By Joe Ragusa

BLOOMINGTON – OSF St. Joseph’s Health Management Resources program has been named one of the best diets of 2016 by the U.S. News and World Report.

It’s the second year in a row OSF St. Joseph’s HMR program has been honored by the U.S. News and World Report. It earned honors for fastest weight loss and general weight loss.

OSF St. Joseph Weight Management Specialist Crystal Moulton said the program is divided into two phases. The first one is a weight-loss phase where patients are given a prescription diet with meal replacement products.

“We work really well as a team to try and figure out what’s best for the patient as far as their health and weight loss goals,” Moulton said.

Moulton said the first phase typically lasts 13 weeks but dieters have the option of continuing the specific diet of low-calorie shakes, soups, nutrition bars and multi-grain cereal for as long as they like.

The second phase is a long-term program where dieters receive updates from OSF Healthcare staff on how to keep off the weight they lost during the first phase. Moulton recommends patients stay in the second phase for at least a year.

“So they can develop those healthy habits going through the holidays and birthdays and all of that,” Moulton said.

The diet program is available at OSF St. Joseph in Bloomington and OSF Saint Francis in Peoria.

Joe Ragusa can be reached at [email protected].