TOPLINE:

Patients with obesity who attended at least 75% of support group sessions at a community gastroenterology clinic were more likely than those with lower attendance to achieve clinically significant weight loss over 6 months.

METHODOLOGY:

• Group-based weight-loss interventions that incorporate structured feedback and peer support have been shown to yield clinically meaningful outcomes; however, the impact of support groups has not been well researched within structured programs for weight management in community-based gastroenterology practices.
• Researchers analyzed 94 participants with obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (median age, 54.2 years; 74.5% women) who were enrolled in a weight-loss program at a community gastroenterology clinic and participated in a 6-month support group.
• Support group meetings were led by a registered dietitian, and the group met weekly for 4 months and biweekly for the remaining 2 months. Participants discussed shared experiences and received education on following high-fiber, low-glycemic index diets, sleep optimization, stress-reduction techniques, and exercise.
• Engagement was assessed by attendance and categorized as low (≤ 49%; n = 17), medium (50%-74%; n = 41), and high (≥ 75%; n = 36), with weight recorded at each meeting.
• The primary outcomes were absolute total body weight loss, percentage of total body weight loss, and clinically significant weight loss, which was defined as at least 10% total body weight loss.

TAKEAWAY:

• The age-adjusted mean absolute total body weight loss was 6.2 kg in the low-attendance group, 9.5 kg in the medium-attendance group, and 13.9 kg in the high-attendance group (P = .0004).
• Similarly, the age-adjusted mean percentage of total body weight loss showed a stepwise association with attendance level: 5.7% in the low-attendance group, 8.6% in the medium-attendance group, and 13.4% in the high-attendance group (P < .0001).
• Support group attendance was strongly associated with achieving clinically significant weight loss (P < .0008), with 73.1% of participants in the high-attendance group, 38.1% in the medium-attendance group, and 19.2% in the low-attendance group achieving that mark.

IN PRACTICE:

“These findings demonstrate a clear dose-response relationship, underscoring the critical role of consistent participation in structured support as part of a multidisciplinary approach to effective obesity treatment,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Sangini Tolia, Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Sejal Gunaratnam, University of Toledo School of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, Ohio. It was published online in Obesity Science & Practice.

LIMITATIONS:

The study’s small sample size resulted in uneven distribution across attendance groups, with most participants attending more than 50% of sessions, which limited its statistical power. Because outcomes were assessed over only 6 months, the long-term sustainability of weight loss is uncertain. The cohort was predominantly non-Hispanic White, limiting the generalizability of the findings.

DISCLOSURES:

The authors reported no source of funding and declared no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.