Introduction:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one-third (36.5%) of U.S. adults are obese. This makes obesity one of the leading causes of preventable death in the country.
As physical therapists, we are on the frontlines of helping people with a variety of health conditions. We are in a unique position to help our patients with weight management, but many of us are not sure where to start.
In this post, we will discuss the scope of the problem and why rehab professionals should be concerned about helping their patients with weight management. We will also explore the role of rehab professionals in weight management and offer tips for getting started.
The scope of the problem: incidence of obesity
Obesity is a public health crisis in the United States.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one-third (36.5%) of adults and nearly one in five (19%) children and adolescents are obese. The numbers are even more staggering when you look at race and ethnicity: More than half of black (56.8%) and Mexican-American (51.3%) adults are obese, compared to 34.9% of white adults.
What’s even more alarming is that obesity is associated with a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. These diseases account for a significant percentage of healthcare costs in the United States.
Why rehab professionals should be concerned about helping their patients with weight management
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese. That’s nearly 78 million people! The CDC also reports that obesity accounts for $147 billion in healthcare costs each year.
These numbers are staggering, and they should serve as a wake-up call for rehab professionals. If we don’t help our patients with weight management, we’re only going to see these numbers get worse. Weight management is a huge part of rehab, and we need to be doing everything we can to help our patients achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Is their weight our business? The role of rehab professionals in weight management
The role of rehab professionals in weight management is twofold: to help patients manage their weight and to educate patients about the importance of weight management.
Despite the obvious health risks associated with obesity, many people do not take the problem seriously. They may not be aware of how serious it is or they may not think that they can do anything about it. Physical therapists can play an important role in educating their patients about the risks of obesity and helping them to develop healthy habits that will help them manage their weight.
What physical therapists can do to help their patients with weight management
There are a few different things physical therapists can do to help their patients with weight management.
The first is to provide education about the importance of weight management and the effects that obesity can have on overall health. Physical therapists can also assess their patients’ current weight and BMI, and provide guidance on how to make healthier food choices and exercise regularly.
Physical therapists can also play a role in helping their patients to set realistic goals and develop a plan of action to achieve those goals. If needed, physical therapists can also refer patients to a nutritionist or dietitian for additional help.
**NOTE: check your state physical therapy practice guidelines. While you may be able to educate your patient about obesity and how you can help, your practice act may have restrictions on the scope of your practice for obesity/weight management.**
Weight management resources for physical therapists
There are many resources available to physical therapists to help them better manage their patients’ weight. The American Physical Therapy Association has a task force on obesity that provides information and resources regarding assessment, treatment, and prevention of obesity.
The National Institutes of Health also provides resources for health professionals on its website. The website includes an overview of obesity and its health effects, treatment options, prevention strategies, and more.
Rehab professionals should also be familiar with the Get Healthy U guidelines for weight management. The guidelines provide evidence-based information on weight management for healthcare professionals.
These resources aren’t enough – that’s why we created a physical therapy con-ed course about this topic! Click here to review it.
Case study: a physical therapist who could only help their patient so much…
Imagine this scenario: You’re a physical therapist who’s been working with patients for months, helping them to recover from an injuries. You find that you can help patients but their weight puts so much biomechanical stress on their joints and muscles that you can only help so much.
What do you do?
This is a question that physical therapists need to be asking themselves, because obesity is a growing problem in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1/3 of American adults are obese, and that number is only going up.
If you’re not sure how to help your patients with weight management, don’t worry – you’re not alone. But it’s important that physical therapists become more aware of this issue, and learn how to help their patients manage their weight.
It’s for these specific reasons that ACE has put together a course called, “Weight Management for Rehab Patients: Crucial Skills for PTs and OTs to Help Patients with Weight Management“.
This is a topic that isn’t taught enough in PT school, is ever changing, and we here at ACE, feel should be part of all PT & OT training.
Conclusion – how you communicate about weight management is critical
Physical therapists and occupational therapists should be aware of the importance of how to communicate to their patients about weight management. Obesity is a major health problem in the United States, and it can prevent muscle and joint problems from healing and can lead to a variety of health problems.
Rehab professionals can play a role in helping their patients with weight management. They can provide education and advice on how to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight…but they need to know how to communicate with their patients about this.
