Managing obesity in primary care practice: a narrative review

Area of Science:

• Obesity management
• Primary care practice
• Behavioral health interventions

Background:

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services now support intensive behavioral weight loss counseling.
• Obesity is a significant public health concern requiring effective primary care interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review randomized controlled trials on obesity management in primary care.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of different behavioral weight loss counseling strategies.

Main Methods:

• Narrative review of randomized controlled trials.
• Analysis of weight loss outcomes from various intervention types.

Main Results:

• Brief primary care provider (PCP) counseling yielded 0.1-2.3 kg weight loss.
• Combining PCP counseling with medication resulted in 1.7-7.5 kg loss.
• Collaborative and remote counseling models showed varying degrees of success.

Conclusions:

• Behavioral counseling in primary care shows potential for obesity management.
• Combination therapies and specific delivery models may enhance weight loss.
• Further studies are needed on optimal visit frequency, duration, and cost-effectiveness.