The Five A’s construct (ask, advise, assess, assist, arrange) was originally developed by the National Cancer Institute to guide physician intervention in smoking cessation.
The U.S. Public Health Service used the A’s construct to report on high-quality, controlled clinical trials in tobacco cessation, many conducted in primary care settings to test brief, feasible population-level interventions.
The A’s construct has also been applied to brief primary care interventions for a variety of other behaviors.
The following terminology is used to describe minimal contact interventions for WatchWT that are provided in the physician office setting:
Ask:
Ask about/assess bodyweight and factors affecting choice of behavior change goals/methods.
Advise:
Give clear, specific, and personalized behavior change advice, including information about personal health harms/benefits of excess bodyweight.
Assess:
Assess specific nutrition (i.e. measure RMR with a BodyGem or MedGem indirect calorimeter), physical activity, and psychosocial constructs. Collaboratively select appropriate treatment goals and methods based on the patient’s interest in and willingness to change the behavior.
Assist:
Using behavior change techniques (self-help and/or counseling), aid the patient in achieving agreed-upon goals by acquiring the skills, confidence, and social/environmental supports for behavior change.
Arrange:
Schedule follow-up contacts (in person or by telephone) to provide ongoing assistance/support and to adjust the treatment plan as needed, including referral to more intensive or specialized treatment.
Full article: The Five A’s For Clinical Counseling
The Microlife BodyGem and MedGem indirect calorimetry devices measure your clients Resting Metabolic Rate, to optimize their weight loss results.
Instead of estimating RMR with the Harris-Benedict or Katch-McArdle formula, the BodyGem and MedGem scientifically measure a clients Metabolic Fingerprint, that is unique to them.
Estimation formulas cannot factor in thyroid issues, the effects of medications, etc.
For the best care, the American Dietetics Association recommends using indirect calorimetry to measure RMR for the most accurate assessment of nutritional needs.
Get more information on the BodyGem and MedGem indirect calorimeters
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