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Treatment of Patients With Obesity

Resources for creating a welcoming space in your practice

Obesity is a major risk factor for many prevalent and dangerous population health issues, including heart disease, hypertension, stroke, cancer, and diabetes.

Negative attitudes and beliefs among health care professionals can lead to discrimination, suboptimal care and worse health outcomes for people with overweight or obesity. People of color with obesity may face additional stigma related to their cultural identity and race when seeking care, resulting in an even greater negative impact on healthcare access and health outcomes.

You play a critical role in not just counseling patients about healthy interventions to promote weight loss or prevent the onset of obesity, but also making them feel comfortable and welcome in your office. This page offers resources to aid your treatment of patients as you support their weight management needs.

Join the AAFP for a conversation about creating a welcoming space for patients to talk about obesity. We’ll address the stigma surrounding obesity and how family physicians can play a role in reducing it.

The discussion questions are:

How do you develop a weight management plan with your patients?
As a family physician, how can I help to reduce the stigma around obesity?
How can I address barriers to care like access to affordable, healthy food options and physical activity opportunities?
What are some tips for navigating prior authorization on obesity medications to reduce administrative burden and delays in treatment initiation?
What are some tips to appropriately code and bill for obesity-related services, maximizing payment and practice revenue?
How can telemedicine expand access for patients that face barriers to care?
What are some of the latest pharmaceutical options to treat obesity?
What are some advancements in obesity surgical options in the last five years?
What are your go-to obesity resources for health professionals and patients?

Inside Family Medicine Podcast: CME On The Go

Earn up to 0.5 CME credits when you join our hosts as they dive into the complexities of weight loss medications, from historical perspectives to modern practices.

Obesity and Healthy Lifestyle: Clinical Guidance and Practice Resources

Evidence-based, and practical obesity and fitness resources to support your patients’ weight management needs.

References

^{1. Varney C, Hauk F. Advancing health equity: A blueprint for teaching about obesity and social justice in medical schools. In: MedEd’s Horizon: Just, Merciful, Diverse and Equitable. American Medical Association; 2023:90-91.}

^{2. Barksdale A. A method for establishing patient rapport. Fam Pract Manag. 2021;28(2):42.}