Priority Research Center for Health Behavior, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, 2308, Australia.
BMC Fam Pract. 2012 May 30;13:48. doi: 10.1186/1471-2296-13-48.
Obesity is a significant public health concern. General practitioners (GPs) see a large percentage of the population and are well placed to provide weight management advice. There has been little examination of the types of weight loss strategies used in Australian general practice patients. This cross-sectional study aimed to describe the proportion of normal weight, overweight and obese general practice patients who report trying to lose weight in the past 12 months, the types of weight loss strategies and diets used as well as the proportion consulting their GP prior to trying to lose weight.
Adult patients completed a touchscreen computer survey while waiting for their appointment. Responses from 1335 patients in twelve Australian practices are reported.
A larger proportion of obese patients had tried to lose weight in the past 12 months (73%) compared to those who were overweight (55%) and normal weight (33%). The most commonly used strategy used was changing diet and increasing exercise in all BMI categories. Less than 10% used strategies such as prescription medication, over the counter supplements and consulted a weight loss specialist. Low calorie and low fat diets were the most frequently reported diets used to lose weight in those who were normal weight, overweight and obese. Overall, the proportion seeking GP advice was low, with 12% of normal weight, 15% of overweight and 43% of obese patients consulting their GP prior to trying to lose weight.
A large proportion of overweight or obese patients have tried to lose weight and utilized strategies such as changing diet and increasing exercise. Most attempts however were unassisted, with low rates of consultation with GPs and weight loss specialists. Ways to assist overweight and obese general practice patients with their weight loss attempts need to be identified.
肥胖是一个严重的公共卫生问题。全科医生（GP）诊治了很大一部分人群，非常适合提供体重管理建议。但是，很少有研究关注澳大利亚全科实践患者中使用的减肥策略类型。本横断面研究旨在描述过去 12 个月报告尝试减肥的正常体重、超重和肥胖全科实践患者的比例、使用的减肥策略和饮食类型，以及在尝试减肥之前咨询 GP 的比例。
成年患者在预约时使用触摸屏计算机完成调查。报告了来自澳大利亚 12 个实践的 1335 名患者的应答。
与超重（55%）和正常体重（33%）患者相比，肥胖患者在过去 12 个月中尝试减肥的比例更大（73%）。在所有 BMI 类别中，最常使用的策略是改变饮食和增加运动。使用处方药、非处方药补充剂和咨询减肥专家等策略的不到 10%。在体重正常、超重和肥胖的患者中，低卡路里和低脂肪饮食是最常报告用于减肥的饮食。总体而言，寻求 GP 建议的比例较低，正常体重、超重和肥胖患者中分别有 12%、15%和 43%在尝试减肥前咨询过 GP。
很大一部分超重或肥胖患者已经尝试减肥，并采用了改变饮食和增加运动等策略。但是，大多数尝试都是未经协助的，咨询 GP 和减肥专家的比例很低。需要确定帮助超重和肥胖的全科实践患者减肥的方法。
