A recent study has shed light on the gap between the availability of effective weight management treatments (WMT) and their actual usage among individuals with obesity. The research, led by a team at the University of Michigan, highlights that although certain treatments have proven effective for weight loss, their adoption remains minimal, limiting their broader impact on public health. The findings were published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
The retrospective cohort study examined the health data of 146,959 adult primary care patients from 2015 to 2020. The research sought to assess the prevalence of obesity and the utilisation of various WMT, such as nutrition counselling, very low-calorie meal replacement programmes (MR), anti-obesity medications (AOM), and bariatric surgery. The findings indicate that while the use of these treatments increased between 2017 and 2019, overall uptake remains remarkably low.
Obesity rates continue to rise across the globe, with the UK experiencing similar trends. According to the study, the prevalence of obesity in the cohort increased from 39.2% in 2017 to 40.7% in 2019. Despite this rise, only 7.1% of patients with obesity had utilised a form of WMT by 2019. This is a slight increase from the 5.3% usage rate recorded in 2017, but researchers argue that it is not enough to significantly influence population-level weight loss.
The study found that WMTs are effective for individual weight loss, particularly for those who maintain consistent engagement with these treatments over a year. Bariatric surgery was found to be the most successful, with a 93% probability of achieving a 5% or greater weight loss within a year. In contrast, the probability of achieving the same result without any WMT stood at just 15.6%.
Nutrition counselling also showed positive outcomes, with a 23.1% likelihood of 5% or greater weight loss. Other options, such as MR programmes and AOM, demonstrated success rates of 54.6% and 27.8%, respectively.
But the researchers note that the low utilisation of these treatments means that their potential to make a significant impact on population health remains untapped.
The study identifies several barriers to the wider adoption of WMT, including the cost of treatments like AOM, limited insurance coverage, and the perception that these treatments are only for extreme cases. Additionally, some patients might be unaware of the options available to them or may feel hesitant to pursue treatments due to stigma surrounding weight loss interventions.
The authors of the study call for enhanced public awareness and improved access to these treatments to help combat the obesity crisis. By increasing engagement with WMTs, health systems can support more individuals in achieving sustainable weight loss and improving overall health outcomes.
As the prevalence of obesity continues to grow, this research serves as a reminder that while effective treatments are available, more needs to be done to ensure they reach those who could benefit most.
