Summary

In general practice settings, the weight-loss effectiveness of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) is often lower than in clinical efficacy trials. Little is known about whether this may be due, in part, to clinicians' knowledge about obesity medicine and the nature of clinic visits (e.g., weight-focused vs. general primary care). This study evaluates GLP-1 RA prescription rates and weight loss among patients prescribed anti-obesity medications (AOMs) and who either did or did not participate in a weight navigation program (WNP) consisting of weight-focused visits with primary care physicians certified in obesity medicine through the American Board of Obesity Medicine.
WNP patients lost more weight than matched controls despite fewer prescriptions for GLP-1 RAs. The clinical- and cost-effectiveness of novel obesity care models such as WNP warrant further evaluation.