Ethnic differences in weight loss during a clinical obesity management program

Abstract

To examine ethnic differences in how individuals respond to obesity management therapies, a retrospective chart review of the Wharton Medical Weight Management Clinic electronic medical records was used (n = 21 709; 14 695 patients with weight loss data). South and East Asian, Middle Eastern and Other ethnicities had a significantly lower body mass index (BMI) at enrollment than White adults (39.7 vs. 35.4–38.7 kg/m²), with higher or similar BMIs in Indigenous and Black adults (39.9–42.2 kg/m²). Whites, East Asians and Other Ethnicities had the greatest weight loss (4.3–4.9 kg), while Blacks (3.3 kg), Latin (3.0 kg), Middle Eastern (2.7 kg), and South Asians (3.5 kg) lost significantly less weight as compared to Whites (4.9 kg) (p < .05). There were also weight loss differences between Black sub-groups. African American females lost the least weight (1.4 kg), while West Indian Black females lost much more weight (4.3 kg, p = .01). African American males also lost the least amount of weight (0.9 kg), while African Black males lost the most (7.4 kg, p = 0.01). There are differences in the weight loss achieved during a clinical obesity management program between individuals of various ethnicities.