An Obesity Treatment Plan for People of All Backgrounds

Many people who diet on their own struggle to lose weight. This is because how much we eat is only one of many factors that affect this disease.

Treatment for obesity should start with behavior change with the help of a long-term healthy eating and activity plan developed and monitored by a doctor.

However, this can be difficult, as many doctors do not have the required training or time to properly treat obesity.

Obesity treatment is even harder to find in rural areas and in communities where people have lower income.

Scientists from Pennington Biomedical and The Louisiana Clinical & Translational Science Center are working hard to address this problem.

They developed a clinical trial to test if doctors in underserved communities in Louisiana could use a scientifically based plan to treat obesity more effectively.

A total of 803 people participated in this clinical trial. 452 got an obesity treatment plan and a health coach. The rest had normal appointments with their doctor.

A successful obesity treatment plan should result in 5 to 10% weight loss after 6 months. So, if someone weighs 220 pounds, they will lose at least 11 pounds in 6 months.

Since each participant’s individual biology, genetics and environment are factors in obesity alongside nutrition and exercise, a successful obesity treatment plan looks different for different people.

Therefore, health coaches and doctors worked with each participant to set up a personal treatment plan with a goal to reach 10% weight loss after 6 months.

The health coaches were trained by the team of scientists to have the most up-to-date knowledge and skills to help people fight obesity.

The treatment plan included a prescription for a calorie-controlled healthy eating plan consistent with USDA dietary guidelines of 55% carbohydrate, 15% protein, and 30% fat.

Participants were also coached to increase their physical activity to at least 175 minutes per week.

The coaches educated participants on skills they would need for long-term weight loss success. This included skills on how to identify healthy and unhealthy foods.

The education was tailored to local community cultures and resources. This ensured that all participants were better able to relate to their treatment plan.

After the first 6 months of weekly visits, participants lost 7% of their body weight and felt better. This is a fantastic outcome!

Participants continued to meet with their health coaches monthly. Even after 2 years, participants maintained 5% weight loss and 1 in every 5 participants had lost at least 10% of their weight.

People who followed the plan lost more weight compared to those who maintained their normal routines. Their waistlines also got smaller.

One factor that determined weight loss success was how often participants met with their health coach.

Participants who met with the health coach for 8 out of every 10 sessions lost 7% of their starting weight. Participants who met with their coach fewer times only lost 2%.

While all participants saw success, those older than 57 lost the most weight and those under 42 lost the least. Also, Black participants lost less weight than White participants.

More research is needed to understand the reason for these differences and ensure that more people can have similar weight-loss results and health improvements regardless of age, race or income level.

One important finding of this study is that the treatment of obesity with an intensive lifestyle program can be delivered in a primary care clinic with health coaches alongside a doctor.

Health coaches with degrees in nutrition, physical activity and behavioral medicine can be trained on the obesity treatment recommendations and deliver successful programs in primary care.

An obesity treatment program tailored to the community it hopes to serve can help people to lose weight. Better yet, this weight loss can last for years – a huge leap from most weight-loss programs.

You can look for health coaches who combine expertise in nutrition, physical activity and other areas in your community. Need help finding or bringing a treatment program to your community? Contact Pennington Biomedical at (225) 763-3000.