E. Advise Patient to Maintain Weight and Prevent Weight Gain

objective

Promote healthy lifestyles in low-risk patients.

background

Overweight patients (BMI 25 - 29.9 kg/m²) who do not have associated risk factors may benefit from brief education and advice on a healthy lifestyle with a goal of weight maintenance or mild weight loss.  Additional help for weight control, including establishing reasonable goals, setting expectations, and providing a treatment plan may be offered to those patients who want help to lose weight.

recommendations

1. Overweight patients (BMI 25 - 29.9 kg/m²) who do not have associated risk factors should be offered brief advice, encouraged to maintain or lose weight, and offered assistance in establishing reasonable weight loss goals as well as diet and exercise plans if they seek help in losing weight.  [I]
2. Overweight patients without obesity-associated conditions should be provided with education regarding healthy lifestyle behaviors, be advised of their BMI and their weight range margins and instructed to return for further evaluation should those margins be exceeded. BMI and risk factors should reassessed annually.  [Expert Opinion]

discussion

Brief advice entails educating the patient on healthy lifestyle behaviors.  This includes eating a diet balanced in fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and low-fat dairy.  In addition, moderate daily physical activity is encouraged for weight maintenance and/or mild weight loss.

There is no evidence that intervention may reduce mortality or morbidity of chronic disease in overweight patients without associated risk factors.  However, adults who are overweight are at a higher risk for death than individuals with a normal weight (BMI < 25 kg/m²) and may be at risk for developing chronic conditions (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease).  Furthermore, as body weight tends to increase with age, young adults who are overweight are at increased risk for gaining weight and becoming obese.