Adherence
Broadening obesity treatment goals beyond weight loss to include obesity-related diseases, health-related quality of life (HrQoL), body image, and weight bias internalization (WBI) improves patient-centered care and treatment adherence.
When starting obesity treatment, discuss your goals beyond just weight loss. Ask your provider about improvements in energy, pain, mood, or disease markers. If you are motivated by appearance, be open about this so your care team can address body image concerns proactively, which may include counseling. This helps ensure the treatment plan aligns with what matters most to you, increasing your chances of sticking with it.
Clarifying patients’ goals in these areas and aligning treatments accordingly can promote patient-centered care.
Why this rating
Based on a comprehensive review of recent literature, consensus statements, and clinical trials.
Source
Beyond the Scale: Setting Goals for Outcomes Beyond Weight in Evidence-based Obesity Treatment
Leah M. Schumacher et al. · Current Obesity Reports · 2026
DOI 10.1007/s13679-026-00706-7
More from this paper
- Obesity treatments (lifestyle, medications, surgery) improve obesity-related diseases, physical health-related quality of life (HrQoL), and body image, with the magnitude of benefit often correlating with the amount of weight loss.Good
- High baseline Weight Bias Internalization (WBI) is associated with reduced likelihood of achieving clinically meaningful weight loss in lifestyle modification programs.Moderate
Related findings · Adherence
- Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity) reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by 20-30% and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25-35%.Strong
- Increasing physical activity from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one in middle adulthood significantly reduces the risk of coronary events compared to remaining sedentary.Strong
- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →