Consider and offer adult patients a range of treatment options. Individual education and simple behavioural interventions are appropriate for some patients, while behavioural approaches may be more appropriate for those with disordered eating patterns. Behaviour change techniques include goal setting, self-monitoring of behaviour and progress, stimulus control (eg recognising and avoiding triggers that prompt unplanned eating), cognitive restructuring (modifying unhelpful thoughts or thinking patterns) or problem-solving, and relapse prevention and management.9
Telephone coaching has been demonstrated to be comparable with face-to-face techniques and is available in most states.83,84
For adolescents and children, lifestyle programs should focus on parents, carers and families. Advise that weight maintenance is an acceptable approach in most situations for children who are overweight or obese. Recommend lifestyle changes, including reducing energy intake and sedentary behaviour, and increasing physical activity based on current Australian dietary and physical activity guidelines.9
For more information, refer to The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ (RACGP) Smoking, Nutrition, Alcohol and Physical activity (SNAP): A population health guide to behavioural risk82 and National Health and Medical Reserach Council’s (NHMRC) Clinical practice guidelines for the management of overweight and obesity in adults, adolescents and children in Australia9