Patient expectations of obesity treatment-the experience from a day-care unit.
BACKGROUND
Unrealistic patient weight loss expectations in treatment of obesity may hamper the modest success which can actually be achieved.


METHODS
Academic Obesity Unit Day Care Centre.


OBJECTIVE
Description of weight loss expectations and weight loss concerns by questionnaire analyses.


RESULTS
Patients were severely obese, with a median initial body mass index (BMI) of 40.7 kg/m(2). Weight loss expectations were generally unrealistic, with women hoping for a loss up to 42%, and men for 29% of their baseline weight (P<0.001). No effects of age on actual weight loss or weight loss expectations were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Gender differences in weight loss expectations may be important to acknowledge in future development of obesity treatment programmes. Realistic treatment outcome should be described early in a programme to facilitate compliance.
Linné
Y
Y
Obesity Unit, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. yvonne.linne@medhs.ki.se
Hemmingsson
E
E
Adolfsson
B
B
Ramsten
J
J
Rössner
S
S
D001521:Behavior Therapy; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003631:Day Care, Medical; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015431:Weight Loss