Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
Published on: May 30, 2025
Medically managing obesity: Offering hope or a disincentive to change?
Jane Ogden1, Juliet Arulgnanaseelan1
1University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
Objective:
As weight loss in primary care remains minimal, Health Professionals are advised to medically manage obesity-related risk factors including blood pressure and cholesterol. This experimental study evaluated the impact of medically managing risk factors on obese patients' motivation to change their behaviour.
Methods:
A vignette study with two arms: successful medical management (ie risk factors have improved) vs failed medical management (ie no change) set in three General Practices in the South of England. Overweight and obese patients (n=170) rated their behavioural intentions and beliefs after reading a vignette describing an overweight patient who had received either successful or failed medical management of their risk factors (blood pressure and cholesterol).
Results:
Following successful medical management overweight and obese patients reported increased intentions to lose weight and a greater understanding of their condition.
Conclusion:
Medical management may change patient's understanding of their weight problem and motivate them to lose weight.
Practice Implications:
Successful management relating to improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol may offer renewed hope and motivate obese patients to change their behaviour. This could be used as a teachable moment to encourage patients to see that obesity need not be an inevitable part of their lives.
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