Research
Adherence
Interventions providing 12 or more contacts result in significantly greater weight loss than those providing fewer than 12 contacts.
When choosing a weight management program, prioritize one that offers at least 12 interactions (calls or visits) over the course of the year. More contact leads to better weight loss results, regardless of whether the provider is a doctor, nurse, or health coach.
GoodQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Participants who had ≥12 contacts during interventions lost significantly more weight than those with fewer contacts... The association remained after adjustment for type of interventionalist.
Why this rating
Derived from subgroup analysis of a high-quality meta-analysis, though heterogeneity remains high.
Source
Effectiveness of weight management interventions for adults delivered in primary care: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Claire Madigan et al. · BMJ · 2022
DOI 10.1136/bmj-2021-069719
Meta-analysis · 34 studiesCited 105×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Behavioral weight management interventions delivered in primary care result in statistically significant weight loss (mean difference -2.3 kg) and waist circumference reduction (-2.5 cm) compared to no treatment or minimal intervention at 12 months.Good
- Weight management interventions delivered by non-medical practitioners (e.g., health coaches) are as effective as those delivered by general practitioners (GPs) or nurses.Good
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
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