OBESITY TREATMENT IN PRIMARY CARE
Fitzpatrick SL, Wischenka D, Appelhans BM, et al. An evidence-based guide for obesity treatment in primary care. Am J Med. [Epub ahead of print July 31, 2015]. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2015.07.015.
A new evidence-based guideline from the Society of Behavioral Medicine for obesity management and treatment in primary care is based on the “5As” counseling framework (assess, advise, agree, assist, and arrange). The guide recommends building a multidisciplinary team that helps patients lose weight and maintain their weight loss by
• Addressing patients’ psychosocial issues and medical and psychiatric comorbidities associated with obesity treatment failure
• Delivering intensive counseling consisting of goal setting, self-monitoring, and problem solving
• Connecting patients with community resources to assist them in making healthy lifestyle changes.
COMMENTARY
Combating obesity is the critical health issue of the next decade. Currently, two-thirds of the adult population is either overweight or obese, and if the current trend continues, diabetes, one of the most important consequences of obesity, will develop in one out of three Americans born today. Clinicians are generally good at accomplishing the first and second of the three “As”: assessing and advising.1 The challenge for most of us in busy office practices is in assisting patients with the development of specific, concrete goals using specific, concrete behaviors, and then, when appropriate, arranging for referral to nutritionists, personal trainers, and multicomponent programs to help patients accomplish the agreed-upon goals.
1. Spring B, Ockene JK, Gidding SS, et al. Better population health through behavior change in adults. Circulation. 2013;128:2169-2176.
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