[Multidisciplinary consultation for patients with excess weight: observations following a 6-month pilot experience]

The evaluation and definition of excessive weight and obesity have greatly varied depending on the civilization and the era. These two themes have assumed importance under the influence of outside social pressures, and then medical criteria when obesity was associated with chronic illness and complications, for example, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Everyday, articles appear taking this or that method for losing weight, methods where the effects are often described as miraculous in the short term, but uncertain in the medium-term and unsatisfying or unknown in the long term. This is mainly due to drop out rates, a ack of precise epidemiological data concerning obesity and its treatment, and lack of long-term follow-up of patients. Also in the long term at least, there does not seem to be a big difference in weight loss whatever the method chosen. Taking into account the importance of psychological and social factors frequently encountered in overweight patients, we have chosen an integrated approach (internist, psychiatrist, dietician). The following article describes the methods used and offers some reflections after a first period of six months.