Lifestyle modification in the management of obesity: achievements and challenges (original) (raw)
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Using the Guidelines for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults as a framework, this article reviews intensive lifestyle interventions for weight loss. The Guidelines recommend a minimum of 6 months of highintensity, comprehensive lifestyle intervention, consisting of a reduced-calorie diet, increased physical activity, and behavior therapy. Persons with obesity typically lose approximately 8 kg (approximately 8% of initial weight) with this approach, accompanied by improvements in health and quality of life. To prevent weight regain, the Guidelines recommend a 1-year weight loss maintenance program that includes at least monthly counseling with a trained interventionist. Lifestyle interventions usually are delivered in-person; however, treatment increasingly is being disseminated through community-and commercialbased programs, as well as delivered by telephone, Internet, and smartphone platforms. These latter modalities expand treatment reach but usually produce smaller weight losses than in-person interventions. The review concludes with an examination of challenges in weight management.
Introduction: Following lifestyle intervention programs based on dietary restriction and habitual physical activity, weight loss, however large, is reported to peak within six months. Despite maintenance protocols, only few cases continue to lose weight thereafter. The majority of cases regain weight and adherence to lifestyle changes are fostered by long-term contact with a supportive team. In general, surgical procedures are reported to produce much larger weight loss and to impact more favorably on long-term weight loss maintenance. Areas covered: We performed a PubMed search on lifestyle modification studies, focusing on the role of behavior programs for the long-term management of obesity in comparison with surgical procedures. Behaviorally-achieved weight loss outcomes can be improved by integrating standard behavior therapy with self-regulation cognitive skills, motivational interviewing and/or phone/internet-based recall systems. Expert commentary: Clinically-important long-term weight loss is achievable by behavior therapy in a small proportion of subjects with obesity, however severe, through personalized programs associating lifestyle modification interventions, with procedures aimed at developing commitment and responsibility skills. A new area of research is the integration of cognitive-behavior therapy with bariatric (metabolic) surgery, either pre-or post-operatively, to exploit long-term adherence to healthy diet and habitual physical activity.
The Long-term Effectiveness of a Lifestyle Intervention in Severely Obese Individuals
The American Journal of Medicine, 2013
Objective-Severe obesity (BMI≥40kg/m 2) is a serious public health concern. Although bariatric surgery is an efficacious treatment approach, it is limited in reach; thus non-surgical treatment alternatives are needed. We examined the 4-year effects of an intensive lifestyle intervention on body weight and cardiovascular disease risk factors among severely obese, compared to overweight (25≤BMI<30), class I (30≤BMI<35), and class II obese (35≤BMI<40) participants. Methods-5,145 individuals with type 2 diabetes (45-76 years, BMI≥25kg/m 2) were randomized to an intensive lifestyle intervention or diabetes support and education. The lifestyle intervention received a behavioral weight loss program which included group and individuals meetings, a ≥10% weight loss goal, calorie restriction, and increased physical activity. Diabetes support and education received a less intense educational intervention. 4-year changes in body weight and cardiovascular disease risk factors were assessed.
A Two-Year Randomized Trial of Obesity Treatment in Primary Care Practice
New England Journal of Medicine, 2011
Background Calls for primary care providers (PCPs) to offer obese patients behavioral weight-loss counseling have not been accompanied by adequate guidance on how such care could be delivered. This randomized trial compared weight loss during a 2-year period in response to three lifestyle interventions, all delivered by PCPs in collaboration with auxiliary health professionals (lifestyle coaches) in their practices. Methods We randomly assigned 390 obese adults in six primary care practices to one of three types of intervention: usual care, consisting of quarterly PCP visits that included education about weight management; brief lifestyle counseling, consisting of quarterly PCP visits combined with brief monthly sessions with lifestyle coaches who instructed participants about behavioral weight control; or enhanced brief lifestyle counseling, which provided the same care as described for the previous intervention but included meal replacements or weight-loss medication (orlistat or sibutramine), chosen by the participants in consultation with the PCPs, to potentially increase weight loss. Results Of the 390 participants, 86% completed the 2-year trial, at which time, the mean (±SE) weight loss with usual care, brief lifestyle counseling, and enhanced brief lifestyle counseling was 1.7±0.7, 2.9±0.7, and 4.6±0.7 kg, respectively. Initial weight decreased at least 5% in 21.5%, 26.0%, and 34.9% of the participants in the three groups, respectively. Enhanced lifestyle counseling was superior to usual care on both these measures of success (P = 0.003 and P = 0.02, respectively), with no other significant differences among the groups. The benefits of enhanced lifestyle counseling remained even after participants given sibutramine were excluded from the analyses. There were no significant differences between the intervention groups in the occurrence of serious adverse events. Conclusions Enhanced weight-loss counseling helps about one third of obese patients achieve longterm, clinically meaningful weight loss.
