title: Weight loss advice and prospective weight change among overweight firefighters.
abstract: Obesity compromises firefighter safety, yet more than 70% of firefighters are overweight. Though healthcare professionals are encouraged to counsel overweight patients, the effectiveness of weight counseling is not consistent across studies.
  
  
  
  Examine longitudinal changes in cardiovascular risk factors and determine the role of healthcare professional weight loss advice on six-month weight changes among a national sample of male, overweight and obese firefighters.
  
  
  
  This study included baseline and six-month assessments of 757 firefighters. Medical and demographic data were collected using questionnaires. Investigators collected height, weight, percent body fat, waist circumference, blood pressure, and fasting serum samples (total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, glucose). Multilevel linear regression assessed the association between weight advice and outcomes.
  
  
  
  Participants lost an average of 0.55 kg (95%CI: 0.17-0.93), and experienced significant improvements in systolic blood pressure (mean: 3.75 mm Hg; 95% CI: 2.35-5.14) and non-significant improvements in other clinical outcomes. Healthcare professional weight advice was not significantly associated with weight loss or other outcomes.
  
  
  
  Similar to other studies, results show little benefit of low intensity weight loss counseling. Additional research is needed to identify effective and feasible weight management strategies to address firefighter obesity.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics - Section of Hematology Oncology , Baylor College of Medicine , Houston , TX , USA.|b Division of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences , School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston , Houston , TX , USA.
authors.forename: Austin L
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5802-5073
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: c Center for Fire, Rescue, and EMS Health Research , National Development and Research Institutes, Institute for Biobehavioral Health Research , Leawood , KS , USA.
authors.forename: Walker S C
authors.initials: WSC
authors.lastname: Poston
authors.affiliation: c Center for Fire, Rescue, and EMS Health Research , National Development and Research Institutes, Institute for Biobehavioral Health Research , Leawood , KS , USA.
authors.forename: Sara A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Jahnke
authors.affiliation: c Center for Fire, Rescue, and EMS Health Research , National Development and Research Institutes, Institute for Biobehavioral Health Research , Leawood , KS , USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Keith Haddock
authors.affiliation: d Division of Biostatistics , School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston , Houston , TX , USA.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: b Division of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences , School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston , Houston , TX , USA.
authors.forename: George L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Delclos
authors.affiliation: e Division of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences , School of Public Health, Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston , Houston , TX , USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sue Day
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D061388:Firefighters / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D015431:Weight Loss
keywords: Body weight; Counseling; Firefighters; Health personnel; Obesity; Weight loss