Inclusive population
Lesley D. Lutes, PhD, director of the Center for Obesity and Well-Being Research Excellence (CORE) at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, said that one of its strengths was its reflection of real-world experience.
Too often, study populations do not reflect well the experiences of people battling obesity, she added. Many potential participants are excluded because of common medical comorbidities such as heart conditions. “So, you don’t see the real-world outcomes for the majority of people” from these studies, said Dr. Lutes.
Furthermore, researchers sometimes draw conclusions about obesity based on data that draws from only a “tiny slice” of the group of patients who can qualify for studies, she added. The resulting recommendations may not suit most patients.
In contrast, the current research was based on a more inclusive set of patient data. “That was an incredible strength of this study, that there [were] no exclusionary criteria” in terms of medical conditions, she said.
No outside funding for the study was reported. Dr. Wharton is the medical director of the Wharton Medical Clinic.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.