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Obesity: A Chronic Disease
Obesity: A Chronic Disease
  • Overview
  • Scientific Factors
  • Your Role

You play an important role in your patients’ long-term goals for weight management

Learn what patients need from you, how to start the conversation and what treatment might entail.

You play an important role in your patients’ long-term goals for weight management

Learn what patients need from you, how to start the conversation and what treatment might entail.

Actor portrayal

Patients receiving HCP guidance lost 5x more weight than those in a self-directed program1,a

aA randomized, controlled study of 415 patients with obesity showed that patients lost more weight with HCP counseling, weight-loss coaches, and web-based support (5.2% weight loss) when compared with a self-directed program (1.1% weight loss) at 24 months. A meta-analysis of survey data indicated that weight-loss advice from HCPs has a positive effect on a patient’s attempt at behavior change and on weight-loss efforts.

Actor portrayal

Starting the conversation
about weight

A study showed that two-thirds of patients with obesity want their HCPs to initiate the conversation about weight.2 The right framework can help guide these discussions with your patients.

Approaching weight-management discussions

When starting the weight-management conversation with your patients with obesity, it’s important to express empathy and recognize successes. These strategies may be helpful3:

Approaching weight-management discussions

When starting the weight-management conversation with your patients with obesity, it’s important to express empathy and recognize successes. These strategies may be helpful3:

Icon of a checkmark indicating items on a to-do list

Ask open-ended questions – to encourage a 2-way dialogue

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Review current progress – to recognize your patient’s efforts

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Use reflective listening – to confirm your patient’s point of view

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Include summary statements – to clarify your patient’s points and identify next steps

Icon of a checkmark indicating items on a to-do list

Ask open-ended questions – to encourage a 2-way dialogue

Icon of a checkmark indicating items on a to-do list

Review current progress – to recognize your patient’s efforts

Icon of a checkmark indicating items on a to-do list

Use reflective listening – to confirm your patient’s point of view

Icon of a checkmark indicating items on a to-do list

Include summary statements – to clarify your patient’s points and identify next steps

The role of pharmacotherapy in obesity management

Pharmacotherapy, in conjunction with lifestyle modifications, has been shown to produce greater weight loss compared to lifestyle modifications alone. It may be considered a component of a comprehensive, long-term weight-management plan for your appropriate patients.4,5

Guiding principles of pharmacotherapy

Icon of a bicycle, representing that pharmacotherapy should supplement, not replace, a patient's attempts to lose weight through diet and lifestyle changes

Reinforce patient efforts

Pharmacotherapy is intended to reinforce—not replace—lifestyle intervention efforts.6

Icon of a checklist, representing awareness of potential side effects of weight loss treatment

Understand side effects

HCPs and patients should be familiar with a medicine’s potential side effects and contraindications.6

Icon of a man and a woman, indicating that patients differ from each other and that if a weight loss plan does not work for a patient, another plan should be tried

Every patient is different

If clinically meaningful weight loss of ≥5% is not achieved after 3-4 months, a new treatment plan should be implemented.6


Obesity management resources for your patients

HCP to Employer Coverage Letter
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HCP to Employer Coverage Letter
Instructions and a sample letter for requesting employers to add anti-obesity medications to their base plans.
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View all patient obesity educational materials
References:
  1. Appel LJ, Clark JM, Yeh H-C, et al. Comparative effectiveness of weight-loss interventions in clinical practice. N Engl J Med. 2011;365(21):1959-1968.
  2. Golden A, Dhurandhar NV, Jinnett K, et al. Insights and perceptions of obesity management in people with obesity: results of the National ACTION Study. Poster presented at: ObesityWeek 2016; October 31-November 4, 2016; New Orleans, LA. Poster T-P-3178.
  3. DiLillo V, Siegfried NJ, Smith West DS. Incorporating motivational interviewing into behavioral obesity treatment. Cogn Behav Pract. 2003;10(2):120-130.
  4. Garvey W, Mechanick J, Brett E, et al. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology comprehensive clinical practice guidelines for medical care of patients with obesity. Endocr Pract. 2016;22(Suppl 3):1-203.
  5. Wadden TA, Berkowitz RI, Womble LG, et al. Randomized trial of lifestyle modification and pharmacotherapy for obesity. N Engl J Med. 2005;353(20):2111-2120.
  6. Bray GA, Frühbeck G, Ryan DH, Wilding JPH. Management of obesity. Lancet. 2016;387(10031):1947-1956.
Obesity
Other Therapy Areas
Explore diabetes
Explore obesity
Explore growth-related disorders
Explore rare bleeding disorders
Explore rare renal disorders
Explore hormone replacement therapy
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