How can GPs approach weight problems in an evidence-based and compassionate way?
Rasmus Køster-Rasmussen, Lene Meyer, Emma Grundtvig-Gram
November 13th 2024 - 20.30h CET
The view on body weight and health is strongly influenced by cultural perceptions and lobbying from commercial stakeholders. The evidence is often biased or presented to support preexisting ideas that ‘fat is bad’. Applying regular principles for evidence-based medicine elucidates a series of surprises on what we really know from well-conducted systematic reviews, meta-analyses and other types of quality evidence.
The risk associated with high BMI is generally overrated. Lifestyle-based weight loss interventions are inefficient in obtaining sustained weight loss, and they do not reduce the occurrence of future cardiovascular events. Harms from weight loss interventions are rarely mentioned or even researched. Still, we know that weight loss results in loss of bone- and muscle mass and increases the occurrence of frailty fractures.
Most guidelines disregard the harm of weight loss interventions, however, the Canadian guideline for weight loss states: “People living with obesity face substantial bias and stigma, which contribute to increased morbidity and mortality independent of weight or body mass index.”
In this webinar, we offer you multiple scientific perspectives to think about weight, health and prevention and give you concrete tips to approach your patients who deal with weight problems in the most compassionate and evidence-based way.
Rasmus Køster-Rasmussen is a general practitioner and associate professor at Copenhagen University. He has been doing research on weight and health and teaching EBM since 2011. Rasmus is the editor of the clinical guidelines from the Danish National College of General Practitioners (DSAM)
Lene Mayer is postdoc at Centre for General Practice at the University of Copenhagen. Lene is a clinical psychologist with expertise in eating disorders.
Emma Grundtvig Gram is PhD student with expertise in epidemiology, public health and unintended consequences of healthcare. Emma teaches biostatistics and EBM and is a member of the scientific committee for Preventing Overdiagnosis"
Published on 8 October 2024.
