title: The impact of a health professional recommendation on weight loss attempts in overweight and obese British adults: a cross-sectional analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effect that health professional (HP) advice to lose weight has on overweight and obese adults' motivation to lose weight and attempts to lose weight.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Great Britain.
  
  
  METHODS
  810 overweight or obese (body mass index ≥25 kg/m(2)) adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were asked if they had ever received HP advice to lose weight and reported their desire to weigh less (ideal weight ≤95% of current weight) and whether they were attempting to lose weight.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 17% of overweight and 42% of obese respondents recalled ever having received HP advice to lose weight. HP advice was associated with wanting to weigh less (89% vs 61% among those not receiving advice) and attempting to lose weight (68% vs 37%). In multivariable analyses, HP advice to lose weight was associated with increased odds of wanting to weigh less (OR=3.71, 95% CI 2.10 to 6.55) and attempting to lose weight (OR=3.53, 95% CI 2.44 to 5.10) independent of demographic characteristics and weight status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HP advice to lose weight appears to increase motivation to lose weight and weight loss behaviour, but only a minority of overweight or obese adults receive such advice. Better training for HPs in delivering brief weight counselling could offer an opportunity to improve obese patients' motivation to lose weight.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wardle
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Finer
authors.forename: Rebecca J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Beeken
keywords: Doctor Advice; Health Professional Advice; Lose Weight; Primary Care; Weight Loss