Introduction: As more of the Australian population becomes overweight, the day to day workload of GPs includes a majority of overweight patients. In addition, overweight and obese patients often present to their GP for assistance in losing weight. The aim of this research was to identify and synthesise current Australian guidelines on the treatment of overweight and obese adults for General Practitioners.
Methods: We reviewed the current Australian guidelines for the management of overweight and obese adult patients in Primary Care. The guidelines were reviewed by three authors and recommendations were amalgamated where possible. Any discrepancies found between the guidelines were compared with best available evidence and then discussed amongst the research team.
Results: There are a number of guidelines for GPs working with overweight and obese patients. Although most guidelines focus on three main areas of: nutrition, exercise and psychological strategies, each guideline places a different emphasis on each area.
Conclusion: There are multiple Australian guidelines for the treatment of obesity by GPs, but they are not in a readily usable format for the GP setting. This synthesis of current guidelines will form the basis for developing a weight reduction program that can be delivered by GPs in Australia.