Effect of Follow-Up Visit Frequencies on Weight Lost: A Historical Cohort Study

Aim/Background: Obesity is an important problem facing healthcare givers. Obesity care requires a comprehensive approach including diet, exercise, frequent visits and counseling. Guidelines recommend frequent follow-up visits in the first three months. However, some patients fail to attend regularly. This study was intended to examine differences in body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP) after weight loss among overweight subjects with regular and irregular follow-up attendance. Methods: We designed a historical cohort study involving patients with BMI of ≥ 25 kg/m 2 . Decreases in BMI and BFP between regular follow-up and irregular follow-up groups were evaluated at the end of three months.  Results: 186 patients, 156 women (83.9%) and 30 men (16.1%), with a mean age of 37.8 ± 12.0 years, met the inclusion criteria. One hundred twenty-seven patients (68.3%) attended regular follow-ups and 59 patients (31.7%) attended irregularly. Significant differences were found in BMI and fat percentages between the first visit and at the end of the 3rd month in both groups (p