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Abstract

After over 50 years of dieting and weight loss programs across the world, clinicians are still looking for the ?magic bullet? to reverse the obesity epidemic. However, very simple and safe ways to reach a healthy weight are already known. Based on education, motivational interviewing techniques and evidence-based medicine, a family-based multidisciplinary interventional weight loss program has been experienced. Each participant?s cardiometabolic risk profile is initially assessed and explained to the patient and his/her family. At the first visit, all families receive a full nutritional consultation. With motivational interviewing techniques and educative approaches, subjects are brought to set up, a one month, one health challenge change based on 10 family rules to be healthy. In subsequent visits, anthropometric measurements are recorded and, based on their first month?s success, new healthy challenges are proposed by the participant him (her) self. The participants? perception of success is the main source of motivation to introduce new health challenges in their life. At anytime, the participant has access to a medically supervised social network tool to keep his (her) motivation, remember healthy tricks or simply help each other. With counseling based on education, motivational techniques, social networking and a family approach at the community level a high proportion of participants initiate and maintain healthy changes with a success rate as high as 80% over 2 year follow-up. Significant reduction in waist circumference, body mass index and weight are achieved as well as sustained healthy habits in each family.

Biography

Julie St-Pierre is the Director of the Pediatric Cardiovascular Health Clinic in Saguenay Lac St. Jean Region in Canada. She is the Canadian & American representative at the American Heart Association, as a pediatrician, in the International Obesity and Communication Committees for the Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism Council. She is also a research scientist with numerous publications on fetal programming, as well as traditional and non-traditional cardiovascular risk factors among the Canadian population. As an international leader in obesity, her presentation will focus on how to assess a successful multidisciplinary weight loss and dieting program in 2013, from the medical point of view.