Motivational Talks May Help People Who Aren’t Already Seeking Weight Loss Support

Although the analysis wasn’t designed to figure out why or why not MI leads to improved weight loss, the authors speculate that it may be because study participants were already enrolled in a weight loss program, indicating that they are already motivated to lose weight; motivational interviewing is typically recommended for people who aren’t motivated to change.

Stanford agrees, noting that there are several steps that an individual has to take before embarking on a medically supervised weight loss intervention. “Step 1, recognizing they have overweight or obesity; step 2, deciding to talk to their primary care doctor; and then beyond that, enrolling in a weight loss program that may last several months. What Is The Best Fat Burning Weight Loss Pills Those people are highly engaged and ready to take action to address their disease,” she says.

“The majority of patients presenting to behavioral weight management services already have high desire to lose weight,” echoes Sterling. “In fact, sometimes that desire itself can becomes detrimental to health if it is not combined with the eating-disorder informed treatment.”

It’s not clear from this analysis whether MI might be impactful in other scenarios, says Stanford. “For example, a person with obesity who is just visiting their doctor for an annual checkup might benefit from motivational interviewing