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.