Want to Lose More Weight? Intensive Therapy From Dietitians Can Help Older Adults, Study Finds

A new study in Family Practice suggests intensive behavioral therapy from dietitians could help older adults to more successfully lose weight, reports News Channel 3 . East Carolina University researchers sought to determine whether the addition of such a regimen to intensive behavioral therapy for obesity (IBTO) would be effective. IBTO with a dietitian can effectively address not just obesity in older adults, but also associated conditions like type 2 diabetes. Subjects who underwent IBTO lost nearly three pounds on average and had better health outcomes in comparison to those who did not undergo IBTO. "Coupled with the fact that nutrition is not required content in medical school curricula, medical professionals may not have the time or the skills to develop and implement nutrition interventions for beneficiaries," said Cornell University's Emily Wilcox Gier. "Referring patients to dietitians is an easy, cost-effective, and necessary step to ensure that they receive the treatment they need to meet weight loss goals."