title: Group office visits in obesity.
abstract: A conference convened by the NIH in 1985 officially designated obesity a health hazard, stopping short of calling it a disease; yet its characteristic progressive, debilitating and refractory nature is impressively disease-like. Long-term weight loss occurs in only 5% of patients. Group office visits led by physicians have been used in a number of life-style conditions. In diabetes this format enhances blood sugar control and in obesity it improves five-year weight loss success to 20%. In patients with coronary artery disease risk factor a 21% decrease in angina, 55% improvement of exercise tolerance, and 21% decrease in cholesterol occurred in a pilot study. Group office physician-led visits offer encouraging results for the mitigation of life-style conditions.
authors.affiliation: Lifestyle Medicine Clinic, Birmingham, Mich.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Power
mesh_terms: D006127:Group Structure; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D009819:Office Visits; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012648:Self Care