An endocrinologist’s new weight-care system halted population-level weight gain and could reshape obesity treatment across America.
For years, endocrinologist Leigh Perreault, MD, believed there had to be a more effective way to help people manage their weight than simply advising them to eat healthier and exercise more.
“There was a moment I put my face in my hands and thought, ‘What am I doing?’ I would write a lot of prescriptions for patients’ diabetes, their blood pressure, their lipids and all these other conditions,” says Perreault, a professor of endocrinology, metabolism and diabetes at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine who practices in Westminster alongside primary care physicians.
“None of these people want to be on these medications, and I thought if I could just help them with their weight, many of these health concerns would probably go away,” she continues.
That realization led to the creation of a new system that is rapidly gaining attention in the field of obesity treatment.
Perreault and her colleagues developed PATHWEIGH, a structured process that helps primary care teams and patients make weight management a priority through dedicated clinic visits focused specifically on weight-related care. With support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the program was introduced in 56 UCHealth primary care clinics across Colorado to evaluate its impact. The effort ultimately reached 274,182 patients, making it one of the largest randomized trials ever conducted.
