Adherence
Adults not recommended for weight loss treatment by obesity guidelines have significantly lower cardiovascular disease risk than those recommended for treatment, regardless of whether the 1998 or 2013 guidelines are used.
Being classified as 'needing weight loss' by current medical guidelines is associated with a higher risk of heart disease compared to being classified as 'not needing weight loss.' This does not mean weight loss is harmful, but it highlights that the guidelines are designed to flag high-risk patients, not necessarily those who will see the greatest cardiovascular benefit from losing weight.
Adults not recommended for weight loss were at lower risk of cardiovascular disease than adults recommended for weight loss, regardless of which guideline was used.
Why this rating
Large prospective cohort (ARIC), long follow-up (median 22.8 years), adjudicated outcomes, but observational design limits causal inference regarding weight loss itself.
Source
Cardiovascular disease risk by assigned treatment using the 2013 and 1998 obesity guidelines
June Stevens et al. · Obesity · 2016
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