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. 2022 Mar 24;2:100014. doi: 10.1016/j.obpill.2022.100014

Table 6.

Ten Takeaway Messages: Obesity and Motivational Interviewing. This table lists 10 takeaway messages regarding obesity and motivational interviewing [83].

Top 10 Takeaway Messages: Obesity and Motivational Interviewing
  • 1.

    Motivational interviewing is a collaborative, patient-centered goal-directed counseling approach intended to guide people toward positive behavior change. Within the context of obesity medicine, motivational interviewing is intended to promote a healthier body weight and a healthier body composition among patients with pre-obesity/obesity.

  • 2.

    Stages of change that may help select appropriate motivational interviewing strategies include pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and relapse.

  • 3.

    General motivational interviewing principles include empathy, avoiding arguments, developing discrepancy, resolving ambivalence, and supporting self-efficacy.

  • 4.

    Empathy involves communication, understanding, collaboration, support, encouragement and listening.

  • 5.

    Avoiding arguments involves recognizing types of resistance (arguing, denying, ignoring, interrupting) and then “rolling with resistance” through reflection, shifting focus, reframing, and/or siding with the negative.

  • 6.

    Developing discrepancy explores the mismatch between where patients are today, and where patients say they want to be in the future.

  • 7.

    Resolving ambivalence is amplifying discrepancy and addressing the uncertainty for the desire for change.

  • 8.

    Supporting self-efficacy is affirming favorable results though focusing on patient successes and highlighting patient skills and strengths.

  • 9.

    The 5 “A”s of obesity management include Ask, Assess, Advise, Agree, and Arrange or Assist.

  • 10.

    FRAMES is a common motivational interviewing acronym that stands for Feedback, Responsibility of the patient, Advice to change, Menu of strategies, Empathy, and Self-Efficacy; OARS is a common motivational interviewing acronym that stands for Open-ended questions, Affirmation, Reflections, and Summaries.