Tarrytown, New York (PRWEB) May 23, 2012
A new study of obese people enrolled in a 12-week physician-led weight loss program revealed participants lost an average of 28 pounds. The research appeared in the June issue of The American Journal of Medicine. The data was collected from charts of patients at The Center for Medical Weight Loss (CMWL), the largest network of non-surgical medical weight loss providers in the US.
Few studies have focused on weight loss programs implemented in a real-world primary care setting. This study retroactively evaluated in a blind fashion, meaning the doctor had no information on the study patients who participated in a program. The patients were not incentivized or compensated to remain under care. (Funded research trials pay patients to participate.)
The study was based on data from four primary care practices and four doctor-led weight loss clinics and included 413 participants in total. The research suggests an effective obesity treatment can be achieved through a combination of doctor-directed behavioral therapy and meal replacement, which is the crux of the CMWL approach.
“This research is very significant and encouraging because it means that people struggling with obesity can be confident that there is an effective way to combat this disease and manage it on an ongoing basis,” said Dr. Michael Kaplan, chief medical officer and founder of The Center for Medical Weight Loss. “Most non medical weight loss chains have average results in the one pound per week range, so this is a better option.”
The research also showed primary care physicians are equally as effective at achieving weight loss as dedicated doctor-led weight loss clinics. Primary care practitioners often do not provide obesity treatment for a variety of reasons, including limited time, no reimbursement, and little training.