The Role of Commercial Weight-Loss Programs
Authors: Christina C. Wee
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2015)

Editorials7 April 2015The Role of Commercial Weight-Loss ProgramsChristina C. Wee, MD, MPHChristina C. Wee, MD, MPHFrom Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M15-0429 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Obesity is a leading health problem in the United States because of its high prevalence and role in many chronic conditions (1). More than one third of U.S. adults are obese, and direct health care costs associated with obesity were estimated at $147 billion in 2008 (2). In 2012, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended that clinicians screen all adults for obesity and offer or refer patients with a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or greater to intensive, multicomponent behavioral interventions (3). A recent joint guideline from the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and ...References1. Jensen MD, Ryan DH, Apovian CM, Ard JD, Comuzzie AG, Donato KA, et al; American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline for the management of overweight and obesity in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and The Obesity Society. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014;63:2985-3023. [PMID: 24239920] doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2013.11.004 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Finkelstein EA, Trogdon JG, Cohen JW, Dietz W. Annual medical spending attributable to obesity: payer-and service-specific estimates. Health Aff (Millwood). 2009;28:w822-31. [PMID: 19635784] doi:10.1377/hlthaff.28.5.w822 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Moyer VA; U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for and management of obesity in adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2012;157:373-8. [PMID: 22733087] doi:10.7326/0003-4819-157-5-201209040-00475 LinkGoogle Scholar4. Gudzune KA, Doshi RS, Mehta AK, Chaudhry ZW, Jacobs DK, Vakil RM, et al. Efficacy of commercial weight-loss programs. An updated systematic review. Ann Intern Med. 2015;162:501-12. doi:10.7326/M14-2238 LinkGoogle Scholar5. Wadden TA, Volger S, Sarwer DB, Vetter ML, Tsai AG, Berkowitz RI, et al. A two-year randomized trial of obesity treatment in primary care practice. N Engl J Med. 2011;365:1969-79. [PMID: 22082239] doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1109220 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Martin PD, Dutton GR, Rhode PC, Horswell RL, Ryan DH, Brantley PJ. Weight loss maintenance following a primary care intervention for low-income minority women. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008;16:2462-7. [PMID: 18787526] doi:10.1038/oby.2008.399 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Christian JG, Bessesen DH, Byers TE, Christian KK, Goldstein MG, Bock BC. Clinic-based support to help overweight patients with type 2 diabetes increase physical activity and lose weight. Arch Intern Med. 2008;168:141-6. [PMID: 18227359] doi:10.1001/arch CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Ockene IS, Hebert JR, Ockene JK, Saperia GM, Stanek E, Nicolosi R, et al. Effect of physician-delivered nutrition counseling training and an office-support program on saturated fat intake, weight, and serum lipid measurements in a hyperlipidemic population: Worcester Area Trial for Counseling in Hyperlipidemia (WATCH). Arch Intern Med. 1999;159:725-31. [PMID: 10218753] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Foster GD, Wadden TA, Phelan S, Sarwer DB, Sanderson RS. Obese patients' perceptions of treatment outcomes and the factors that influence them. Arch Intern Med. 2001;161:2133-9. [PMID: 11570944] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. Wee CC, Hamel MB, Davis RB, Phillips RS. Assessing the value of weight loss among primary care patients. J Gen Intern Med. 2004;19:1206-11. [PMID: 15610331] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.Financial Support: Dr. Wee is funded by a National Institutes of Health Mid-Career Mentorship Award (K24 DK087932).Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M15-0429.Corresponding Author: Christina C. Wee, MD, MPH, Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215; e-mail, [email protected]harvard.edu. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoEfficacy of Commercial Weight-Loss Programs Kimberly A. Gudzune , Ruchi S. Doshi , Ambereen K. Mehta , Zoobia W. Chaudhry , David K. Jacobs , Rachit M. Vakil , Clare J. Lee , Sara N. Bleich , and Jeanne M. Clark Efficacy of Commercial Weight-Loss Programs Kimberly A. Gudzune , Ruchi S. Doshi , Ambereen K. Mehta , Zoobia W. Chaudhry , David K. Jacobs , Rachit M. Vakil , Clare J. Lee , Sara N. Bleich , and Jeanne M. Clark Metrics Cited byHealth coaching to encourage obese adults to enroll in commercially-available weight management programs: The path to health studyBarriers to and Facilitators of Weight Management in Adults Using a Meal Replacement Program That Includes Health CoachingAddressing Obesity in Clinical Gynecology PracticeEfficacy of Commercial Weight-Loss ProgramsWilliam S. Yancy Jr., MD, Anna Beth Barton, MD, Megan A. McVay, PhD, and Corrine I. Voils, PhD 7 April 2015Volume 162, Issue 7Page: 522-523KeywordsClinical trialsDisclosureExerciseForecastingMotivationNutritionObesityOverweightWeight loss ePublished: 7 April 2015 Issue Published: 7 April 2015 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2015 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...