Mandometer in primary care for weight loss

Purpose and goal

During the spring of 2013, a pilot study on 10 patients in two primary care centres showed that using Mandometer over three months produced significant weight loss and improvement of symptoms of diabetes and joint arthritis. The results indicated that Mandometer can be successfully used to treat obese patients by dieticians in primary care, i.e., it can be implemented outside of the Mando-clinic where it was developed. The aim of the present study was to extend the use of Mandometer to more centres, recruiting and treating more obese patients. This objective has been met.

Results and expected effects

Dieticians found Mandometer an excellent complement to dietary advice, enabling them to monitor patient progress. The patients (n=43), treated at one of the seven centres, enjoyed following their own progress, losing weight and relying on their feeling of hunger and satiety. Feelings of hunger often cause relapse after weight loss through diet intervention. The patients lost a significant amount of weight (p< 0.01), they ate smaller portions (p< 0.01) over a longer period of time (p=0.01). Hence, their initially high speed of eating, a major problem in obesity, had decreased.

Approach and implementation

The project was divided into work package (WP) 1-6. WP 1-3 concerned planning, designing, recruitment of primary care centres and education of the dieticians. Patients were recruited in WP 4 and the treatment started. An extension of the project was examined in WP 5; an innovation procurement is the logical next step. Data were collected and analysed in WP 6, which has been done continuously over the course of the project.