Evidence mapPaperPMID 39484693Full record

ArticleObesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity2025

Barriers and enablers to effective weight management for people living with overweight and obesity: A rapid scoping review.

Alemayehu Mekonnen, Vidanka Vasilevski, Anna Chapman, Shaan Naughton, Eva Yuen, Jane Willcox, Elizabeth Holmes-Truscott, Jaithri Ananthapavan, Fisaha Tesfay, Linda Sweet and 1 more

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. The Influence of Relationships Within Behavioral Weight Management Interventions: An Overview.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2026
    Review
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  11. Barriers and enablers to effective weight management for people living with overweight and obesity: A rapid scoping review.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2025
    Article
  12. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Alemayehu MekonnenSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-6826-4817
Vidanka VasilevskiSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research-Western Health Partnership, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Anna ChapmanSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Shaan NaughtonGlobal Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, School of Health and Social Development, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-0174-3933
Eva YuenSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Jane WillcoxSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research-Epworth HealthCare Partnership, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Elizabeth Holmes-TruscottSchool of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Jaithri AnanthapavanDeakin Health Economics, Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Fisaha TesfaySchool of Health and Social Development, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Linda SweetSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research-Western Health Partnership, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-0605-1186
Anna PeetersInstitute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.

Funding

Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes (ACBRD)Deakin UniversityDiabetes VictoriaFaculty of Health at Deakin UniversityImpact ObesityInstitute for Health Transformation, Deakin University
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

A scoping review was conducted to identify barriers and enablers to effective weight management in healthcare settings for people living with overweight and obesity in English-speaking high-income countries. Peer-reviewed and gray literature were systematically searched in June 2024. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Of the 15,684 unique articles identified and screened for relevance, 216 studies were included. Healthcare-related barriers and enablers to weight management were organized under three themes: a) healthcare provider-related factors, b) provision of care, and c) policy/funding. Prominent barriers included healthcare provider knowledge deficits and low prioritization of obesity management, mainly in the primary care setting. Weight management beyond the primary care setting was found to be especially challenging, with poor referral pathways, service fragmentation, lack of multidisciplinary practice, and restricted eligibility criteria, hindering the accessibility of services. Developing consistent policies and guidelines, improving the education of healthcare providers, and increasing funding to provide low-cost comprehensive care, were identified as enablers to access and uptake of weight management services. Considerable overlap in the identified barriers existed across healthcare providers and settings. A whole health system approach to minimize barriers and strengthen enablers to weight management services is needed, to address rising obesity rates.

Indexed as

Health Services AccessibilityObesityOverweightWeight Reduction ProgramsHealth PersonnelHumansbody weighthigh‐income countriesobesityweight loss

Identifiers

PMID39484693
PMCPMC11791395

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.