• Vivienne A Rose, Elena N Klyushnenkova, Min Zhang, and Verlyn O Warrington.
• Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD.
• Fam Pract. 2021 Feb 4; 38 (1): 11-17.

BackgroundDiet and lifestyle intervention programs have been shown to be effective in decreasing obesity/overweight and many associated comorbidities in specialty research settings. There is very little information however as to the efficacy of such programs conducted in usual/typical primary care practices. We analysed effectiveness of the Medical Weight Loss Program (MWLP) designed to specifically address overweight/obesity in the setting of an urban academic primary care practice.ObjectiveTo determine whether participation in the MWLP within a general primary care setting can result in weight loss.MethodsA retrospective medical chart review of patients treated in MWLP and a control group of patients with obesity receiving regular care in the general primary care setting. From the practice database (1 April 2015-31 March 2016), 209 patients (≥18 years old) who participated in the MWLP were identified; 265 controls were selected from the remaining population based on the presence of the obesity-related diagnoses.ResultsMWLP patients lost on average 2.35 ± 5.88 kg in 6 months compared to their baseline weight (P < 0.0001). In contrast, the control group demonstrated a trend of gaining on average 0.37 ± 6.03 kg. Having three or more visits with the MWLP provider within 6 months after program initiation was the most important factor associated with successful loss of at least 5% of the baseline weight. Weight loss also correlated with a decrease in abdominal girth.ConclusionMWLP integrated into the general primary care practice may potentially be an effective model for managing obesity and related morbidities.© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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