ArticleBMJ open2024
Weight control efforts and practices and health professional advice: a cross-sectional national survey in England.
Article in BMJ open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Psychological Determinants of the Weight Cycle: A Review of Perceived Stress and Self-Efficacy.Current obesity reports · 2026Review
- The burden of obesity in primary care in Italy: Italian real-world overweight/obesity study (ITROS).Eating and weight disorders : EWD · 2025Observational
- Weight cycling and its effects on muscle mass, sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity.Reviews in endocrine & metabolic disorders · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThere is evidence that general practitioners (GPs) can increase the uptake of weight management programmes that enhance weight loss compared with self-directed efforts, but the rate at which they do so is unclear. This study examined the prevalence of weight control efforts and practices, the reported frequency and impact of receipt of GP advice on weight loss attempts and perceptions of the appropriateness of health professionals delivering weight loss advice.
designA nationally representative cross-sectional survey.
settingEngland.
participants1722 adults (≥16 years) surveyed in October 2018 (mean (SD) age=47.4 (19.2), 51.1% women).
main outcome measuresWeight control efforts and practices, whether a GP gave advice or a specific referral/prescription medication, perception of the appropriateness of GP weight loss advice.
resultsTwo-thirds (64.7% (95% CI 58.1% to 71.3%)) of people with obesity reported trying to lose weight. Of people with obesity who visited their GP in the past year, 40% (95% CI 32.2% to 47.7%) recalled receiving any advice on weight loss: 30.8% (95% CI 23.5% to 38.2%) general advice and 9.2% (95% CI 4.6% to 13.7%) a referral to a weight loss service or prescription medication for weight loss. Having received weight loss advice from a GP was strongly associated with a greater likelihood of trying to lose weight (general advice: OR
conclusionsMost people with obesity reported trying to lose weight but less than half recalled receiving advice on weight loss from their GP in the past year and few were referred to community weight-loss programmes. Those who recalled receiving GP advice on weight loss were substantially more likely to report taking action to lose weight. One in five people thought GP advice on weight loss was inappropriate.
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