Fifth Avenue Family Practice – Weight Loss Clinic

Your partner in achieving sustainable health and wellness.

“Empowering Health, Transforming Lives—One Step at a Time.”

Introducing Brenda and Julia, both Nurse Practitioners, who are dedicated to guiding patients through their medical weight loss journeys with compassion and expertise. Julia and Brenda  share a strong passion for obesity management and personalised care. Brenda, who is Scope Certified—a prestigious designation in obesity management—brings an advanced level of knowledge to the practice. Together, they have been supporting patients with their weight loss journey combining evidence-based medical approaches with a supportive and empathetic environment to help patients achieve sustainable health and wellness goals.

Choosing Fifth Avenue Weight Loss Clinic will provide a comprehensive and compassionate approach to weight management. Whether you’re looking for guidance on lifestyle changes, medically supervised very low energy diets (VLEDs), or the latest weight loss medications, our team is here to support you every step of the way. For patients who may benefit from surgical options, we also offer expert referrals for bariatric surgery

Why Choose The Fifth Avenue Family Practice Weight Loss Clinic?

• Personalised Care: Tailored weight loss plans to meet your unique goals.
• Holistic Approach: Focused on sustainable lifestyle changes and overall wellness.
• Expertise You Can Trust: Brenda is a Scope Certified Nurse Practitioner endorsed by the World Obesity Federation
• Comprehensive Options: From VLEDs and medications to surgical referrals, we offer a full spectrum of care.
• Supportive Environment: Judgment-free, compassionate care to help you succeed.

Brenda and Julia are dedicated to guiding patients through their medical weight loss journeys with compassion and expertise. They share a strong passion for obesity management and tailored care. Together, they combine evidence-based medical approaches with a supportive and empathetic environment to help patients achieve sustainable health and wellness goals.

Brenda, a Scope Certified Nurse Practitioner endorsed by the World Obesity Federation, brings a wealth of expertise in obesity and diabetes management. Her non-judgmental approach fosters a caring and supportive environment, empowering patients to take control of their health without fear of stigma.

Julia has a special interest and expertise in respiratory health, and is skilled in diabetes and weight management, and promoting sustainable healthy lifestyles. She is undertaking SCOPE Certification training in 2025. 

With a keen understanding of the intersection between lifestyle choices and long-term conditions, Brenda and Julia have a comprehensive approach focusing on individual care empowering there patients to take control of their health with effective strategies for long term success.  Both are members of the New Zealand Primary Care Obesity Group and World Obesity Federation.

Together Brenda and Julia make a great team that offer holistic care that addresses not just weight loss but also the underlying factors impacting health and wellness. Their practice integrates evidence-based medical treatments, personalised nutrition, lifestyle counselling, and emotional support to help patients achieve sustainable results and long-term well-being.

Your Weight Loss Journey Starts Here

We believe in empowering our patients with the tools, knowledge, and support to achieve lasting results. Begin your bespoke weight loss journey today with Fifth Avenue Weight Loss Clinic.

Please contact reception on 07-578 7087 to make an appointment.  They will provide you with further information and a pre appointment questionnaire to complete.

Additional Weight Loss Information

Understanding Obesity

Obesity has long been treated primarily as a personal issue of willpower, lack of discipline and personal blame, with a heavy emphasis on diet and exercise as the main interventions. However, more recent research and a deeper understanding of the condition have led to the realisation that obesity is a complex, multifactorial disease. Here are a few key points that highlight why past approaches may have been inadequate and how our understanding is shifting:

1. Obesity Is Not Just a Result of Personal Choices

For many years, the medical community focused on obesity as a simple equation: eat less, move more. While diet and exercise are still important factors, this oversimplifies the issue. Obesity is influenced by genetics, hormones, metabolic factors, environmental conditions, psychological aspects and much more. For instance, some individuals may have a genetic predisposition to obesity due to differences in how their bodies process food or store fat.

2. The Role of Metabolism and Hormones

Advances in research have shown that hormones like insulin, ghrelin (hunger hormone), and leptin (satiety hormone) play significant roles in regulating body weight. These hormones can be disrupted in people with obesity, making it harder for them to lose weight even with diet and exercise. A focus solely on calorie restriction and exercise can ignore these deeper biological issues.

