Tier 3 specialist weight management service and pre‐bariatric multicomponent weight management programmes for adults with obesity living in the UK: A systematic review

BACKGROUND: NHS England has recommended a multidisciplinary weight management services (MWMS—Tier 3 services) for patients requiring specialized management of obesity, including bariatric surgery, but clinical and measurable health‐related outcomes from these services remains fragmented. We therefore undertook a systematic review to explore the evidence base of effect on body weight loss and comorbidities outcomes of Tier 3 or UK pre‐bariatric MWMPs. METHODS: AMED, CINAHL, EMBASE, HMIC, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, HDAS search and Google Scholar were searched from January 2000 to September 2017 in a free‐text fashion and crossed‐references of included studies to identify potential illegibility. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (a) published Tier 3 original study abstracts/articles; (b) intervention studies with before and after data; (c) studies that included any sort of MWMPs conducted on British residents with obesity; and (d) studies included T2DM measurements in a MWMPs. RESULTS: In total, 19 studies met the inclusion criteria. The total number of participants analysed was N = 11,735. Baseline accumulative average BMI was calculated at 42.54 kg/m(2), weight 117.88 kg and waist circumference 126.9 cm. And at 6 months, 40.73 kg/m(2), 112.17 kg and 120.3 cm, respectively. Secondary outcome variables were as improved with reduction in HbA1c, fasting blood sugars, insulin usage and blood pressure. Physical activity increased at 3 months then declined after 6 months with no significant changes in cholesterol levels. CONCLUSION: Tier 3 and MWMPs have a short to mid‐ranged positive effect on obese patients (BMI ≥30 kg/m(2)) living in the UK regarding accumulated reduction in weight, glycaemic control, blood pressure and with subtle improvements in physical activity.