Dr. Rees Checketts

Dr. Rees Checketts Internal medicine certified | Obesity medicine fellow | No shame evidence-based weight management

05/28/2026

A day doesn’t go by that I’m not seeing a patient with this. But it’s being missed very often before people come and see me.

It’s missed in the ER and inpatient for pneumonia.
It’s missed in the primary care clinic for asthma.
It’s even missed in some cardiology clinics as debility (out of shape).

Why is it being missed? Because of weight stigma. We assume that people with extra weight are inherently lazy and avoid difficult things (like exercise). That narrative is so pervasive that doctors, nurses, and even patients sometimes believe it.

If you are struggling with your weight and/or you think that you have this. I’d love to help. My clinic will be open in August. Call Tanner Clinic at 801-773-4840 ext. 3691 and we’ll get you scheduled or on the waitlist to be scheduled.

05/27/2026

Retatrutide is coming. Here’s what is exciting:
- Weight loss that rivals surgery
- Weight loss continues far beyond typical plateaus
- Even a modest dose (4mg) yielded 19% weight loss

What we don’t know:
- What was the degree of muscle loss?
- What will be the coverage and access for this? It’s likely to be very expensive at first…
- How does it help with diabetes? This is important because Retatrutide secretes glucagon, which functions almost directly inverse to insulin. The study looking into this is oendingZ

What are you concerned about? What things excite you about this medication?

05/26/2026

Did you find all of these obvious, or do any surprise you? Which would you like a deeper dive into?

I’m so grateful to the men, women, and their loved ones who have died in the service of our country. It’s a privilege to...
05/25/2026

I’m so grateful to the men, women, and their loved ones who have died in the service of our country. It’s a privilege to live in the United States 🇺🇸 The freedoms we enjoy have come with great sacrifice.

I got short with a patient this week and I’m not proud of it. In reflecting on what I could have done differently, I cre...
05/23/2026

I got short with a patient this week and I’m not proud of it. In reflecting on what I could have done differently, I created this.

Difficult interactions are part of being human. The more weighty the challenge, the more likely that emotions will be bruised.

The answer is not to avoid the hard situation or conversation. It’s to be able to frame it as “us vs the problem,” not “me vs you.”

This interactions don’t just happen in medicine and provider-patient interactions. This template can be used between siblings discussing the care of ailing parents. It can be used between children worried about their parent’s health choices. It can be used in a marriage when finances are struggling.

How do you do to tackle challenges when facing emotionally charged situations?

05/22/2026

Do I recommend it? No, not yet. Will I be prescribing it when it becomes available on the market, absolutely 💯

05/22/2026

Every summer my mom made us set goals. Not suggestions — goals. Things that would push us.

I still do it. I call it the Checketts Challenge.

This year: build real grip strength, increase my cardiorespiratory fitness capacity, and do something that genuinely scares me a little.

So I signed up for a Spartan Beast . 13 miles. 30+ obstacles. July 11th in the Utah mountains. It’s gonna be rough.

Current status: I fall off the monkey bars at the playground. I walk most of the uphill portion of my runs.

Malcolm Gladwell wrote about this in Outliers — kids whose parents set summer expectations didn’t just avoid regression, they got ahead. My mom knew that before she saw the research behind it.

Movement is medicine. I’m not just going to say it. I’m trying to do it.

Follow along. How do you feel about setting goals for yourself? What are you doing to try and build or maintain your current fitness?

Big shout out to my newest top fans! 💎Grateful for your feedback on what is and is not working for you. Drop a comment t...
05/21/2026

Big shout out to my newest top fans! 💎

Grateful for your feedback on what is and is not working for you.

Drop a comment to welcome them to our community,

Lipedema is common, affecting as many as 1 in 9 women. I see it regularly in my specialty practice though was not made a...
05/20/2026

Lipedema is common, affecting as many as 1 in 9 women. I see it regularly in my specialty practice though was not made aware of it until late in my medical training.

It is the abnormal distribution of fat primarily through the legs. The fat is different though. It bruises easily, is very vascular, has a texture like a clump of grapes or peas, and it HURTS.

It also does not respond well to weight loss. The stubborn Lipedema fat hangs on even as the rest of the body’s fat stores are being depleted.

The telltale sign is the “cuff sign” where you will see the fat stores abruptly end at the ankle. This is classic and seen in no other leg swelling conditions.

The only durable treatment is liposuction. Not even our wonder drugs (GLP1) address this well. The is great at advocacy and education on this. If you have this, I recommend that you reach out to them or visit their resources.

Thanks for creating the diagram.

Do you think you have Lipedema?

05/20/2026

I’m Dr. Rees — obesity medicine physician.

One belief drives everything I post:

Weight is a biology problem. Not a willpower problem.

Follow for the science that proves it. 👇

I cannot give specific medical advice, sorry. I try to create material that broadly covers topics people face generally.

Address

1280 E Stringham Avenue
Millcreek, UT
84106

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 4pm
Tuesday 7am - 4pm
Wednesday 7am - 4pm
Thursday 7am - 4pm
Friday 7am - 4pm

Telephone

+18015873856

Website

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