Doctors can play a great role in weight loss, study says

Obesity is one of the biggest health issues today. More and more people are joining the weight loss bandwagon every day. But a recent study shows that people trying to lose weight without the intervention of doctors are more likely to fail in their endeavor than those who undertake weight loss programs under the supervision of one, because of lack of information about what is more suitable to their needs. For example, how much weight they need to lose, the type of diet and physical activity they need, the necessity for dietary supplements or surgery, and the health conditions that may occur during the process. A study, published on the basis of the findings of researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, shows that obese people participating in a weight loss clinical trial who reported their doctor’s support as particularly helpful lost twice as much weight as those who did not. This can be evidence that physicians play an important role in the process of weight loss and involving them more is likely to raise the success rate of weight loss. In order to investigate the effect of the patient-doctor relationship on the weight loss process, the researchers analyzed data obtained from the Practice-based Opportunities for Weight Reduction (POWER) trial – a government-funded, randomized controlled study that ran for 2 years.

Image Source: static1.i4u.com

In this trial, participants tried to lose weight after they were randomly assigned into one of three treatment groups: first group received written materials, second group received remote support and third group received support in person. The participants who attempted to lose weight with the help of their physicians (347 in total) were asked to fill out surveys asking questions about their relationships with their physicians and the quality of their communication. The average body mass index of the patients was 36.3 and each patient had at least one of hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes risk factors.

The researchers found that the patients who rated their physicians highest in helpfulness during the trial lost an average of 11 pounds, whereas the patients that rated their physicians the lowest lost an average of just over 5 pounds.

The research has implicated that a high-quality doctor-patient relationship involving empathy, good communication, trust and collaboration are associated with more success in treatment of patients. It ensures improved appointment keeping, adherence to advice and following courses of medication, and keeping track of progress in health. Findings of the study, published in the August 21 edition of Patient Education and Counseling, could encourage more people to seek help from doctors to lose weight.