Minimalist teal circle design on white background

Real Life Metabolic

Our Metabolic Health affects the way our body processes and stores energy. At its heart, it is a hormone imbalance resulting in excessive production of insulin and the development of insulin resistance.

This results in conditions such as

  • Obesity

  • Visceral fat

  • Fatty liver disease

  • PCOS

  • Prediabetes/type 2 diabetes

  • Hypertension

  • Alzheimer’s Disease

  • Cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke

By using a combination of evidence-based lifestyle changes and the careful use of medication, you can improve your metabolism and reverse many of these conditions.

A woman sitting on a bed, with an upset expression, measuring her waist with a tape measure. She is wearing a black sports bra and black pants.

Book Appointment Here

How does Telehealth work?

Book

Choose a time online that suits you. For your appointment, all you need is a quiet place and a laptop or phone. No need to take 1/2 day off work. Just click on the live booking page above

image of booking page

Streamline

We will send a secure health questionnaire to fill in that gives our doctors as much information as possible giving you the best value possible

Person signing a document on a tablet with a stylus pen

Metabolic Health Experts

See one of our doctors via video where they can assess you, order any investigation and send you prescriptions if required

Woman having a video call with a doctor on a tablet at home, with a bowl of apples on the table.

Real Life Metabolic

Real Life Metabolic

MEET THE DOCTORS

dr Mellanie LLoyd

I love the diversity of general practice and have a particular interest in Metabolic health, the impact of lifestyle on wellbeing, women’s health, mental health, and neurodiversity. After experiencing a personal health crisis, I became even more passionate about the importance of slowing down, managing stress, moving my body, and prioritising self-care.

I graduated from the University of Melbourne and completed my General Practice training in Melbourne, Geelong, and the Surf Coast. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our four children. I love hiking, camping, and reading. I (sort of!) play soccer for my local club and am currently learning to play the piano.

Dr Mellanie Lloyd

MBBS, FRACGP

  • Diploma Child Health

  • Certified Skin Cancer Medicine

  • Accredited Eating Disorder Clinician

  • Member Australasian Metabolic Health Society

Dr Lucy Burns, menopause doctor, mental health doctor, metabolic health doctor with blonde hair smiling, wearing blue medical scrubs and a stethoscope around her neck, against a plain teal background.

MBBS, FRACGP, FASLM,

  • Cert of Clinical Hypnosis

  • Accredited for Focussed Psychological Strategies

  • Member Australasian Metabolic Health Society

  • Member Australian Society for Psychological Medicine

  • Member Australian Menopause Society

Dr Lucy Burns

I am a medical doctor with an intense interest in Metabolic health, Mental health and Menopause health.

These are the major conditions that affect women in midlife and unless they are addressed and managed, women are entering the last third of their lives riddled with chronic disease.

Apart from my qualifications as a medical doctor and GP, I have a fellowship in lifestyle medicine and extra training in psychological medicine and menopause medicine.

I was also the diet queen. I’ve been on every diet known to (wo)man.  I was excellent at losing weight, but keeping it off was the issue. I had "fat clothes" and "thin clothes" in my wardrobe. I was most definitely the all-or-nothing girl. Perfect- restricting like mad. Then, when life got in the way, I was on a bender, regaining all the lost weight. Changing my thinking around dieting has resulted in my weight being stable for years... even when I go on holidays or life gets messy. 

I’m also a wife, Mumma to two grown girls and a pet Mumma to several dogs and cats.

I’m an avid swimmer, but I don’t do much walking these days as I have muscular dystrophy resulting in a significant disability (boo)

I love reading books and doing jigsaws. I’m keen on knitting and crocheting but really hopeless at them, so that skill is definitely a work in progress.

What is Metabolic Health?

How does it affect me?

  • Illustration of a person holding their belly, with floral patterns overlaying their torso.

    Obesity

    Being overweight is not your fault. It is a complex scenario of genetic, hormonal and environmental impact. Excess insulin causes our body to store fat like crazy.

  • Watercolor heart illustration with flowers integrated into the design.

    Cardiovascular Disease

    Metabolic Syndrome is the number one risk factor for increased cardiovascular disease, leading to stroke and heart attacks. This is in part due to increased inflammation from excessive abdominal fat,

  • type 2 diabtees

    Type 2 Diabetes

    Type 2 diabetes begins with insulin resistance. Eventually, the pancreas can’t make enough insulin, and blood glucose rises. Type 2 diabetes affects multiple organs and is a leading cause of chronic disease

  • Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome

    Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome

    PCOS is a genetic condition that causes insulin resistance initially at the ovarian level. It starts at puberty and can result in increased body fat, acne, hirsutism and subfertility.

