A new study has suggested that intensive behavioral therapy from dietitians can help older adults have better chances of weight loss.
According to the study, intensive behavioral therapy for obesity (IBTO), a customized treatment, can help older adults change their eating and exercise behaviors through a series of one-on-one counseling sessions leading to weight loss.
Researchers from East Carolina University examined whether IBTO's effectiveness would increase if a dietitian is added to work with a primary care doctor.
Dr. Lauren Sastre, an author of the study and assistant nutrition science professor at East Carolina University, pointed out that registered dietitian nutritionists (RDN), who are trained for both weight loss and nutrition therapy, can help support physicians in addressing underlying diet and lifestyle risk factors for chronic diseases.
Study results showed that patients who received IBTO lost nearly three pounds on average and improved other health outcomes compared to those who did not receive the treatment.
Dr. Emily Wilcox Gier, Dietetics Program Leader for the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University, said: "Coupled with the fact that nutrition is not required content in medical school curricula, medical professionals may not have the time or the skills to develop and implement nutrition interventions for patients."
"Referring patients to [dietitians] is an easy, cost-effective and necessary step to ensure that patients receive the treatment they need to meet weight loss goals," she added.
The research, which involved 2,097 women age 65 and older who received Medicare insurance and had a body mass index above 30, revealed that patients who received IBTO experienced greater BMI decreases, larger A1C declines and stopped taking their prescription medication sooner.
Patients in the treatment group lost nearly three pounds on average while patients in the control group gained an average of a half a pound. The treatment group patients also had an average A1C decline of nearly 0.2, which has associated with an up to 10% reduction in death risk.
