Most patients with obesity don't get the weight counseling they need, say researchers
There's no shortage of weight-loss advice on social media, TikTok, television and AI chatbots. But the most credible source—a patient's own primary care doctor—is often the one they're not hearing from.
A significant portion of obese patients do not receive essential weight-reduction counseling during their primary care visits, according to a new study by researchers at Florida International University and Baptist Health. The study, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, analyzed over 289 million patient visits nationwide and found that fewer than 25% of obese patients were given exercise advice, while only 33.9% received dietary recommendations.
With an estimated half of Americans projected to be obese by 2048, even with the advent of new medications like GLP-1s, addressing this gap in care is crucial to combatting the nation's obesity crisis. The findings underscore the importance of primary care physicians in the fight against obesity, as many individuals may be relying on social media for advice, which can be unreliable.
To tackle the issue, the FIU/Baptist Health Internal Medicine Residency program is incorporating lifestyle medicine training into its curriculum, emphasizing the need for dedicated counseling time during appointments. However, challenges such as limited access to nutritionists, inconsistent insurance coverage, and time constraints hinder healthcare providers from effectively addressing weight concerns during visits.
The study highlights the necessity of allocating more time and resources to discuss obesity-related measures, including telehealth visits, to help patients achieve lasting weight management.
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