3. The Impact of the Environment

The modern food environment—characterised by processed, calorie-dense, and low-nutrient foods—plays a major role in obesity. Socioeconomic factors, accessibility to healthy food, urban design, and even marketing can make it difficult for individuals to make healthier choices, regardless of their intentions.

4. Psychological Factors

Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and stress are strongly linked with obesity. For many individuals, food can serve as a coping mechanism, which complicates weight management. Additionally, stigmatisation of people with obesity can exacerbate these psychological factors, creating a vicious cycle.

5. The Failure of Short-Term Diets

Traditional approaches often emphasize short-term, restrictive diets. However, research has shown that these diets are often unsustainable, leading to the “yo-yo” effect, where individuals lose weight temporarily but regain it, sometimes even exceeding their previous weight. Sustainable, long-term lifestyle changes that prioritise health rather than quick weight loss are being increasingly recognised as more effective.

6. Medical Interventions and Pharmacotherapy

Until recently, there was reluctance to view obesity as a medical condition deserving of treatment with medications or even surgery. New medications and therapies are now available that can help people manage their weight more effectively, particularly for those who struggle to lose weight through diet and exercise alone. Medications such as Duromine, Contrave and Saxenda have shown promising results in helping with weight management, alongside behavioural changes.

7. Stigma and Shame

For too long, obesity has been accompanied by a moral judgment—viewed as a sign of laziness or lack of self-control. This stigmatisation leads to shame and can prevent individuals from seeking help. Medical professionals and society are beginning to recognise the importance of treating obesity with empathy and understanding, viewing it as a chronic disease that requires comprehensive, individualised care.

8. A Shift Toward Holistic Approaches

In light of the understanding that obesity is a complex, chronic disease, treatment has evolved. A more holistic approach is now being recommended, which involves individual care plans that might include:

• Behavioural therapy
• Medical weight loss strategies (including pharmacotherapy)
• Nutritional guidance focused on overall health, not just calorie restriction
• Exercise that focuses on improving fitness and metabolic health, not just weight loss
• Support for mental health and addressing underlying psychological factors

9. The Need for a Paradigm Shift

The future of obesity treatment lies in a broader, multi-disciplinary approach that integrates medicine, psychology, nutrition, and public health policies. This may involve:

• Improving access to healthier food options
• Creating environments conducive to physical activity
• Supporting individuals with a weight-inclusive approach that fosters health at every size
• Focusing on sustainable health habits rather than short-term weight loss goals

In conclusion, treating obesity purely as a matter of willpower and personal responsibility has been an oversimplified approach. Understanding it as a multifactorial, chronic disease opens the door to more effective treatments, better patient outcomes, and less stigmatisation. The medical community is evolving to address these complexities, and while there’s still much work to be done, the shift in understanding is a significant step forward.

Weight Loss Mission Statement

“At Fifth Avenue Family Practice Weight Loss Clinic we are committed to supporting individuals in achieving lasting health and wellness. Recognising that obesity is a complex medical condition, not a matter of willpower, we provide personalised, evidence-based treatments to help our patients make sustainable lifestyle changes. With compassionate care and ongoing support, we aim to improve their quality of life and overall well-being.”

BMI Calculator

Body Mass Index (BMI) assists in giving an indication of your body size, calculated with your weight and height. It is a tool used in conjunction with other factors (eg cholesterol, blood pressure) to assist in estimating things like your risk of a stroke or a heart attack. Your doctor can assist in determining if the BMI tool is appropriate to you and your situation.

Kiwi Cover BMI calculator: kiwicover.co.nz/your-health/bmi/calculator

Core Aims/Values

1. To recognise and treat obesity as a  long-term medical condition by providing a non-judgemental approach to better health and wellbeing.
2. We are committed to changing our language and traditional views of obesity to ensure that our weight loss clinics are always a safe and supportive environment.
3. We aim to provide the best care we can and to spread the word that obesity treatments need to be equitable. To achieve weight loss equity weight loss medications need to be funded differently to ensure everyone has a chance to live their best life.