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Doctors give ineffective weight loss advice to patients with obesity, study finds

 A new research study published today in the journal Family Practise concludes that the advice doctors give to patients with obesity to lose weight is usually vague, superficial and generally unsupported by scientific evidence.

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Obesity is a chronic and recurrent condition, but doctors often lack guidance on what information is helpful for patients who want to lose weight. As a result, the information patients receive can be difficult to use and implement. Patients regularly report bad experiences as they often find these conversations about weight difficult.


The researchers analysed 159 audio recordings of consultations between GPs and patients living with obesity collected in the UK between 2013 and 2014. The study found that advice given by doctors to patients with obesity on how to lose weight rarely included effective methods and mostly just consisted of advising patients to eat less and exercise more. The advice was mostly general and rarely tailored to the patients' existing knowledge and behaviour, e.g. what strategies they had already tried to lose weight.



Advice was mostly (in 97% of the consultations analysed) abstract or general. Superficial advice, such as a doctor telling a patient to simply "change their lifestyle a little", was common. Only in 20% of the consultations did doctors give patients information on how to implement their advice. Most often they gave weight loss advice without elaborating on how to follow it. Doctors frequently (in 76% of cases) advised patients to seek weight loss help elsewhere and often suggested that they come to their practise for another consultation.


The analysis showed that the specific information offered by doctors was often scientifically unsupported and unlikely to lead to actual weight loss. This study shows that doctors need clear guidelines on how to talk opportunistically about weight loss with patients living with obesity," said Madeleine Tremblett, one of the study's lead authors. "This way they can avoid reinforcing stigmatising stereotypes and effectively help patients who want to lose weight."

it's a common myth that can even be found in the scientific literature, but it's not supported by research. Another common myth was that patients only needed the "right attitude" to lose weight.


More information: Madeleine Tremblett et al, What advice do GPs give to people with obesity to lose weight? A qualitative content analysis of recorded interactions, Family Practise (2022). DOI: 10.1093/fampra/cmac137

Quote: Doctors give ineffective weight-loss advice to patients with obesity, study finds (2022, December 13) Retrieved 13 December

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