Motivational Interviewing and Assessing Readiness to Change

Abstract

A 47-year-old male presents to an obesity medicine specialist for weight management and is referred to a registered dietitian for guidance with his diet. His BMI is 34.4 kg/m² (247 lbs, 5′ 11″), and he suffers from depression, anxiety, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and GERD. The patient maintained a healthy weight throughout most of his early adult life. He played college tennis and exercised regularly as a young professional but has become more sedentary as his work hours have become more demanding and stressful. The patient is accompanied by his wife who is concerned about his increasing weight and health issues. His medicines are atorvastatin 40 mg for hypercholesterolemia, Prozac 20 mg for depression, lisinopril 20 mg for hypertension, Ambien 10 mg for insomnia, and Prilosec 20 mg for GERD. The patient states his refusal to add an additional medication for weight loss and has no history of dietary modifications for weight control. His labs are normal, and his waist circumference is 48 inches.