VANCOUVER, B.C. – Motivational interviewing in the primary care setting promotes weight loss among overweight and obese children, according to a randomized trial, which is the first of its kind. The study was reported at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies.
Motivational interviewing is not new. It got its start in addiction medicine several decades ago, and only in the past decade has the technique made its way to chronic disease management. Lead author Ken Resnicow, Ph.D., professor of health behavior and health education, University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor, explains the method and how it’s finding its place in pediatrics and primary care.