This deeper dive into two patient cases from a special supplement to the December 2025 edition of U.S. Medicine further explores how to manage complex cases within the Veteran population.
In this video, Jose Aleman, MD and Lucia Novak, NP each present a real-world, composite patient scenario drawn from clinical experience. Their discussion reflects the multifactorial nature of obesity—biologic, behavioral, environmental, and pharmacologic—grounded in the team-based care model of the VA system. The conversation explores prescribing dilemmas, behavioral counseling, physical activity adaptations, pharmacotherapy, post-bariatric management, and respectful communication—all with the goal of improving outcomes for Veterans with obesity and its comorbidities.