News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Lynne Jones
ljones@cshp.net
719-538-2900
Program Offered at Colorado Springs Health Partners Named No. 1 “Best Fast
Weight-Loss Diet” by U.S. News and World Report
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.(January 19, 2016) – A program offered by Colorado Springs
Health Partners (CSHP) and created by HMR Weight Management Services (HMR) has been
named a No. 1 Best Fast Weight-Loss Diet in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Diets of 2016
rankings. This is the first year the magazine has published the Best Fast Weight-Loss Diet
category. The HMR Program also held its position as the No. 2 Best Weight-Loss Diet in the
annual rankings list for the second year in a row. The HMR Program focuses on helping people
lose weight quickly while teaching the healthy lifestyle skills needed for long-term weight
management.
CSHP has just begun offering the HMR Program to community members in the Pikes Peak
region who are interested in losing weight.
“HMR programs excel at providing the jump start many people need when beginning a healthier
lifestyle program,” said Dr. Kari Uusinarkaus, medical director of adult primary care and health
management departments at CSHP. “Through the HMR Program at CSHP, people can lose
weight without feeling hungry. The program achieves fast weight loss in a livable way, by
encouraging people to eat more and stay satisfied. This makes it easier to stick to the program
in both the short- and long-term.”
Dr. Uusinarkaus added, "A common misconception is that losing weight quickly is not healthy,
not sustainable and will just lead to future weight re-gain. To the contrary, numerous clinical
studies demonstrate that following a lifestyle change program that promotes fast initial weight
loss can result in better long-term success.”
CSHP is part of DaVita HealthCare Partners, a leading independent medical group in the
country.
Selected Weight-Loss Results from Clinical Studies on the HMR Program
In a clinical study, 1,100 participants with a BMI of 40 or higher who completed at least 12
weeks of the HMR Program lost an average of 66 lbs. after 26 weeks (using either the HMR
Decision-Free® or Healthy Solutions® program).1 Participants using the Healthy Solutions® at
Home program had a median weight loss of 23 lbs. over the first 12 weeks of the program. 2
Clinically meaningful weight loss is typically defined as losing 5 percent or more of initial body
weight.3 Healthy Solutions at Home participants using phone support maintained an average
weight loss of 7.4 percent of initial body weight 18 months after starting the program. 4
Selected Health Outcomes from the HMR Program
It is well reported that weight loss is associated with favorable changes in medical risk factors.
Below are health risk reductions and medication changes for 721 HMR patients who
participated in a clinic-based program (mean duration of participation 107.6 weeks):5
 Fasting Glucose (mg/dL):-9.4 percent
 Total Cholesterol / HDL ratio:-10.3 percent
 Diastolic / Systolic Blood Pressure:-7 mmHg /-4 mmHg
 Triglycerides (mg/dL):-26.7 percent
 Of 126 patients taking oral diabetes medications at baseline, 40.5 percent (n=51) had
discontinued these medications at follow-up.
 Of 45 patients taking insulin at baseline, 35.5 percent (n=16) had discontinued their
insulin at follow -up.
 Of 337 patients taking blood pressure medications at baseline, 36.2 percent (n=122) had
discontinued these medications at follow-up.
U.S. News & World Report Ranking Process
During the ranking process, reporters and editors from U.S. News & World Report created indepth profiles of 38 diets. A panel of nationally recognized experts on diet, nutrition, obesity,
food psychology, diabetes and heart disease rated the diets on their effectiveness.
About Colorado Springs Health Partners
Colorado Springs Health Partners is a physician driven, locally operated, multi-specialty medical
practice, and a subsidiary of DaVita HealthCare Partners. CSHP is proud to offer quality health
care to residents of the Pikes Peak Community through its 145+ providers in 10 practice
locations throughout the region, including three Urgent Care locations. Committed to a
coordinated, integrated system of care, CSHP offers primary care and full service diagnostics,
ambulatory surgery services, urgent care, hospitalist medicine, health management, a sleep
center and more than 20 medical specialties. Find out more at www.cshp.net.
About DaVita HealthCare Partners
DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc., a Fortune 500® company, is the parent company of
HealthCare Partners and DaVita Kidney Care. HealthCare Partners manages and operates
medical groups and affiliated physician networks in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico,
Florida and Colorado in its pursuit to deliver excellent-quality health care in a dignified and
compassionate manner. As of Sept. 30, 2015, HealthCare Partners provided integrated care
management for approximately 808,000 patients. DaVita Kidney Care is a leading provider of
kidney care in the United States, delivering dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney
failure and end stage renal disease. As of Sept. 30, 2015, DaVita Kidney Care operated or
provided administrative services at 2,225 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States
serving approximately 177,000 patients. The company also operated 104 outpatient dialysis
centers located in 10 countries outside the United States. For more information, please visit
DaVitaHealthCarePartners.com.
About HMR Weight Management Services Corp. (HMR)
HMR Weight Management Services (HMR) is a subsidiary of Merck specializing in weight loss
and weight management. HMR programs, available in person or at home, offer lifestyle
education, a structured diet and an emphasis on long-term weight and health management.
Founded in 1983 by Lawrence T.P. Stifler, Ph.D. and headquartered in Boston, MA, HMR’s
medically-based programs are available to clinics, hospitals, major medical centers, and
integrated delivery networks throughout the United States. For more information, visit
www.hmrprogram.com and connect with HMR on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
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References
1
Anderson JW, et al. Int J Obes. 2007;31:488-493, 2Donnelly JE, et al. Int J Obes. 2007;31:1270-1276,3St Jeor ST, et al. A
classification system to evaluate weight maintainers, gainers, and losers. J Am Diet Assoc. 1997;97:481-8,4Donnelly JE, et al. Obes.
2013; 21:1951-1959,5Poster T-2083 presented at Obesity Week, 04Nov2014, Boston, MA; These data reflect mean weight loss and
associated changes in health risk factors and changes in medication from patients who: enrolled in HMR’s clinic-based DecisionFree® or Healthy Solutions® programs at one of 43 U.S.-based HMR clinics, completed a baseline health risk assessment (HRA),
and a follow-up HRA during the weight-maintenance phase of the program (July/August 2013). Patients were excluded if they did
not have continuous enrollment in the HMR program between the time of initiation and completion of the HRA or if they did not have
complete biometric values.