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Practice Guideline
. 2025 May 22:1-19.
doi: 10.1159/000546415. Online ahead of print.

Prevention of Obesity among Adults: Evidence- and Consensus-Based Guideline

Peter von Philipsborn  1 , Melanie Bahlke  2 , Christina Breidenassel  3 , Christina Holzapfel  4   5 , Christine Joisten  6 , Sandra Plachta-Danielzik  7 , Monika Nothacker  8 , Diana Rubin  9 , Marion Rung-Friebe  10 , Martina de Zwaan  11 , Hans Hauner  4   12
Affiliations
Practice Guideline

Prevention of Obesity among Adults: Evidence- and Consensus-Based Guideline

Peter von Philipsborn et al. Obes Facts. .

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of obesity is rising globally. Evidence-informed guidance on preventing obesity is needed, but most existing obesity guidelines are focussed on treatment.

Methods: We developed an evidence- and consensus-based guideline on the prevention of obesity among adults. Following international best practice recommendations for guideline development, we systematically searched for relevant systematic reviews and conducted a structured consensus process involving 34 experts including 5 patient representatives. The guideline's target group is the adult population of Germany, but most recommendations are likely to be applicable internationally.

Results: We developed 24 recommendations for the general public, health care professionals, and policy makers. The guideline recommends, among others, a healthy diet in line with existing food-based dietary guidelines, regular physical activity, as well as appropriate sleep and stress management. Smoking cessation is recommended even when associated with weight gain. Offering qualified advice and counselling on diet and physical activity to all individuals in primary care is suggested. Potential effects of medication on body weight should be considered in prescription decisions. Implementation of evidence-informed policies for promoting healthy food and physical activity environments is recommended.

Conclusions: Evidence-based approaches for preventing obesity on the individual and societal levels exist and should be implemented more widely.

Keywords: Consensus-based process; Evidence-based approches; Guideline; Obesity; Prevention.

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Conflict of interest statement

P.P. reports receiving research funding from Germany’s Federal Ministries of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and Education and Research (BMBF), as well as travel costs and speaker and manuscript fees from the German and Austrian Nutrition Societies (DGE and ÖGE), the German Diabetes Society (DDG), and the German Obesity Society (DAG). H.H. received research funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the Else Kroener-Fresenius-Foundation, Bad Homburg, the German Center for Diabetes Research, and Munich-Neuherberg (GER), is a member of the Oviva Advisory Board, and received funding for the evaluation of an app-based digital weight loss program by Oviva, Berlin. C.J. received lecture fees from Berlin Chemie, MSD Sharpe and Dohme, Novartis, AbbVie, Pfizer, Janssen, Lilly, Chiesi, Chugai, Novo Nordisk, Daiichi-Sankyo, Sanofi, and pharmacosmos. D.R. reports receiving travel costs from the German Society of Nutritional Medicine (DGEM) and German Society of Internal Medicine (DGIM). C.B. is an employee of the German Nutrition Society, which receives partial funding from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. C.H. received research funding from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), is a member of the scientific advisory board of 4sigma GmbH, Oberhaching, and received funding for the evaluation of an app-based digital weight loss program by Oviva AG, Berlin, and lecture fees from Novo Nordisk. The other authors state that they have no conflicts of interest to declare. Conflict of interest statements of the members of the guideline committee who are not co-authors of this manuscript are available on the Website of the German Association of Scientific Medical Societies at https://register.awmf.org/de/leitlinien/detail/050-001.

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