People who are hoping to achieve weight loss through obesity treatments such as weight loss drugs or obesity surgery must also make changes to their lifestyle, an expert has said.
According to Dr Rob Andrews, a researcher at the University of Bristol, dieters cannot expect to lose a significant amount of weight without making changes to their diet and activity levels.
Dr Andrews carried out a review of published research and found that patients who tried weight loss drugs alongside behavioural therapies achieved an average weight loss of 12kg.
However, patients who took weight loss drugs but made no changes to their lifestyle only lost an average of 5kg.
He also found that patients undergoing obesity surgery were 2.12 times more likely to achieve a 70 per cent reduction in excess body weight if they managed to lose ten per cent of their weight prior to their operation.
"People often forget that there is no quick fix to obesity," said Dr Andrews.
"This review shows that patients who are taking weight loss drugs or have bariatric surgery lose significantly more weight if they combine these treatments with regular exercise and a calorie-controlled diet."