Medical judgment stunts weight loss

For the past few decades, America has been at war against obesity. Cheap, high fat foods are continuously tempting our front lines and indiscriminately adding inches to our waistlines. To combat this growing problem, schools, businesses and healthcare institutions across the nation have tried to increase awareness of obesity and its causes. Despite the numerous health talks and active lifestyle initiatives, a Hopkins study suggests that the key player in weight loss may be the discussions patients have with their doctors about weight.

Kimberly Gudzune, a professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is leading a study on the effects doctors have on patient weight loss. In a published report, Gudzune’s team compiled reports from 600 patients with a BMI over 25 who have regular checkups with their doctors. These patients were sent surveys regarding their experiences with their doctor visits. Of the 600 participants, 21 percent stated that they felt judged by their primary care providers in the past year because of their weight.

Ninety-six percent of these judged patients reported that they tried to lose weight in the same year. In contrast, 84 percent of the people who did not feel judged tried to lose weight. At first glance, the results seem to suggest that a little medical judgment may slightly encourage overweight individuals to lose weight. However, the researchers discovered that the second part of their study refuted this interpretation.

In the second part of the survey, the patients were asked questions regarding doctor-patient discussions. Particularly, the researchers wanted to probe the correlation between weight loss discussions and total weight loss achievements. The individuals who did not discuss weight loss with their doctors reported the lowest percentages of weight loss regardless of whether or not the patient felt judged.

Of the participants who tried to lose weight after doctor judgment and a weight loss discussion, only 14 percent lost ten or more percent of their weight. In contrast, among the participants who tried to lose weight after a weight loss talk but without doctor judgment, 20 percent lost ten or more percent of their weight.

For Gudzune’s team, these results point to two conclusions. First, patients are more likely to lose weight if their primary care providers talk to them about losing weight. This is evident among the group that did not feel judged, as the addition of a weight loss discussion tripled the percentage that lost weight. Second, the researchers concluded that overly critical or judgmental doctors negatively affect the weight loss attempts of their overweight patients.

This study emphasizes behaviors that should be considered by primary care physicians. On one hand, in order to provide the best medical advice, doctors should not be reluctant to discuss weight loss with their patients. This may not be obvious to all doctors, as only two-thirds of the 600 study participants reported having weight loss discussions with their doctors. On the other hand, doctors need to talk about weight loss without being overly critical. Although this negativity may encourage patients to try losing weight, it is likely to lead to unsuccessful results.