Attempts to lose weight in an overweight and obese population referred to an endocrinology center in Colombia.

Abstract

Introduction. Excess weight is a prevailing condition in Colombia. This leads to many weight loss attempts, many self-managed and with risks, being a frequent reason for consulting primary and specialized healthcare. Methodology. Cross-sectional study with secondary data from the endocrinology consultation of patients who made the appointment due to a perceived increase in weight. Eighteen conventional and popular ways of losing weight, their duration, the weight lost and the subsequent regained weight were investigated. Results. One hundred people were included, 79% women with an average age of 41.1 years, a body mass index of 32.9 ± 4.6 kg/m2 and a waist circumference of 102.7 ± 12.5 cm. Each person reported an average of four to five attempts to lose weight before consulting the endocrinologist, with a median history of being overweight of ten years. All of the attempts achieved some weight loss with subsequent regain of the total weight lost, except when using liraglutide. A significant association was not found between the anthropometric variables and the number of weight loss attempts. Discussion. The weight loss methods most used by the assessed population are ones that are not approved or that lack strong scientific evidence. Conclusions. Overweight or obese patients make multiple failed attempts to lose weight before consulting a specialist physician. Regain of the lost weight is frequent, regardless of the method used.