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Holistic Treatment Programmes for Weight Loss and Wellbeing

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Our bespoke weight loss treatment programmes are tailored to your psychological and physical needs. We see weight gain as a symptom of underlying imbalances. We will help you figure out and treat those core issues. 

We only treat one client at a time, so a team of 15+ doctors will be focused exclusively on you and your wellbeing.

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One Client at a Time

Unparalleled staff to patient ratio of 15:1

Weight Loss Treatment Programmes

Weight gain occurs for a host of reasons. At Paracelsus Recovery, our priority is to understand each and every root cause. For example, there are psychological reasons for weight gain, such as using food as a coping strategy for difficult emotions. In a case like this, our priority would be to help you process any of those underlying traumas, stressors and difficulties.

Then there are environmental reasons for weight gain, e.g., if you live a highly stressful life, you will crave more carbohydrates and sugar than the average person. In this instance, our goal would be to help you find ways of minimising your stress levels. 

Health issues that can cause weight gain and obesity.

An underactive thyroid

Diabetes

Ageing

Cushing’s syndrome

Exhaustion

Stress

Fluid retention

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Lifestyle changes

Underlying mental health issues

Substance abuse issues

Eating disorders

Sugar dependency

Genetics

Leptin resistance

We will conduct a full-health medical check-up and make sure to identify and treat any co-occurring condition. If the root cause is a chronic condition, we will help you find strategies to manage and minimise your symptoms.  

During the treatment process, which takes place in the comfort and privacy of our clinical residence, we identify the underlying causes and effects of your weight gain in a thorough 360-degree assessment. This includes an extensive medical check-up, psychiatric evaluation, comprehensive laboratory tests, a functional health assessment, and nutrition and lifestyle assessment. 

We will also provide numerous sessions with our nutritional team to discuss your weight loss goals and your present diet/exercise regime. Finally, you will meet with our in-house psychologist to determine if any underlying psychological factors or mental health issues contribute to your weight. We will design and implement a comprehensive and individually tailored care plan with this information.

Amongst other aspects, your treatment programme will include:

1. Physical Health Restoration

  • Nutrient-dense meal plan for you that will replenish any lab-identified inflammatory or immune system issues. We take your dietary preferences into account and anything missing from your dietary plan via nutritional supplements.
  • You will work with some of the world's leading fitness instructors to help create a long-term daily exercise routine that works for you. We have access to some of Zurich's finest gyms, and we can always bring equipment to you in one of our penthouses.
  • We will make sure your body has optimal water levels, vitamins, minerals, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates. Once these levels are restored, you will begin to feel fewer cravings for refined sugars or carbohydrates (if that is something you struggle with).
  • Numerous studies show that imbalanced gut health can slow down our metabolism and lead to weight gain. Intestinal detox and pre/probiotics therapy to restore your gut health.

2. Mental Health Restoration

  • Psychonutrition education to help you understand how to ensure your diet contains all the key ingredients to keep you healthy and content after your stay with us.
  • A specialised psychotherapist will help you process any mental health issues. We will also help you practice intuitive eating which is a therapeutic technique designed to help you learn how to tune into and trust your body’s hunger-cues.
  • A live-in therapist will be available to provide you with 24/7 emotional support. 

3. Biochemical Restoration

  • Excess weight gain is the excessive accumulation of triacylglycerols in fatty tissue. We use individualised formulas of nutritional supplements and IV solutions based on comprehensive laboratory testing to address these cellular issues. Supplements and IVs may include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other substances.
  • We use functional medicine to help restore your health and facilitate your body's natural healing process.

Eating Disorder Treatment at Paracelsus Recovery

It is nothing new to say that weight gain and obesity come with health risks. They increase your risk of developing high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, coronary heart disease, certain cancers, gallbladder issues, osteoarthritis, breathing problems, etc. However, it is also nothing new to say that, in our modern society, obesity has become highly stigmatised. When someone is obese, much like with many other addictions, the person is often (and cruelly) seen as weak-willed, or they do not care about their health.

At Paracelsus Recovery, we recognise that obesity has nothing to do with willpower. Instead, it occurs for many reasons, including genetics, stress levels and numerous other environmental factors. We also believe that, in some cases, obesity is a sign of an underlying eating disorder, particularly binge eating disorder and compulsive overeating disorder.

These conditions mean that food has evolved into a coping strategy for dealing with difficult emotions, stressors, and pain. But, because we are looking for relief, we usually rely on foods that release high volumes of feel-good chemicals like dopamine. As a result, our body becomes dependent on high-fat and high-sugar foods for those neurochemicals, much like our body becomes dependent on a drug. 

Obesity – and its health risks – are a side effect of these underlying issues. At Paracelsus Recovery, we can help you deal with the withdrawal period, restore a healthier relationship with food, and lose weight.

Disclaimer: if someone is suffering from an eating disorder such as anorexia, bulimia or orthorexia nervosa, they may believe they need a weight loss treatment programme. But, in reality, it would do more harm than good. We will always conduct an elaborate testing procedure pre-treatment to determine your exact needs. If our experts determine that you are suffering from an eating disorder, we will recommend an entirely different programme. If we think you are suffering from compulsive overeating disorder or binge eating disorder, we will also recommend an entirely different programme. We would never encourage someone to lose weight unnecessarily.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Firstly, exercise and a nutrient-dense diet are vital. For weight loss purposes, we would recommend approx. 200 - 300 minutes a week of moderate exercise (45 – 1 hour five to six times a week). In terms of food, we would recommend a protein and fibre rich diet, limit sugary drinks, unhealthy fats and remember to eat breakfast every day.

Secondly, if you have gained a lot of weight in a short period of time, it is important to understand why you may be craving sugary or processed foods and address those underlying reasons. Food can be used as a coping mechanism, just like any addictive substance.

Obesity was classified as a disease in 1948 by the WHO. Although, this classification has been highly debated since then, we know that obesity is not just a cosmetic issue but a medical problem that increases your risk of developing a host of health problems.

Intuitive eating is a non-dieting approach to food which focuses on trusting your body to make food choices that feel good for you, without judging yourself or adopting harsh diet-culture driven ideas about weight loss and weight gain.

At Paracelsus Recovery, we believe that weight loss cannot be treated as a condition in and of itself. Instead, you need to tackle the underlying causes which include numerous conditions, imbalances and emotional factors. That being said, once those are addressed, changes in diet and physical activity, nutritional supplementation, psychotherapy, minimising stress and enhancing emotional regulation skills are vital.

Yes, in our opinion, food addiction is absolutely a real and complicated condition. For example, certain foods – particularly processed foods with added sweeteners and fats - have been show to release the same feel-good chemicals in the brain as more classically addictive substances such as cocaine or alcohol. In fact, some theorists argue that food is often our first addiction and those that we find later in life are substitutes.