Every new year brings a fresh chance to feel better, move more, and live the life you want—and UTMB Health is ready to help you make it happen. Whether you’re starting a fitness or weight loss routine, prioritizing preventive care, or finally tackling those lingering aches, our health care professionals are here with the guidance, tools, and support you need to take control of your well-being. This is your moment to reset, recharge, and take bold steps toward a healthier you. Together, we can make 2026 the year you feel your best and turn your health goals into real progress with a clear path toward better health.  

Reclaiming good health can start with finding the right support through a weight loss journey, connecting with a helpful primary care specialist to help keep you on track with preventive screenings and early detection, and consulting with a caring orthopedist who can help address the joint pain or injuries that have been limiting your mobility so you can return to the active lifestyle you might have been missing.   

Dr. Andrea Stark, a fellowship-trained Obesity Medicine specialist, Dr. Saul Fredrickson, assistant professor of Joint Reconstruction the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, and Dr. Madiha Khan, a primary care physician who specializes in Family Medicine, have guidance and information to offer those who are ready to start the new year on a path to reclaiming their health.

Your First Steps Toward Healthy Weight: Tips from an Obesity Medicine Specialist

“Obesity is complex, and it affects each person differently,” Dr. Stark said. “I begin by explaining to my patients that they are not alone, and we address this condition with a team-based approach. With support, individualized care, and evidence-based treatments, long-term success can be achieved.”

Here is Dr. Stark’s advice for meaningful, lasting changes:

• Understand that obesity is a lifelong disease, like hypertension or diabetes, and should be treated as such. You will need lifelong management and support.
• Some weight loss can be managed with lifestyle interventions, but not everyone responds the same way. Don’t allow yourself to feel stigmatized by that. This is not about willpower, so there is no need for self-blame.
• Speak to an obesity medicine specialist and get an individualized prescription plan that includes evidence-based nutritional guidelines and an exercise plan, then close follow-up from a multidisciplinary team that includes a dietician, a primary care specialist, and a counselor.
• An obesity medicine specialist can direct you to the right GLP1 medications that are highly effective if you are not ready for a surgical option. You can feel confident that these medications are likely to work.
• Find a provider who will treat and understand your specific circumstances, educate you about your treatment options, use a multidisciplinary team approach to your treatment, and set you up for success. There are many resources available. Together, we will find the right one for you.

Find an Obesity Medicine Specialist near you.

Ready, Set, Move! Orthopedic Care Can Help

“If joint pain or injury has forced you to scale back on the activities you used to love, then it may be time to visit your orthopedist,” Dr. Fredrickson said. “Today, orthopedic care can offer more options, and better outcomes, than ever before. There are many effective paths back to movement, strength, and daily activities.”

Here’s what Dr. Fredrickson suggests:

• Even if you think you can never get back to your activities because of constant joint pain, or pain from a lingering injury, there is still hope. Many treatments are non-surgical and very effective.
• If you do require surgery, such as a joint replacement, there is every reason to believe you will return to fully enjoying your previous activity level, including skiing, biking, or hiking. The rate of complications from joint replacement surgery is extremely low, and often, patients have the surgery and can be discharged the same day because of improvements in surgical techniques and pain management.
• The decline of bone density and muscle mass is a normal part of getting older. Resistance and weight training is the most effective way to maintain muscle mass and bone density, to reduce fall risks, and help with the normal activities of daily life. The good news is, you’re never too old to start.
• Your orthopedist can direct you to a good physical therapist to help you regain your full mobility after an injury or surgery.
• UTMB has many orthopedists located all over the area, so there is plenty of support and opportunity available for you to find a doctor to help you regain your full mobility and activity level so you can have a longer, healthier life.

Find an Orthopedic Specialist near you.

A Primary Care Partnership Can Turn Wellness Goals into Lasting Results

“I think a healthy beginning starts with attainable goals—within your time, budget, and household’s limits,” said Dr. Khan. “I can give advice, but real change happens when patients are ready, and when we build a plan together that actually fits their life.”

She begins by reaffirming with each patient that primary care is focused on preventing disease before it ever starts, and often, the first step is a look at nutrition and exercise.

She offers the following evidence-based strategies:

• Everyone can benefit from taking a good look what they’re eating and what ingredients are in their food. Now is a good time to go to the cupboards and cabinets and discard the processed foods in favor of lean proteins and fresh produce.
• Your primary care provider can partner with you to help you achieve your wellness goals—but success requires a willingness to embrace change. Look for a PCP who takes the time to understand your background, household, and readiness for change, and who can help tailor a healthy, achievable diet to your individual needs.
• Getting healthier means getting stronger. That’s why exercise is key but start by making perhaps just three small changes. For example, try to walk for 10 minutes, but add light ankle weights. Begin with small, incremental changes—not an overhaul. Remember, your PCP is there to check in with you, keep you motivated, and help you stay on track.
• Your PCP will help you understand the link between chronic conditions and wellness goals. If you have a heart condition or diabetes, your PCP will explain to you how weight loss, exercise, and other lifestyle changes could help get you off certain medications and improve or even resolve those health issues. 

Find a Primary Care Physician near you.