Responses to treatment for overweight and obesity care vary across different subgroups and individuals.
This has implications for both patients wanting to manage weight better as well as their treating clinicians.
When studies report average responses to lifestyle modification interventions, medication therapies or surgical treatments, this means that some individuals exceed expectations while others lose less weight than typically seen.
For anyone receiving or providing weight management care, here are some tips to guide a more successful path toward improved outcomes:
1-Start Strong
Throughout my long career helping patients manage weight, I have been a big proponent of encouraging my patients to have a strong start out of the gate.
This is when each person’s readiness, motivation, and adherence may be the highest and one’s goals are typically determined.
Though this can be a set up for greater success, this does not mean making sudden and drastic changes to one’s diet and physical activity patterns.
Rather, it means fully engaging in and committing to realistic and sustainable changes that will improve one’s weight and health.
If you want to START STRONG with a personalized weight management plan, check out my book, Six Factors to Fit: Weight Loss that Works for You!
2-Focus on the Treatment not Personal Failure
I like to say:
“Instead of the person failing the treatment, let’s think about adjusting the treatment to better meet the needs of each patient.”
The response to treatment, whether it’s a new medication or lifestyle modification strategies, can vary depending on one’s biology, psychosocial and environmental factors.
It is important for clinicians to evaluate whether the chosen treatment is effective early on, often within the first 3 months, since early response typically predicts long-term success.
With the right targeted approach (and without shame), clinicians can help patients better achieve their goals.
This is the essence of personalized overweight and obesity care and the topic of my new book for healthcare professionals, Patient-Centered Weight Management, now available for preorder.
3-Commit to an Ongoing Partnership with Provider
Overweight and obesity are chronic conditions that require an ongoing partnership with a trusted healthcare professional, as well as a longer-term mindset from both patients and clinicians.
Patients need ongoing support when new treatments are initiated.
After starting a new treatment, whether it’s a new obesity medication along with lifestyle modification counseling or even just lifestyle modification counseling alone, it’s important to have check-ins with your healthcare provider.
Patients need to share how they are responding to the treatment, what’s working and what’s been hard.
This dialogue is the essence of shared decision-making.
RK
Robert Kushner, MD