  • Watercolor painting of a partial female torso with colorful flowers.

    Breast Cancer Risk

    Did you know that women with obesity and insulin resistance have double the risk of developing breast cancer? In fact, obesity is linked to an increase in 13 cancers including bowel, endometrial, oesophageal, gallbladder, kidney, liver , ovarian , pancreatic , stomach, thyroid, multiple myeloma, and meningioma.

  • Illustration of a brain on the left blending into colorful flowers and a watering can with water droplets on the right.

    Brain Health

    Insulin resistance also affects our brain and can cause brain fog, Ever wondered why you can’t think properly when you haven’t eaten? Insulin resistance also increases the risk of dementia as well as mood changes like depression.

  • Watercolor illustration of a human knee joint anatomical diagram showing bones, ligaments, and cartilage.

    Arthritis

    Metabolic disease amages joints through multiple mechanisms. Leptin resistance (Leptin is another metabolic hormone) destroys cartilage as does the increased load through the joints due to obesity leading to arthritis.

  • Watercolor painting of a kiwi slice with green and brown hues

    Kidney Disease

    Type 2 diabetes is the number one cause of kidney failure, with terrible consequences for people’s quality of life. Reducing insulin resistance improves kidney function and reduces blood pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • All new appointments are allocated as 45 minutes. This 40 minutes via video and 5 minutes allocated to send any scripts, or test requests. We also send you a detailed plan via email as well as correspondence with your GP.

    Initial appointments are $265

    Follow up appointments are allocated 30 minutes with 25 minutes video time and 5 minutes for tests/scripts etc.

    The cost for these are $175

    Short consultations are 15 minutes which 10 minutes video and 5 minutes for test/scripts and only available via prior arrangement

    These are $90

    All appointments require a 50% deposit and the balance is paid at the completion of your appointment.

    Please note, unless you have seen your treating doctor face-to-face in then past 12 months, there NO medicare rebate for these consultations

  • All bookings are taken via our secure payment gateway using a credit/debit card, paypal or google pay.

    We require a 50% deposit and the time of booking. The remainder of your fee will be processed following your consultation. 

    You can cancel or change your appointment but require a minimum of  24 hours notice (please note that if you cancel/ change your appointment within 24 hours or don't attend you will forfeit your booking fee)

    If you are entitled to a medicare rebate, this will be automatically processed and deposited into your account. 

    There is a small card surchage applied by the payment gateway company.

  • Our doctors are GPs who are fully qualified Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. They have had many years of regular GP practice experience. 

    However, they also have a passion and focus for treating the root cause of chronic health conditions and have done extra training in this area. 

    A Metabolic health doctor does not replace your GP and will only focus on your metabolic health care conditions in these consultations. 

  • You do not need a referral.

    We believe whole heartedly in collaborative care and having your regular GP as the co-ordinator of your care, so please list your GP’s details wherever possible.

    Unfortunately the govt does NOT give a medicare rebate for these telehealth consultations.

    This is a Govt Medicare policy and is out of our control.

  • The Govt does not give a medicare rebate for these consults so there is no bulk billing. 

  • Private Health Insurance does not cover consultations with a doctor outside of the hospital/inpatient setting  

    If you have Private Health Insurance extras cover, you can get a rebate for your visit with allied health professionals such as psychologists and dietitians. The rebate rates vary depending on your insurance company.

  • Because you have made a deposit, we need to manually change your booking.

    Please email our team at reception@rlmtelehealth.com with your requested date change and we will make any changes to your bookings.  

  • We are able to process any Medicare item numbers on your behalf and your rebates are placed directly into your bank account.

  • You will be sent a reminder 48 hours before your appointment via email and SMS.

    You can cancel your appointment at no charge up to 24 hours beforehand.

    Late-notice cancellation or failure to attend may result in the applicable cancellation fee being debited from your payment method as follows:

     

    Failure to inform us of a cancellation within 24 hrs of your appointment will result in a penalty of 50% of the original appointment fee.

    A ‘no- show’ to the appointment will result in a penalty of 100% of the original appointment fee

  • No, unfortunately. Even though all our consultations are online our Medical Indemnity Insurance only permits us to consult people living in Australia.

    We can’t consult with anyone who is outside Australia, even if you are away on holiday or living temporarily overseas.