Why should obesity be managed? The obese individual's perspective.

Weight loss can be achieved using a variety of different methods, alone or in combination, including energy restricted diets, drug treatment and surgical intervention. The difficulty is maintaining weight loss over a prolonged period. Physicians, dietitians and nurses are often pessimistic about their ability to manage obesity. Such negative attitudes, combined with the erroneous belief that obesity is not a serious medical condition, have adversely affected the level of care received by obese patients. Despite this, the family doctor is often approached for help with weight control. Obese patients are generally well informed about diet and weight issues, and are in a good position to critically assess the weight loss advice given by their doctor. The perception of such advice formed part of a questionnaire completed by obese people (346 female/24 male) who successfully reduced their weight while attending a weight loss group. Eighty per cent had previously been advised by their doctor to lose weight, but guidance on how to do this was generally judged to be poor. Only 22% of subjects received positive advice, although 23% of subjects reported that their doctor's advice was indirectly responsible for their weight loss. Patients derived evident health benefits from their weight loss and were generally given a positive response on returning to their doctor. To help patients lose weight, doctors must realise that obesity is a serious chronic medical condition. Ongoing help and support from doctors and other healthcare professionals is a key element in successful long-term weight management.