An endocrinologist tried a new weight loss approach and it worked

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Source: ScienceDaily Health

Original: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260116035317.htm...

Published: Sat, 17 Jan 2026 04:25:08 EST

An endocrinologist piloted PATHWEIGH's new approach to weight loss in primary care clinics, which allows patients to openly ask for help and physicians to focus entire visits on weight care.[1][5] PATHWEIGH is not a weight loss program, but a process of providing individualized care in primary care to reduce excess weight and related complications.[5] In a large, real-world study, the program halted population weight gain and increased access to obesity treatment.[1] In the PATHWEIGH pilot study, clinics saw more patients with at least one weight-focused visit (15.9% vs. 8.4% in standard care; P < 0.001).[2][4] The number of such visits was higher in the PATHWEIGH group (P < 0.001) and associated with an average weight loss of 0.55 kg per subsequent visit (P = 0.001).[2][4] The study is being conducted as a stepped wedge cluster randomized trial in 57 clinics in Colorado, comparing weight loss at 6, 12, and 18 months versus standard care.[1][3] Healthcare systems in the US are preparing to adopt PATHWEIGH.[1] As of March 2023, it has been deployed in all UCHealth primary care clinics in Colorado and Wyoming.[5]