The impact of a health professional recommendation on weight loss attempts in overweight and obese British adults: a cross-sectional analysis.

OBJECTIVES: 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.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING: Great Britain.

PARTICIPANTS: 810 overweight or obese (body mass index ≥25 kg/m(2)) adults.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: 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.