How to lose weight for good? Meet a registered dietitian, according to a new study published in the journal Family Practice.
A registered dietitian can show you how to lose weight by engaging you in an intensive behavioral therapy.
The study "Sharing the ‘weight’ of obesity management in primary care: integration of registered dietitian nutritionists to provide intensive behavioural therapy for obesity for Medicare patients" revealed that individuals who joined weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly behavioral therapy sessions for weight loss were able to lose an average of 2.6 pounds.
Meanwhile, participants in a control group, by contrast, gained an average of 0.5 pounds. For the study, the dietitians helped participants to come up with a personalized health plan and discussed the negative impact of obesity on one's health.
Their health plan covers weight loss goals and ways to achieve them. It also includes counseling to check in on progress and roadblocks.
"This is one of the values of using a dietitian over a self-guided program or app," said Jeanette Kimszal, RDN, NLC, a dietitian and founder of Root Nutrition Education and Counseling Services.
“What works for one person does not always work for everyone,” Kimszal added. “Nutrition needs to be individualized and that is why going to see a registered dietitian can have more to offer than diet systems.”
Nutrition Care Process
The Nutrition Care Process is a framework that dietitians use to guide people in losing weight:
- "Nutrition assessment: The dietitian collects and documents patient nutrition history, laboratory data, medical history, body measurements, and other relevant data.
- Nutrition diagnosis: The dietitian uses the data to identify problem areas and make a diagnosis for the client.
- Nutrition intervention: The dietitian creates a treatment for the diagnosis.
- Nutrition monitoring and evaluation: The dietitian assesses the success of the program so far and helps the client make changes if necessary."
“Medications related to excess weight, surgeries related to excess weight, and lost productivity in one’s career all come with a hefty price tag,” Katafigiotis added. “Early reallocation of those same funds will yield a more healthful future and is a much better investment overall."
