Effectiveness of Primary Care Physicians in Delivering Weight Control Counseling

Enrolled physicians are randomly assigned to receive brief training in either: 1) behavioral weight control intervention or 2) obesity education. Enrolled patients are asked to see their physician for 2 weight control consultations during the year to discuss their weight and physical activity. Regardless of the training the physician receives, the weight control advice is tailored to the individual patient. Patients include men and women between the ages of 21 - 70 years, with a Body-Mass Index of 27 or greater, and they have met medical and other study eligibility criteria in order to safely participate. As a participant in the trial, all patients are asked to attend an initial baseline assessment, and two follow-up assessments; 3 and 12 months after their first weight control consultation visit with their physician in order to evaluate any changes in their weight, waist circumference, physical activity, eating patterns, and mood. The findings of this important study will shed light upon the role physician advice may have in helping overweight and obese patients lose weight and become more physically active.