Dr. Joshua Neal, MD
Not yet claimedWeight loss doctor, Endocrinologist, Family medicine doctor · Physician (MD)
Charleston, SC
Dr. Joshua Neal is a family medicine and obesity medicine physician at MUSC Health in Charleston, South Carolina. He treats patients for weight management and teaches in the endocrinology division.
About Dr. Joshua Neal, MD
Updated Sep 20, 2026 · next review Dec 19, 2026Dr. Joshua Anderson Neal is an obesity medicine and family medicine physician at MUSC Health in Charleston, South Carolina. He is an Assistant Professor in MUSC's Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases and serves as Chief of the Health/Wellness and Human Performance Integrated Center of Clinical Excellence at MUSC Health.
He studied at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned his medical degree at Albany Medical College. He completed a family medicine residency at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center and then served four years in the U.S. Army abroad. He is board certified in Family Medicine and in Obesity Medicine, and holds a Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist (CCMS) credential. Before joining MUSC, he was regional medical director of the Ascension St. Vincent's Bariatric Medical Weight Management Program in Florida, and has also worked in urgent care, primary care, and concierge medicine.
In public interviews, he describes obesity as a chronic, biologically driven disease and has said GLP-1 medications are "meant to be indefinite medications," noting that weight regain and the return of "food noise" are common after stopping. He has also spoken publicly about culinary medicine and cooking classes as part of care for chronic conditions.
CMS Open Payments records list $2,173.21 in industry payments to him across 55 records from 2021 to 2025, with the largest amounts from Novo Nordisk ($1,314.03) and Madrigal Pharmaceuticals ($578.50). Payments from industry to physicians are common and legal, and these amounts are small.
- Board certifications
- Board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and the American Board of Obesity Medicine. doximity.com
- MUSC clinical leadership role
- Chief of the Health/Wellness & Human Performance Integrated Center of Clinical Excellence at MUSC Health. muschealth.org
- Training and military service
- Family medicine residency at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center, followed by four years of U.S. Army service abroad. getcare.muschealth.org
- Culinary medicine credential
- Listed as a Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist (CCMS) in the CulinaryMedicine.org directory. culinarymedicine.org
- Views on GLP-1 medications
- In an MUSC news feature he said GLP-1 drugs are meant to be taken indefinitely and that weight often returns after stopping them. musc.edu
- Public radio interview
- Appeared on South Carolina Public Radio's "Health Focus" to discuss home cooking tailored to people with chronic conditions. southcarolinapublicradio.org
- Prior weight management role
- Formerly regional medical director of the Ascension St. Vincent's Bariatric Medical Weight Management Program. getcare.muschealth.org
- Industry payments 2021-2025
- CMS Open Payments lists $2,173.21 across 55 records, mostly from Novo Nordisk and Madrigal Pharmaceuticals. Such payments are common and legal. openpaymentsdata.cms.gov
Worth knowing
- No peer-reviewed publications, guideline committee work, society leadership positions, or awards were found in the searches conducted. doximity.com
- Some directory listings carry outdated information. U.S. News still lists his hospital affiliation as Ascension St. Vincent's Southside Hospital in Florida while describing him as based in Charleston. health.usnews.com
- He has received industry payments from Novo Nordisk, which makes GLP-1 weight loss medications that he discusses publicly. The total across all companies from 2021 to 2025 was $2,173.21. openpaymentsdata.cms.gov
Industry payments (CMS Open Payments)
Open the CMS recordFederal law requires drug and device companies to report what they pay clinicians: meals, travel, speaking, consulting, and research. Payments are common and legal; the point is that you can see them.
2021 to 2025
$2,173
55 payments
| 2021 | $125 |
| 2022 | $687 |
| 2023 | $344 |
| 2024 | $262 |
| 2025 | $755 |
Top payers
- Novo Nordisk Inc$1,314
- Madrigal Pharmaceuticals$579
- Boston Scientific Corporation$125
- Intra-Sana Laboratories$50
- W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.$35
Payment types
- Food and Beverage$1,947
- Education$226
A word of caution about these numbers
A payment does not mean your doctor is compromised or acting unethically. Most of these entries are drug samples left for patients, or lunch brought in for the office staff, and the amounts are usually small. Research funding and speaking at medical meetings are also normal parts of a clinical career.
As a rough guide, a total under $15,000 a year is usually not a concern. Much larger sums, especially from one company whose product your doctor recommends to you, are worth asking about. You are allowed to ask.
Sources: getcare.muschealth.org · medicine.musc.edu · muschealth.org · muschealth.org · culinarymedicine.org · doximity.com · doctor.webmd.com · health.usnews.com. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
Summary prepared with AI assistance from the public sources linked above, reviewed every three months. It is not a review, a rating, or an endorsement.
Practice location
MUSC Health Weight Management
171 Ashley Ave
Charleston, SC 29425
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