Probability of 5% or Greater Weight Loss or Body Mass Index (BMI) Reduction to Healthy Weight Among Adults With Overweight or Obesity
An erratum to this article was published (JAMA Netw Open, 1 Aug 2023 ↗)
Authors' conclusion
Results of this cohort study indicate that the annual probability of 5% or greater weight loss was low (1 in 10) despite the known benefits of clinically meaningful weight loss, but 5% or greater weight loss was more likely than BMI reduction to the healthy weight category, especially for patients with the highest initial BMIs. Clinicians and public health efforts can focus on messaging and referrals to interventions that are aimed at clinically meaningful weight loss (ie, ≥5%) for adults at any level of excess weight.
Study context
- Population
- US ambulatory patients ≥17 years with ≥3 years of BMI information, January 1, 2009, to February 28, 2022; age censored at 70 years; median (IQR) age 54 (40–66) years, 56.7% female
- Participants
- 18,461,623 patients
- Exposure
- Initial BMI categories
- Outcome
- ≥5% weight loss and BMI reduction to the healthy weight category (BMI 18.5-24.9)
- Follow-up
- Annual probability
Methodological detailsIQVIA ambulatory electronic medical records database
- IQVIA ambulatory electronic medical records database
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Annual probability of ≥5% weight loss, overweight and obesity overall
- 1 in 10
- Annual probability of ≥5% weight loss, initial overweight
- 1 in 12
- Annual probability of ≥5% weight loss, initial BMI ≥45
- 1 in 6
- Annual probability of BMI reduction to healthy weight, initial overweight
- 1 in 19
- Annual probability of BMI reduction to healthy weight, initial BMI ≥45
- 1 in 1667
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Overweight or obesity at initial visit
- Patients with overweight or obesity
- 72.5%
Cumulative ≥5% weight loss · 3 to 14 years of follow-up
- Persons with overweight
- 33.4%
- Persons with obesity
- 41.8%
Cumulative BMI reduction to healthy weight · 3 to 14 years of follow-up
- Persons with overweight
- 23.2%
- Persons with obesity
- 2.0%
Original publication
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →