Doctors’ Word Choice, Tone of Voice Have Significant Contributions to Patients’ Weight Loss Results [Study]

(Photo: Pexels/Andres Ayrton)
Doctors' Word Choice and tone of Voice Have Significant Contributions to Patients' Weight Loss Results [Study]

Many individuals struggle to lose weight and seek the help of doctors to shed the extra pounds. However, researchers learned that communication between medical professionals and patients is significant in weight loss.

Doctors' Communicational Skills Key to Patients' Weight Loss

According to a recent University of Oxford study, minor variations in a doctor's word choice and voice tone can have a significant impact on how well their patients lose weight.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 40 percent of Americans are fat. Obesity-related medical expenses in the United States amounted to around $173 billion in 2019. These expenses stemmed from heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and specific cancers. However, there hasn't been much research done on how doctors affect their patients' capacity to lose weight.

Charlotte Albury, a researcher at the University of Oxford's Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences and lead author of the study, said until now, the long-term effects of communication discrepancies in this setting had not been investigated. Their research provides fresh insight that may drastically change how doctors and other healthcare providers conduct patient consultations.

They discovered that, in contrast to a neutral or negative framing, patients were more likely to enroll in weight loss programs, attend more sessions, and, most importantly, lose more weight when doctors presented the information as "good news" and highlighted the advantages and opportunities of weight loss. Patients who received "good news" dropped almost seven pounds, or half a stone, more than those who got "bad" or "neutral" news.

Albury and her colleagues examined 246 audio recordings of consultations between physicians and patients wherein the physicians recommended a 12-week weight-loss regimen to their patients. The researchers categorized these discussions into three primary communication styles - good news, negative news, and neutral by examining the physicians' tone, word choice, and framing.

Regarding patient outcomes, only 50% of patients who received the neutral and bad news delivery attended the weight loss program, compared to 83% of patients who had received the positive news approach.

The study demonstrates that words matter, both immediately and over time. Albury added that their research demonstrates how minor adjustments in communication can have a significant impact on patient outcomes a year later. The components of "good news" were reportedly modest but had a definite and beneficial effect.

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Ozempic, Wegovy for Weight Loss

Meanwhile, Ozempic and Wegovy are popular among Hollywood celebrities for weight loss. However, one should be careful before using them.

Medical experts warned that they could have serious side effects. Ozempic is generally prescribed to those with type II diabetes. According to them, people taking GLP-1 drugs Ozempic and Wegovy are at risk of suffering from an enlarged intestine, which is less flexible, and may suffer from critical blockages.

However, another study learned that both fat-loss drugs not only aid diabetes and weight loss but could also help with heart failure symptoms. Based on a trial of 500 patients with obesity and heart failure in 13 countries, weekly injections of semaglutide, which is marketed as Ozempic and Wegovy, reportedly improved weariness, shortness of breath, and swelling.

Thus, one should check with their doctors before taking Ozempic and Wegovy.

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