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Ask the Right Questions to Uncover Emotional Eating

Written by Provider Engagement Team | Jan 12, 2024 5:20:00 PM

Do you struggle with starting the weight loss conversation with your patients? Are you able to gather the right information to help you understand the underlying cause of their weight issues, such as emotional eating?
 
It can be tricky to get as much information as you can about your patient’s weight beyond the number on the scale during a single visit. To help streamline the conversation, consider the below questions as thought-starters:

  • “Is it okay if we talk about your weight?”
Taking a moment to ask your patient if they’d be comfortable speaking about their weight may help them feel like they are on equal footing with you.1 Acknowledging the complicated feelings around the weight loss conversation can help ground the discussion and open the dialogue.
 
If you want to open the conversation in a way that doesn't directly use the word "weight," try probing about the patient's current healthy habits and what is (and isn't) working for them right now.
 
  • “What changes would you be open to making in your current eating and exercise habits?”
Asking more open-ended questions in this style—called a motivational interview—can help put your patient in the driver’s seat of the conversation. This positive, additive framing can encourage them to open up about how they are feeling about their weight. You can also use this to gauge your patient’s openness to change—and the work that requires—in general.
 
In this way, asking questions in the motivational interview style is well suited for uncovering and addressing issues of emotional eating.
 
  • “How would you feel about taking medication to reduce your food cravings?”

The number of prescription weight loss medicines has been growing, and now there are enough options out there that there is a greater opportunity to personalize prescription healthcare treatment based on the underlying factors that may be contributing to a patient's excess weight.
 
This puts the healthcare provider in the position of being able to go beyond just telling patients to eat better and work out more often. If appropriate, you can offer patients a potential solution for patients seeking weight loss to help control their cravings in the form of medication.
 
Talking about weight loss with your patients is not always easy, but it can be a critical part of their healthcare. Using the above questions as conversation starters can help break the ice for your patients and help you dig deeper into understanding the root cause of their weight issues.
 
For more on identifying potential patients who could benefit from individualized weight loss therapy, please see our personalized weight loss assessment tool. 
 
References: 1. Seaborg E. Advise & consent: Talking to obese patients about their weight. Endocrine News. Endocrine Society website. Published Feb 2016. Accessed April 2023.
https://endocrinenews.endocrine.org/advise-consent-talking-to-obese-patients-about-their-weight.

CON-1663-001 01/24
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