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Treatment goals for weight management should include overall treatment goals as well as incremental behavior modification goals. The provider and the patient should work together collaboratively to select goals for therapy and interventions that can reach those goals.
Overall treatment goals could include reaching a percentage weight reduction (e.g., loss of 5% or 10% of body weight); improving body composition; improving health measures, including those related to the control of comorbid conditions (e.g., AIC, blood pressure, lipid levels); and improving quality of life. Setting goals not related to measuring weight on a scale can be useful for keeping patients engaged as they work toward their weight and health goals. For example, a goal such as “walk for 30 minutes” is more readily achievable than a goal of “lose 5 pounds,” and achieving such a goal can help people stay on track.
Incremental goals that address behaviors can be selected to help achieve overall treatment goals. The SMART process can be applied in setting short-term goals by making them specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based. For example, a goal of “walk for 30 minutes after dinner 3 times each week for the next 4 weeks” is a goal that is specific, measurable, attainable (for many patients), relevant, and time-based. Patients and providers can readily assess their progress toward these goals and assist with identifying barriers to achieving them.
Additionally, because sarcopenia is a common problem in older adults and weight loss through caloric restriction alone can lead to a loss of lean mass, specific clinical goals related to weight management should holistically consider all needs when working with the older adult population (Garvey et al., 2016). Goals should include caloric restriction along with adequate protein intake and strength training.
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