About
Dr Chetna Patel, the doctor behind Thrivefully
I am a GP and a certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician, and I built Thrivefully around one principle: weight-loss medication works best when a doctor works alongside it, rather than when patients are left to manage it alone.
Why I started this service
Weight-loss medication is one of the most significant developments in health care in a generation. In the speed with which it has been made available, however, the care that should accompany it has often been left out. Over years of NHS general practice and lifestyle medicine, I saw the same pattern repeatedly: people were given a powerful GLP-1 weight-loss medication with very little support. Some lost muscle along with fat. Some struggled with side effects and stopped. Some regained the weight once treatment ended. The medication is only part of the treatment, and NICE takes the same view: it should come with wraparound care[1]. Thrivefully provides that care directly to you.
Dr Patel at a glance
- GMC registered NHS GP: MRCGP, CCT in General Practice
- Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician: DipLM, British Society of Lifestyle Medicine & the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine
- King's College Medical School Tutor
- BSLM Regional Director – London, and a BSLM Core Accreditation Assessor
- MBChB Medicine & Surgery (University of Birmingham)BSc (Hons) Biochemistry & Genetics, First Class (University of Nottingham)
- An NHS GP in central London, with experience spanning general practice, women's health, long-term conditions and health inequalities
Dr Chetna Patel is a GMC registered NHS GP (reg. 7072229) and BSLM Regional Director – London.
My approach: lifestyle medicine and the whole person
Lifestyle medicine is evidence-based care that treats the person rather than only the number on the scale. It is built on six pillars: nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress, mental wellbeing and healthy habits. It also depends on working with people to change behaviour, rather than simply offering advice. My own route into it came through yoga and mindfulness, which I practise and have taught to patients. In the context of weight-loss medication, that approach translates into something practical: protecting muscle, keeping nutrition complete, managing side effects, looking after mind and sleep, and building habits that outlast the medication.
Why I am well placed to support you
I have applied lifestyle medicine across the NHS for years, in general practice and in structured programmes for long-term conditions, teaching patients individually and in groups on nutrition, activity, stress and behaviour change. Through my roles with the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine, I have seen where wraparound care tends to fall short. I deliver this standard of care and have contributed to shaping it. And because I do not prescribe or sell the medication, my advice is independent of any treatment decision.
Independent by design
Thrivefully is deliberately non-prescribing. I do not sell the medication. You obtain your prescription from your GP or a regulated pharmacy, which means my advice is never tied to a product. My focus is your health, your results and your long-term wellbeing.
Sources for this page are listed on our Sources page.