Audit of a behaviour modification program for weight management.

Background: The traditional management of overweight and obesity is to make weight loss the primary goal and to offer advice about eating less and exercising more. In controlled settings participants who remain in weight loss programs usually lose 10% of their weight, However, one to two-thirds of the weight lost is regained within one year, and almost all is regained within five years.

Method: At the Melbourne Weight Management and Eating Behaviour Clinic we designed a program to assist patients achieve and maintain a healthy weight. The program is based on achieving behaviour change rather than focussing on weight loss as the primary goal. The focus is on the reasons why patients exceed their most healthy weight, setting realistic behaviour change and accepting what cannot be changed.

Discussion: We conducted an audit of this program to identify changes in eating behaviour and weight management, and examine whether any change were maintained after the completion of the program.