Adult Weight Management (AWM) Guideline (2021-22)
This guideline is meant to inform clinical decisions for RDNs or international equivalents to provide MNT interventions for adults (≥18 years of age) with overweight or obesity (BMI ≥25 kg/m2 or as defined for specific adult populations), including those with cardiometabolic disease such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is based on the systematic review completed in 2021. This guideline specifically focuses on behavioral lifestyle interventions and addresses the following topics:
- MNT Approach for Adult Overweight and Obesity Management
- Nutrition Care Process
- Medical Nutrition Therapy Interventions
- Interprofessional Healthcare Team
- Monitoring and Evaluation
- Weight Bias and Weight Stigma
- Delivering MNT Interventions
- Number of Contacts
- Intervention Duration
- Follow-Up Contacts
- Telehealth
- Group Contacts
- Coordination of Care in a Variety of Settings
- Payment for Services
- Dietary and Lifestyle Interventions and Approaches
- Dietary Patterns
- Components of a Comprehensive Intervention
- Special Populations
- Co-morbidities
- Pharmacotherapy and Bariatric Surgery
- Members of Groups Disproportionately affected by Overweight or Obesity, or Under-resourced Communities
Use the links on the left to access the guideline and the supporting systematic review.
Printing Guideline Materials
The guideline material is designed to be viewed online using the links in the left navigation bar. Individual pages can be printed using the print icon on each page. To print entire sections of the guideline in PDF format, please click below:
- AWM 2022 Introduction (6 pages)
- AWM 2022 Executive Summary (2 pages)
- AWM 2022 Recommendations (58 pages)
The guideline manuscript is now available: Medical Nutrition Therapy Interventions provided by Dietitians for Adult Overweight and Obesity Management: An Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Evidence-Based Practice Guideline. J Acad Nut Diet 2023:23(3):520-545. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2022.11.014
The report will be generated in PDF format. We recommend Adobe Reader Version 2019 (download for free from www.adobe.com).
General Information and Disclaimer
This nutrition practice guideline is meant to serve as a general framework for handling clients with particular health problems. The independent skill and judgment of the health care provider must always dictate treatment decisions.
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