Communication Strategies that will Make a Difference for Your Patients Seeking Obesity Treatment

arget Audience
This activity is designed for family medicine physicians and other clinicians treating patients with obesity.

Statement of Need
Obesity is a wide-spread, costly, and chronic public health issue in the United States. More than one-third (39%) of U.S. adults (18 years of age and older) have obesity, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher. Currently, obesity related healthcare costs are estimated to be from $147 billion to $210 billion annually. Obesity is linked to a number of chronic medical conditions including diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, and arthritis. Obesity is also a risk factor for gestational diabetes which is a risk factor and often a precursor to developing type 2 diabetes for women in middle and later life.

Unfortunately, healthcare providers (HCPs) tend not to effectively communicate the diagnosis of obesity, its nature as a serious and chronic disease, the full range of treatment options, and obesity's implications for health and quality of life. They also miss the opportunity to engage in more effective conversations by better appreciating their patients' motivation and treatment goals. (Look, 2019)

Ref: Look M, Kolotkin RL, Dhurandhar NV, Nadglowski J, Stevenin B, Golden A. Implications of differing attitudes and experiences between providers and persons with obesity: results of the national ACTION study. Postgrad Med. 2019;131(5):357-365.

Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:

Recognize the key components of shared decision-making encounters for patients seeking obesity treatment
Identify best practices for risk communication when deliberating treatment options with patients seeking obesity treatment
Define decisional conflict
Enhance their understanding regarding obesity's impact on cardiovascular disease
Test their knowledge regarding COVID’s impact on obesity