Adherence
Self-managed lifestyle interventions (diet and exercise) are the primary initial weight loss strategy in China, but they result in low compliance and modest efficacy, leading to a high unmet need for anti-obesity medications (AOMs).
If you are in China and trying to lose weight, know that self-managed diet and exercise are the standard first steps, but they often fail due to low compliance. If lifestyle changes aren't working, it is not your fault; the current options have limitations. Discuss anti-obesity medications (AOMs) with your doctor, as new options are becoming available and are desired by both patients and physicians for better efficacy and safety.
Before current clinical management, PwO had attempted self-management using their own diet (87%) and exercise (84%) programs... Only 19% of PwO reported full compliance with diet and exercise programs... The single most important reason for initiating AOM was failure to reach the desired weight loss with diet and exercise alone (58%).
Why this rating
Cross-sectional survey data with potential recall bias and selection bias, but large sample size (801 patients).
Source
Current status, perceptions, and barriers regarding weight loss approaches in China
Ziwei Lin et al. · Endocrine · 2025
DOI 10.1007/s12020-025-04315-7
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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 →