Getting care and privacy: questions and answers

It's worth booking a visit if you've tried for several months without progress, if your BMI is 30 or higher, or 27 or higher with a condition like high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes, or if your weight is affecting your health or daily life.

See a clinician sooner if you gain or lose weight quickly without trying, or have symptoms like swelling, extreme tiredness or shortness of breath. A clinician can look for medical causes and talk through treatment options. Check your numbers first with the BMI calculator.

Expect a conversation about your weight history, eating, activity, sleep, stress, medicines and health conditions. The clinician will usually check your weight, height, blood pressure and sometimes waist size.

They may order blood tests and talk through options such as nutrition counseling, a structured lifestyle program, medicine or, for some people, surgery. The USPSTF recommends that clinicians offer or refer adults with a BMI of 30 or more to intensive lifestyle programs. It's fine to ask questions and to take time to decide.

Common tests include an A1C or fasting glucose for diabetes and prediabetes, a cholesterol panel, a metabolic panel for kidney and liver function, and often a thyroid test (TSH). Some clinicians also check vitamin levels such as B12 or vitamin D.

The exact list depends on your history and the treatment being considered. For example, some medicines need a pregnancy test or a check of kidney function first. Ask what each test is for and how results will change the plan.

Losing more than 5% of your body weight over 6 to 12 months without trying is a common reason for medical evaluation. For someone at 180 pounds, that's about 9 pounds.

Unintended loss can come from many causes, including thyroid problems, diabetes, digestive conditions, depression, medicines and, less often, cancer. It's worth seeing a clinician, especially with fever, night sweats, ongoing pain, trouble swallowing or changes in bowel habits. Most causes are treatable, and checking early helps.

Your primary care clinician is a good place to start. Many family medicine and internal medicine doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants treat obesity and can prescribe medicine when appropriate.

Some physicians are board-certified in obesity medicine. Endocrinologists treat hormone-related conditions, registered dietitians help with eating plans, and bariatric surgeons handle surgical options. Behavioral health professionals can help with emotional eating and binge eating. Many people get the best results from a team approach.

Bring a list of every medicine and supplement you take, with doses, plus your health conditions and family history. Note any history of thyroid cancer, pancreatitis, gallbladder problems or eating disorders, and whether you're pregnant or planning to be.

It also helps to bring your weight history, what you've tried, your goals and questions about cost and coverage. A few weeks of food or step notes can make the conversation more specific. Know your numbers ahead of time with the TDEE calculator.

Often, yes. Many licensed clinicians offer weight-management visits by video, and they can prescribe medicine when it's appropriate and allowed in your state.

A good telehealth service will take a full medical history, review your medicines and may order lab tests or ask for an in-person check before prescribing. Be cautious of services that prescribe after a short questionnaire without any direct contact with a licensed clinician. Follow-up visits matter too, since doses and side effects need monitoring.

Generally, yes. Clinicians usually must hold a license in the state where you are located at the time of the visit, including for video visits. That's why telehealth services ask where you are.

Some states have limited exceptions, and interstate compacts can make it easier for clinicians to hold licenses in several states, but they still need permission to practice in yours. Rules for controlled substances are stricter. Learn more about clinicians in your state on our find a clinician page.

Every state has a licensing board that lets you look up a clinician's license, and many show any disciplinary actions. For physicians, the Federation of State Medical Boards runs DocInfo.org, a free national lookup.

Nurse practitioners, physician assistants and pharmacists are licensed by their own state boards. Search the board for the state where you live. A legitimate clinician or practice should be happy to share their license details. Our state pages, such as California, include license lookup information.

Watch for medicine offered without a visit with a licensed clinician, prices that seem far below those of approved medicines with no explanation, and sellers that won't say which pharmacy fills the prescription.

Other warning signs include "research use only" products, vials you mix yourself with doses in "units," promises of guaranteed results, pressure to sign up today and no way to reach a clinician with side effects. Check that the pharmacy is licensed and ask what's in the product. Our guide to compounded GLP-1s explains the risks.

No. Sunny Weigh doesn't prescribe, sell or dispense medicine, and we don't provide medical care. We publish calculators and information, and we can introduce you to a licensed clinician in your state if you ask us to.

Any decision about medicine, including whether a GLP-1 is right for you, is made by that clinician after reviewing your health. Using Sunny Weigh doesn't create a doctor-patient relationship with us. Read about what we do on our about page.

You tell us your state, what you'd like help with and the best way to reach you, and you tick a consent box. We then pass your request to a licensed clinician or practice in your state, who may reach out by your preferred method.

There's no obligation. You can talk through your goals, history, coverage and cost, and decide whether to go ahead. The clinician decides whether any medicine is right for you. Start on the find a clinician page.

A licensed clinician or practice in the state you chose may contact you by your preferred method, such as email, phone or text. We share your request with them only after you give consent on the form.

Any care relationship is between you and that clinician, not Sunny Weigh. Ask about their license, fees, which medicines they prescribe and how follow-up works before you book. If you change your mind, you can email us to withdraw consent, and we'll stop any introduction that hasn't happened yet.

We may be compensated for introductions. We tell you this up front because it's a financial relationship you should know about.

That compensation doesn't change our content, our calculators or how we describe any medicine. Advertisers and partners don't see pages before publication and can't buy a ranking or review. We never partner with or promote compounded-drug sellers. Read our ads and affiliates policy for the full rules.

