According to new research, overweight people are more likely to disagree with their doctors on lifestyle and weight loss recommendations. Oxford University Press published a new article in Family Practice. The World Health Organization estimates that obesity almost tripled between 1975 and 2016. (Also read: Thyroid Weight Loss Diet: 5 Foods to Eat Every Day)
General practitioners have a key role in health care aimed at weight loss and obesity. The quality of information, mutual understanding, and agreement between physicians and patients affect health status, compliance, satisfaction, and patient trust in their physician. Previous research has shown that patients and doctors often have different attitudes about weight.
Patients tend to attribute excess weight to factors they cannot control (eg, genetics, hormones), while clinicians tend to attribute it to behavioral and therefore controllable factors (eg, nutrition, physical activity). Although many factors contribute to patients’ weight and health, these differences in weight perception could degrade the doctor-patient interaction.
This study aimed to analyze whether the interaction between patients and their doctors, measured by their disagreement about the information and advice given during the consultation, varied according to the patient’s body mass index.
Twenty-seven general practitioners and 585 patients from three regions of France participated in the quantitative phase of the project in September and October 2007 and answered questionnaires that collected the perceptions of general practitioners and patients about the information and advice provided at the end of the consultation. . .
The researchers here explored differences in physician and patient statements about actions, information, and advice during the same visit, the patient’s health status, and the perceived quality of their relationship. For example, questions about weight loss were: “Did your doctor advise you to lose weight during your consultation?” (Responded by patients) and their mirror “Did you advise this patient to lose weight during the consultation?” (Answered by doctors). Differences in responses given by physicians and their patients were used to define disagreement.
Agreement between patients and physicians was weak (20 to 40 percent agreement) or moderate (40 to 60 percent agreement) for most questions, including questions about actions, information, advice, and patient health status. Discussed patient during appointment with doctor. Agreement was very weak (less than 20 percent agreement) for questions about the perceived quality of the doctor-patient relationship.
The researchers also found that there was more disagreement between doctor and patient the more overweight the patient was. Disagreement was particularly pronounced over advice given by doctors about weight and lifestyle. Compared with patients with a “normal” BMI, overweight patients were more likely to disagree with their doctors about advice about losing weight, advice about being more physically active and advice on nutrition.
“General practitioners could offer an exploration of patient representations and weight-related difficulties as a basis for discussion and appropriate support,” said study lead author Laetitia Gimenez.
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