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The impact of a primary care-based weight loss intervention on the quality of life

International Journal of Obesity volume 37, pages S25–S30 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

This study investigated changes in the quality of life of men and women who participated in a primary care-based weight loss intervention program.

Methods:

Participants were enrolled in a 2-year randomized clinical trial (POWER-UP) conducted at the University of Pennsylvania and in six affiliated primary care practices. Inclusion criteria included the presence of obesity (body mass index of 30–50 kg m−2) and at least two components of the metabolic syndrome.

Main Outcome Measures:

Quality of life was assessed by three measures: the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12); the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life-Lite; and the EuroQol-5D.

Results:

Six months after the onset of treatment, and with a mean weight loss of 3.9±0.3 kg, participants reported significant improvements on all measures of interest with the exception of the Mental Component Score of the SF-12. These changes remained significantly improved from baseline to month 24, with the exception of the EuroQol-5D. Many of these improvements were correlated with the magnitude of weight loss and, for the most part, were consistent across gender and ethnic group.

Conclusions:

Individuals with obesity and components of the metabolic syndrome reported significant improvements in most domains of the quality of life with a modest weight loss of 3.7% of initial weight, which was achieved within the first 6 months of treatment. The majority of these improvements were maintained at month 24, when participants had lost 3.0% of their weight.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (U01-HL087072) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (K24-DK065018).

This article is published as part of a supplement, sponsored by the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders—University of Pennsylvania.

Author information

Author notes

  1. D B Sarwer, R H Moore, L K Diewald, J Chittams, R I Berkowitz, M Vetter, S Volger and T A Wadden: Members are listed in the Appendix.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Center for Weight and Eating Disorders, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    D B Sarwer, R H Moore, L K Diewald, R I Berkowitz, M Vetter, S Volger & T A Wadden

  2. Department of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    D B Sarwer & R H Moore

  3. Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA

    R H Moore

  4. School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    J Chittams

  5. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    R I Berkowitz

  6. Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Diabetes and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    M Vetter

  7. Department of Psychology, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, USA

    T A Wadden

Authors
  1. D B Sarwer
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  2. R H Moore
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  3. L K Diewald
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  4. J Chittams
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  5. R I Berkowitz
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  6. M Vetter
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  7. S Volger
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  8. T A Wadden
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Consortia

for the POWER-UP Research Group

Corresponding author

Correspondence to D B Sarwer.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

DBS discloses that he has relationships with the following companies: Allergan, BariMD, BaroNova, Enteromedics and Galderma. DAS has also received grant support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). TAW serves on the advisory boards of Novo Nordisk and Orexigen Therapeutics, which are developing weight loss medications, as well as of Alere and the Cardiometabolic Support Network, which provide behavioral weight loss programs. TAW has also served as a consultant for Boehringer Ingelheim, and has received grant support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH/NIDDK and NIH/NHLBI). The remaining authors declare no conflict of interest.

Appendix

Appendix

POWER-UP Research Group: Investigators and Research Coordinators

Academic investigators at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania were Thomas A Wadden, PhD (principal investigator), David B Sarwer, PhD (co-principal investigator), Robert I Berkowitz, MD, Jesse Chittams, MS, Lisa Diewald, MS, RD, Shiriki Kumanyika, PhD, Renee Moore, PhD, Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, Adam G Tsai, MD, MSCE, Marion Vetter, MD and Sheri Volger, MS, RD.

Research coordinators at the University of Pennsylvania were Caroline H Moran, BA, Jeffrey Derbas, BS, Megan Dougherty, BS, Zahra Khan, BA, Jeffrey Lavenberg, MA, Eva Panigrahi, MA, Joanna Evans, BA, Ilana Schriftman, BA, Dana Tioxon, Victoria Webb, BA and Catherine Williams-Smith, BS.

POWER-UP Research Group: Participating Sites and Clinical Investigators

PennCare–Bala Cynwyd Medical Associates: Ronald Barg, MD, Nelima Kute, MD, David Lush, MD, Celeste Mruk, MD, Charles Orellana, MD and Gail Rudnitsky, MD (primary care providers); Angela Monroe (lifestyle coach); Lisa Anderson (practice administrator).

PennCare–Internal Medicine Associates of Delaware County: David E Eberly, MD, Albert H Fink Jr, MD, Kathleen Malone, CRNP, Peter B Nonack, MD, Daniel Soffer, MD, John N Thurman, MD and Marc J Wertheimer, MD (primary care providers); Barbara Jean Shovlin, Lanisha Johnson (lifestyle coaches); Jill Esrey (practice administrator).

PennCare–Internal Medicine Mayfair: Jeffrey Heit, MD, Barbara C Joebstl, MD and Oana Vlad, MD (primary care providers); Rose Schneider, Tammi Brandley (lifestyle coaches); Linda Jelinski (practice administrator).

Penn Presbyterian Medical Associates: Joel Griska, MD, Karen J Nichols, MD, Edward G Reis, MD, James W Shepard, MD and Doris Davis-Whitely, PA (primary care providers); Dana Tioxon (lifestyle coach); Charin Sturgis (practice administrator).

PennCare–University City Family Medicine: Katherine Fleming, CRNP, Dana B Greenblatt, MD, Lisa Schaffer, DO, Tamara Welch, MD and Melissa Rosato, MD (primary care providers); Eugonda Butts, Marta Ortiz, Marysa Nieves and Alethea White (lifestyle coach); Cassandra Bullard (practice administrator).

PennCare–West Chester Family Practice: Jennifer DiMedio, CRNP, Melanie Ice, DO, Brandt Loev, DO, John S Potts, DO and Christine Tressel, DO (primary care providers); Iris Perez, Penny Rancy and Dianne Rittenhouse (lifestyle coaches); Joanne Colligan (practice administrator).

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Sarwer, D., Moore, R., Diewald, L. et al. The impact of a primary care-based weight loss intervention on the quality of life. Int J Obes 37 (Suppl 1), S25–S30 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2013.93

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