If you’re here, there’s a good chance you’ve tried before. You’ve tried eating less. You’ve tried moving more. You’ve tried discipline, willpower, programs, plans, apps, coaches, and maybe even silence, deciding not to try again because the shame felt heavier than the weight itself.

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I want you to know something clearly, from the start: this is not a failure of effort or character.

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Garden Wellness was created after years of witnessing both where medicine has fallen short and how far it has come in its understanding of obesity as a chronic, biologically complex disease. As the science has evolved, so has the need for advanced training, yet that transition has left many people navigating care that isn’t always comprehensive. At the same time, I’ve watched generations, including my own, grow up under the weight of diet culture, internalizing shame and blame that medicine is only now beginning to undo. This program was born from a desire to bring thoughtful, well-trained medical care into that space, and to help people heal their relationship with their bodies along the way.

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Obesity is a chronic disease. It is biological. It is influenced by genetics, hormones, metabolism, medications, stress, sleep, trauma, environment, and life stages. And yet, for years, the message has been the same:

 

"Try harder."

 

I would never tell a patient in the middle of an asthma attack to simply breathe better. I would treat the underlying physiology. what is preventing oxygen exchange, and I would look carefully at the triggers that caused the flare in the first place. We do not shame people for chronic diseases. We evaluate, we treat, we adjust, and we support. Obesity deserves the same respect.

 

At Garden Wellness, we start with biology, not blame. We look for patterns, not failures. We ask why your body is responding the way it is, rather than insisting you override it through willpower alone. Medical treatment is not a last resort here, it is often the bridge. When we support the body appropriately, we create the conditions where movement feels possible again, food choices feel less adversarial, and people can reconnect with themselves instead of fighting themselves.

 

That doesn’t mean we ignore movement or nutrition, quite the opposite. These are essential parts of health and life. But they are far more effective when your biology is working with you instead of against you. This work is not about chasing an aesthetic. It’s not about shrinking yourself to meet someone else’s standard. It’s about helping you feel like yourself again - clearer, steadier, more at home in your body. Most importantly, this is a space without shame.

 

You are not lazy.
You are not weak.
You have not failed.

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You are a person with a body that deserves thoughtful, evidence-based care from someone who will take the time to understand you as a whole human being.

 

That is what Garden Wellness is here to offer.

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​​Warmly,

 

 

Dr. Cameo Carter, MD, ABP, ABOM, FAAP