COUNSELING PATIENTS WITH OBESITY

Course overview

ABOUT 70 PERCENT OF AMERICAN ADULTS ARE OVERWEIGHT OR HAVE OBESITY. OBESITY IS A CHRONIC, RELAPSING, PROGRESSIVE DISEASE ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERE COMPLICATIONS AND COMORBIDITIES. EXCESS WEIGHT PLACES PEOPLE AT HIGHER RISK OF CHRONIC DISEASES, INCLUDING TYPE 2 DIABETES, HEART DISEASE, KIDNEY DISEASE, STROKE, AND CERTAIN CANCERS. HOWEVER, RESEARCH SHOWS THAT EVEN A MODEST WEIGHT LOSS OF 5 TO 10 PERCENT OF TOTAL BODY WEIGHT CAN RESULT IN HEALTH BENEFITS. PATIENTS WITH OVERWEIGHT OR OBESITY MAY WANT HELP SETTING AND REACHING WEIGHT-LOSS GOALS BUT MAY HAVE DIFFICULTIES TALKING ABOUT THEIR WEIGHT. BY SPEAKING WITH THESE PATIENTS RESPECTFULLY AND WORKING WITH THEM AS PARTNERS, PRACTITIONERS PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN EMPOWERING PATIENTS TO IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES STRATEGIES FOR COUNSELING PATIENTS WITH OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY AND HIGHLIGHTS THE PART OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CHRONIC DISEASE.