No. Asking us to introduce you to a clinician is free, and there's no obligation to book anything.

If you go ahead with care, the clinician or practice sets its own fees, and the cost of any medicine depends on the drug, your insurance and the pharmacy. Ask about visit fees, lab costs and follow-up charges before you book. Our GLP-1 cost index shows medicine prices side by side.

The form asks for your first name, email, state, what you'd like help with, your preferred contact method and, optionally, your phone number. You must confirm you're 18 or older and tick a consent box before we can make the introduction.

We also keep the exact consent wording you agreed to, the page you were on and the time. We don't ask for your medical records, insurance details or payment information. Full details are in our privacy policy.

No. We don't sell the information you send through the find-a-clinician form, and we don't sell email addresses.

When you ask for an introduction and give consent, we share your request with one licensed clinician or practice in your state so they can contact you. We use it only to make the introduction you asked for. Some state laws give extra protection to consumer health data, and our privacy policy explains how we handle it.

We keep find-a-clinician form records for up to 24 months, then delete them, unless the law requires us to keep them longer.

You don't have to wait that long. You can ask us to see or delete your information at any time by emailing us. Your calculator inputs and weigh-ins aren't stored by us at all, since they stay in your browser. See our privacy policy for details.

Email us at the contact address on our contact page and tell us you'd like to withdraw consent or have your information deleted. You can also ask to see what we hold about you.

If you withdraw consent before an introduction has happened, we'll stop it. If a clinician has already contacted you, you can also ask them directly to delete your details, since they keep their own records. For calls and texts, you can reply STOP at any time. Find our address on the contact page.

Only if you choose to. Calls and texts about your request happen only if you tick the separate phone consent box. That consent isn't required to get help, and you can pick email as your contact method instead.

If you do agree, messages may come from the clinician or practice, including from automated systems, and message and data rates may apply. You can reply STOP at any time to opt out. Read more in our privacy policy.

No. Our calculators run in your web browser, and the numbers you type, like your age, weight, height or medicine, aren't sent to our servers.

The weigh-in tracker and saved plans are stored in your browser's local storage on your device only, so clearing your browser data deletes them. If you copy a share link, your inputs sit in the part of the address after the # sign, which browsers don't send to servers, but anyone you share it with can see them. Details are in our privacy policy.

No. Sunny Weigh provides general information and math. It isn't medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and it can't account for your full health history.

Never start, stop or change a medicine or dose because of something you read or calculated here. Bring your results and questions to your prescriber or pharmacist, who knows your history and other medicines. In a medical emergency, call 911. Read our full medical disclaimer.

HIPAA generally applies to health plans, most health care providers and the companies working on their behalf. Sunny Weigh doesn't provide care, so HIPAA may not cover the information you send us, which is why we explain our own practices plainly.

We collect form data only with your consent, use it only for the introduction you request and don't sell it. Some state consumer health data laws may also apply. Once a clinician treats you, their own privacy practices govern your records. See our privacy policy.

Every health page is drafted from primary sources, such as FDA labels, peer-reviewed trials and government health agencies, and every number is fact-checked against its source.

Drug pages are to be reviewed by a licensed MD, DO or PharmD, and nutrition tools by a registered dietitian, with the reviewer's name and date shown once they sign off. Pages are re-checked on a fixed calendar, from monthly for prices to yearly for calculator formulas. Read how we review.

It means the page has been drafted from primary sources and fact-checked, but a licensed clinician hasn't signed it off yet. Sunny Weigh is pre-launch and onboarding reviewers now.

When a reviewer approves a page, the label changes to show their name, credentials and the review date. If they ask for changes, we make them first. We won't name a reviewer until they've actually reviewed the page. Details are on our medical review page.

Email us with the page address, what looks wrong and, if you have one, a source showing the correct information. We aim to acknowledge reports within 2 business days.

We check each report against the primary source. If the page is wrong, we fix it, update the page date and log the correction publicly, and health corrections go through clinician review. If we believe the page is right, we reply with the source we relied on. See our corrections log.

No. Sunny Weigh isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk or any other drug maker. Brand names such as Zepbound and Wegovy appear only to identify the medicines we describe.

Drug makers, advertisers and partners have no say over what we write and don't see pages before publication. Our reviewers disclose any conflicts and have no financial ties to the makers of the medicines they review. Read our editorial policy.

No. We don't promote, rank or review compounded-drug sellers, and we won't partner with them. We report the legal status of compounded medicines only.

Compounded versions of semaglutide and tirzepatide aren't FDA-approved, and the FDA doesn't review them for safety, effectiveness or quality before they're sold. Any telehealth partners we work with in the future will be limited to programs that prescribe FDA-approved medicines. Read the disclaimer for more.

Call 911 right away for chest pain, trouble breathing, fainting, signs of a stroke, severe belly pain, a severe allergic reaction or any symptom that feels life-threatening. Don't wait for an online reply or a clinician callback.

Sunny Weigh can't respond to emergencies or give medical advice. For thoughts of suicide or a mental health crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. For a possible poisoning or overdose, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

If you're bingeing, purging, using laxatives or fasting to control weight, or feel consumed by food and weight, talk to a clinician. Eating disorders are common, serious and treatable, and they affect people of every size.

Your primary care clinician or a mental health professional can help you find specialized care. If you're in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988. For fainting, chest pain or a racing heartbeat, call 911. Calorie and weight tools aren't right for everyone, and it's okay to step away from them.