A doctor's first step: an interview with Dr. Dopplinger

The secret to a lasting weight loss journey lies in understanding your body from the inside out. In this exclusive interview with Dr. Alexandra Dopplinger*, Medical Director of the* Tamina Health Center in Bad Ragaz*, you'll discover how a thorough medical assessment provides the crucial* foundation for a truly personalized plan. She reveals how these in-depth tests go far beyond the scale to build a successful and healthy future.

Peter Zombori: Welcome back. This is the third and final interview in our weight loss series with Dr. Alexandra Dopplinger, the Medical Director of the Tamina Health Center in Bad Ragaz. Thank you for taking the time to answer a few more questions. Today, I'd like to focus on the medical assessments you perform at the beginning of a weight loss program and what you use them for.

Dr. Dopplinger: Our initial medical checkup is very personalized and intense. We always start with a full blood test because we need to see if there are any underlying medical issues slowing down weight loss. For example, a lot of people, especially women, are unknowingly struggling with their hormonal systems. We check the liver, kidneys, blood sugar, thyroid, and blood cells to ensure everything is medically correct before we begin.

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We also perform an InBody measurement, which is a body composition test. This helps us understand your body's proportions, including muscle mass and body fat percentage. We pay special attention to visceral fat, the fat around your inner organs, which is connected to cardiovascular problems. By reducing this fat, we can help reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

In addition, we do a cardio-metabolic test to measure your VO2 max. This tells us how well your muscles are absorbing oxygen during exercise. Based on that, we can give you personalized training recommendations and exact heart rate ranges, so you can get the maximum benefit from your workouts both here and when you go home.

The Resort’s Unique Medical Facilities

Peter Zombori: How long do all these assessments take?

Dr. Dopplinger: We typically spread them over two days. This allows you to meet with the doctor and nutritionist, go to the cardio-metabolic lab, and complete all the lab work. If we find any issues and need to do something extra, we can, as we have a full in-house laboratory and radiology department. For example, if we need a full body MRI, we can do it the very next day.

Peter Zombori: I didn't know you had an MRI on-site. That speaks volumes about the medical side of your resort. It's a big differentiator from other wellness spas.

Dr. Dopplinger: Yes, we even have a hospital license, which is quite unique among our competitors. This, along with our extensive on-site medical knowledge and a large network of specialists, is one of our outstanding benefits.

Getting Started with the Program

Peter Zombori: So, if a client books a program, do they start with just examinations, or do they begin training right away?

Dr. Dopplinger: They start with training right away, because we want to help them begin building good habits immediately. Our programs are typically seven or thirteen days, but we can also individualize them based on a guest's specific needs and the length of their stay.

Peter Zombori: Dr. Dopplinger, thank you so much. This series has been incredibly insightful, and I really appreciate you taking the time. For our viewers, if you have any questions, please feel free to send them to us or directly to the Tamina Health Center.