Background: There is a high rate of attrition from weight loss programs. We reviewed data from patients who commenced a very-low-energy diet (VLED)-based program at a tertiary hospital outpatient multidisciplinary weight management clinic to identify factors associated with continuing attendance over 3 years.
Methodology: Medical records of all patients whose first clinic appointment was between February 2004 and December 2009, and who agreed to undertake the VLED program were examined in this review of 3 year outcomes. Baseline data collected included demographic and anthropometric characteristics, childhood onset of obesity, and co-existing medical conditions. Logistic regression analyses were used to model the probability of continuing to attending the clinic at various time points and to identify pre-treatment factors associated with longer duration of attendance over 3 years.
Results: 1109 patients were included in the review. The median duration of clinic attendance was 248 days. 922 patients (83.1%) returned for at least one follow-up visit, and 466 (42.0%) and 213 (19.2%) were still attending 1 and 3 years respectively after their initial appointment. People who had an onset of obesity in childhood, who had co-existing hypertension or coronary artery disease, and who did not currently smoke were more likely to continue to attend the clinic for up to 3 years.
Summary: The majority of patients who commenced an outpatient VLED-based weight loss program stopped attending the clinic within 12 months. An onset of obesity in childhood, the presence of weight-related medical conditions, and a non-smoking status predicted a longer duration of attendance.