Few trainees or attending physicians were confident in their ability to change patients' behavior even though it's well-known that weight loss can prevent or alleviate obesity-related diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.

With the prevalence of obesity among adults in the U.S. increasing, "many physicians lack confidence in their ability to counsel patients regarding lifestyle," says senior author Elizabeth Jackson, M.D., an assistant professor of internal medicine at the U-M Health System. "An emphasis on healthy diet and exercise counseling is an important part of medical education for physicians of all levels."

Additional U-M authors: Michael Howe, M.D., Adam Leidel, Sangeetha Mahadevan, M.S., Alissa Webber, M.D. and Melvyn Rubenfire, M.D.

Reference: "Patient related diet and exercise counseling: Do providers own lifestyle habits matter?," Preventive Cardiology, Oct. 1, 2010.

Resources:

Michigan Cardiovascular Outcomes Research and Reporting Program www.mcorrp

University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center www.umcvc

Source: University of Michigan Health System