Researchers at the University of Oxford say doctors’ optimism can boost patients’ weight loss. They recommend doctors harness positive thinking to help patients lose weight more effectively.
Obesity is a dangerous condition that can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and dementia. About 20 percent of people in European countries are obese; in the U.S., the figure is about 36%.
A new study found that patients whose doctors emphasized the positive outcomes of weight loss during treatment were more successful at shedding pounds than those whose doctors focused on the negative consequences of obesity or stayed neutral.
Patients who received a positive boost from their doctors during the study lost four times more excess weight compared with those whose doctors took a neutral approach.
What Scientists Discovered
The researchers found that a positive approach to treatment was actually the least common among doctors. The most prevalent attitude among medical professionals was a neutral one, Science Focus reported.
The university team analyzed conversations between patients and doctors during a 12-week weight-loss program. They then examined the relationship between doctors’ approaches and patients’ success in losing weight.
The researchers divided doctors into three distinct groups based on their treatment approach. The first group encouraged patients by highlighting positive outcomes and avoided focusing on obesity, body mass index, or excess weight as problems. The researchers described this communication style as smooth and empathetic.
Their patients lost an average of 4.8 kg during the program. In contrast, patients in the second group, whose doctors emphasized the negative aspects of obesity, lost only 2.7 kg. Their language was characterized by regret and pessimism.
Patients whose doctors stayed neutral—offering no positive or negative feedback—saw the worst results, losing an average of just 1.2 kg. Their indifference was evident in their behavior.
The researchers believe the positive influence of optimistic doctors came from higher levels of empathy toward patients and a genuine interest in the program’s outcomes.
The findings of the study were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