Behavioral Modification for the Management of Obesity
Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice, 2016
This article provides behavioral strategies for working with obese patients and families within a primary care context. A multi-factorial model for the etiology of obesity from which to adopt treatment strategies is provided. Optimal views to set up effective patient encounters and specific recommendations to motivate and support patients are discussed. Multi-component programs include a combination of nutritional, physical activity, and cognitive behavioral approaches to target overweight/obesity. The focus is on behavioral approaches and practical applications such as motivational interviewing techniques are included.
Contemporary Clinical Trials, 2014
Although there are efficacious weight loss interventions that can improve health and delay onset of diabetes and hypertension, these interventions have not been translated into clinical practice. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of a tailored lifestyle intervention in primary care patients. Patients were recruited by their primary care physicians and eligible participants were randomized to an enhanced intervention or standard intervention. All participants met with a lifestyle counselor to set calorie and physical activity goals and to discuss behavioral strategies at baseline, 6 and 12 months. During the first year, enhanced intervention participants receive monthly counseling phone calls to assist in attaining and maintaining their goals. Enhanced intervention participants also receive weekly mailings consisting of tailored and non-tailored print materials and videos focusing on weight loss, physical activity promotion and healthy eating. The second year focuses on maintenance with enhanced intervention participants receiving tailored and non-tailored print materials and videos regularly throughout the year. Standard intervention participants receive five informational handouts on weight loss across the two years. This enhanced intervention that consists of multiple modalities of print, telephone, and video with limited face-to-face counseling holds promise for being effective for encouraging weight loss, increasing physical activity and healthy eating, and also for being cost effective and generalizable for wide clinical use. This study will fill an important gap in our knowledge regarding the translation and dissemination of research from efficacy studies to best practices in clinical settings.
Eating Behaviors, 2015
Objective: To investigate the change in eating behavior and the factors related with the change among successful dieters (maintained a weight loss of ≥5% of original weight). Methods: Obese adult subjects (21 male, 55 female) were randomized into three-year lifestyle intervention (n = 59) and control groups (n = 17). Eating behavior (cognitive restraint of eating, uncontrolled eating and emotional eating) was evaluated by the TFEQ-18 and motivation to lose weight and tolerance to problems by a separate questionnaire. Weight, height and body mass index were measured. Results: Weight decreased more in the intervention group than in the control group (5.0% vs 0.6%, p = 0.027). Cognitive restraint increased twice as much in the intervention group compared to the control group (16.0 vs. 7.0, p = 0.044). The increment in cognitive restraint was positively associated with weight loss and high baseline motivation and tolerance to problems. Cognitive restraint increased in both successful (n = 27) and unsuccessful dieters (n = 32), but only the successful dieters were able to decrease uncontrolled eating in the long term. Conclusions: Our results showed that intensive lifestyle counseling improved cognitive restraint which was associated with enhanced weight loss among obese adults. Successful dieters also showed a long-term improvement of uncontrolled eating. Eating behavior should be evaluated and followed before and during lifestyle interventions in order to support the change, e.g. by finding methods to control eating at risk situations and strengthening motivation and tolerance to problems.
Long-term weight loss maintenance for obesity: a multidisciplinary approach
Abstract: The long-term weight management of obesity remains a very difficult task, associ- ated with a high risk of failure and weight regain. However, many people report that they have successfully managed weight loss maintenance in the long term. Several factors have been associated with better weight loss maintenance in long-term observational and randomized studies. A few pertain to the behavioral area (eg, high levels of physical activity, eating a low- calorie, low-fat diet; frequent self-monitoring of weight), a few to the cognitive component (eg, reduced disinhibition, satisfaction with results achieved, confidence in being able to lose weight without professional help), and a few to personality traits (eg, low novelty seeking) and patient–therapist interaction. Trials based on the most recent protocols of lifestyle modification, with a prolonged extended treatment after the weight loss phase, have also shown promising long-term weight loss results. These data should stimulate the adoption of a lifestyle modification- based approach for the management of obesity, featuring a nonphysician lifestyle counselor (also called “lifestyle trainer” or “healthy lifestyle practitioner”) as a pivotal component of the multidisciplinary team. The obesity physicians maintain a primary role in engaging patients, in team coordination and supervision, in managing the complications associated with obesity and, in selected cases, in the decision for drug treatment or bariatric surgery, as possible more intensive, add-on interventions to lifestyle treatment.