Providing food to patients in primary care to induce weight loss: a systematic literature review

PURPOSE: Primary care is the ideal setting to promote weight management, warranting innovative ways to support patients. This systematic review aimed to determine whether providing food to patients in primary care can help to reduce body weight. METHODS: Four databases were searched for studies that aimed to elicit weight loss by directly providing foodstuffs and/or supplements to patients in primary care settings. Interventions with adults of any gender or race were included. Interventions that involved other components such as exercise classes or education sessions were excluded. The methodological quality of each study was appraised using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. RESULTS: Four heterogeneous studies met the eligibility criteria, representing 476 adults. Two studies used meal-replacement products but differed in length and intensity, another study provided green tea and vitamin E supplementation, and the final study provided vouchers for use at a farmers’ market hosted at a primary care clinic. Interventions ranged in length from 4 to 13 weeks. Three of the four studies observed weight loss in some form and all studies observed at least one other improvement in a health outcome such as waist circumference, blood pressure or fasting insulin levels. CONCLUSIONS: A small yet notable body of literature supports the concept of providing food to patients in primary care settings to support weight loss. Further, high-quality research is needed on the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of this approach to ultimately inform policy initiatives for primary care.