every 3 to 6 months) may be appropriate.
Our Story
To Make an Appointment with Dr. Free...
To setup an appointment with Dr. Free for an online, telemedicine weight loss consultation, call us toll-free at (888) 550-5154 or click the link to the right...