The Evolution of Medical Weight Loss: A 30-Year Journey from Treatment to Prevention

In our latest Compounding Care Speaker Series episode, we sit down with Bret Inorio, President and CEO of New Results Medical Weight Loss, to explore how the landscape of personalized weight loss and metabolic health treatments has transformed over three decades.

When Bret Inorio stood in operating rooms watching vascular surgeons place stents in patients' arteries, he had a revelation that would reshape his career and approach to healthcare. "I was treating a lot of vascular paths and they got there primarily through obesity and diabetes," he reflects. "I thought, why aren't we intervening through education and or treatments earlier in these people's lives?"

This moment of clarity led Inorio from a successful career in pharmaceutical sales and medical device sales to founding what would become New Results Medical Weight Loss—a journey marked by both triumph and significant challenges.

From Pharmaceuticals to Prevention

Inorio's path to medical weight loss wasn't linear. Starting in pharmaceutical sales with a small neuropharmaceutical company, he moved through major players including Purdue Pharma (where he sold OxyContin) and Boston Scientific's vascular division. For nearly eight years, he worked in cardiac catheterization labs, helping size stents and catheters for patients with severe vascular disease.

"When you put obesity, diabetes and smoking together, your arteries snap shut," Inorio explains. "I love selling all these things—they're very expensive and very profitable—but I knew I didn't want to have a bunch of stents in my body."

This realization sparked his transition into preventive care, leading him to explore medical weight loss as an intervention before patients required surgical procedures.

Building a Business: Lessons in Partnership and Perseverance

Bret Inorio's entrepreneurial journey with New Results Medical Weight Loss was shaped by valuable lessons learned in a previous business partnership. In 2009, Inorio co-founded his first medical weight loss clinic, investing significant personal resources and capital. However, differing approaches to patient care and business operations led to a costly legal battle that lasted until 2017.

Forced to adapt, New Results Medical Weight Loss emerged from the ashes of the dissolved partnership, and laid the foundation for what would become Bret's entrepreneurial success story. Sixteen years and multiple clinics later, New Results Medical Weight Loss has become a cornerstone of the weight loss community in both Mesa Arizona. 

Bret's experience underscores the complexities of business partnerships and the importance of alignment in vision and values. Despite the hurdles, New Results Medical Weight Loss has since thrived and is on track to double revenue, demonstrating Inorio's perseverance and commitment to his mission.

The Psychology of Weight Loss Success

One of Inorio's most valuable insights comes from his personal experience with addiction recovery, which he openly shares as part of his approach to patient care.

"I can't think my way into a different way of behaving or acting. I have to act my way into a different way of thinking,"

he explains, drawing parallels between addiction recovery and weight loss success.

This philosophy shapes how he identifies patients likely to succeed. "I can tell from the first time with a patient that if they're going to be successful or not," he says. The key indicators? Patients who focus on excuses rather than action, or those who claim to have "tried everything" but upon closer examination, never fully committed to any program.

"It's more about the people who have tried everything and you don't hear even some success," Inorio notes. "I like to hear 'I lost 10 pounds, but I couldn't get to 50' because that's a very real part of a journey."

The GLP-1 Revolution

The introduction of GLP-1 medications has fundamentally transformed Inorio's practice and patient outcomes. When comparing traditional appetite suppressants like Phentermine to GLP-1s, the difference is dramatic.

"They're dramatically more effective from an appetite suppressing standpoint and a food noise or craving standpoint—I would say they're night and day,"

Inorio explains. While around 60% of his patients achieved their goals with traditional appetite suppressant programs, on the GLP-1s, a much stronger majority were seen achieving their goal and losing much more substantial amounts of weight.

However, Inorio emphasizes that success isn't automatic. "You can be on Phentermine or Phendimetrazine and not lose any weight or gain weight. The same with the GLP-1s."

Medical Supervision Makes the Difference

As medical spas and newer clinics proliferate in the weight loss space, Inorio emphasizes what distinguishes established medical weight loss practices. At New Results, their medical director isn't just a figurehead—he's in the office four days a week, actively involved in patient care decisions.

"We're checking all the boxes, but you really do have someone with clinical experience as well as a physician overseeing your care," Inorio explains.

This includes proper dosing protocols, understanding that most patients don't need maximum doses, and ensuring medication quality through rigorous testing.

"I can't tell you the percentage of people we see who have not taken a milligram or about a milligram or less for weight loss, because it works in quite a few people," he notes. "You don't need to go to the max dose."

Quality and Safety Concerns

Inorio raises important concerns about the proliferation of weight loss clinics without proper medical oversight. He's encountered patients receiving pre-drawn syringes of unknown composition and clinics sourcing medications directly from China without proper testing.

"Our sources are tested every batch," he emphasizes. "Semaglutide, for instance, it's tested for potency, purity, and for pathogen contamination. That's important, right? Every batch, we know that it's as close to that 2.5 milligrams per milliliter that it's supposed to be."

The Future: Beyond Weight Loss

Looking ahead, Inorio sees broader applications for GLP-1 medications beyond weight management. His personal experience and clinical observations suggest potential applications in addiction treatment, including alcohol cessation, smoking cessation, and even compulsive shopping.

"Now we know it's being studied in alcohol cessation and smoking cessation, gambling, methamphetamine and shopping, compulsive shopping," he explains. "So it absolutely touches on compulsive overuse stuff."

Patient Education and Expectations

As more patients achieve their weight loss goals, Inorio finds himself focusing increasingly on maintenance and transition strategies.

"I think we're seeing a shift to more questions about 'now what? [How do I maintain my health post weight-loss?] —so many people are getting to goal for the first time, maybe in their life."

His approach involves gradually extending the time between injections while building patients' confidence in their ability to maintain their new habits. "Most people, if you're at the right dose, they're not substantially hungry for about 10 days," he explains.

A Philosophy of Prevention

Ultimately, Inorio's journey reflects a broader shift in healthcare philosophy—from treating disease to preventing it. His experience in vascular intervention rooms, combined with his personal recovery journey, has shaped an approach that emphasizes early intervention, behavioral change, and comprehensive medical supervision.

"Nothing should replace preventative care," he concludes. "It's great what we're doing here, but how can we improve their quality of life and not have them end up here in the first place?"

As the field of medical weight loss continues to evolve with new medications and treatment approaches, Inorio's emphasis on quality care, medical supervision, and behavioral change provides a roadmap for sustainable, meaningful intervention in the obesity epidemic.

Listen to the full conversation with Bret Inorio to hear the full discussion about the future of medically managed weight loss and the powerful innovations in medicine transforming healthcare.

Interested in learning more about New Results Medical Weight Loss? Visit newresultsmedicalweightloss.com or request your first consultation here.

About the Akina Pharmacy Speaker Series

The Akina Pharmacy Speaker Series explores the world of compounding care and personalized medicine through conversations with clinical specialists, partners, and subject matter experts. Each episode delves into how individualized approaches to healthcare are reshaping patient outcomes and empowering people to take control of their health.

At Akina Pharmacy, we're built on the Hawaiian principle of Kina'ole—doing the right thing in the right way for the right person at the right time, the first time. As a 503A compounding pharmacy, we don't just compound medications; we compound trust, quality, and innovation into every formulation we create.