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Introduction 

This is a six-module package that forms part of the WA Healthy Weight Action Plan 2019-2024 and focusses on health professionals who are supporting people living with (or at risk of) overweight and obesity.  

Content

Each module of this training package concentrates on a particular aspect of weight management (including causes and treatments of overweight and obesity) and presents two perspectives - patient and health professional. Throughout, conversations about weight (from both perspectives) are put under the microscope.  

Conversations, particularly difficult or sensitive ones, take time, thought and careful consideration. Similarly, communicating about having these conversations also takes time.  Some may find the detail given to ‘talking about talking’ in this package a contrast to other education you have undertaken or scientific research you have investigated, particularly if you are busy and are wanting to skim to the dot points.  

The clinical content of this package has been selected to provide insight into the complexity of this topic with the purpose of empowering you as the health professional to support patients and guide these conversations.  The latest evidence has been used to replace outdated research and present new (and sometimes controversial) perspectives to challenge some long-held beliefs and reshape perspectives, rather than to provide an exhaustive clinical update.    

With the diversity found in individuals and their circumstances, some users may encounter areas in this package where they require more detail, whilst others may view some sections as a refresher.  Activities, some of which may seem simple (or even silly) and in stark contrast to the complexity of the information discussed, have been included to simply illustrate complex issues, prompt self-reflection and consolidate the content.

Due to the complexity of this topic, a theme has been selected for each module. Some repetition runs throughout all modules which is useful if substantial time has lapsed since completing one or more previous modules. Each module has been broken down further into different sections (or ‘chapters’) for easy reference, particularly for the busy health professional who may be unable to complete a whole module in one sitting.  The ‘pages’ within each ‘chapter’ of the module break the topic into sections, allowing the user to undertake small portions when time allows within a busy schedule.   

Please make use of the reference list, located at the conclusion of each Module, where you will locate the literature used to inform the content of the Module, in addition to resources that have been referenced within the Module, or others that can be useful in practice. 

Given these factors, the time an individual takes to work through the modules may vary as a result of your own experiences, commitments, requirements and level of engagement.  


    Available courses

    Module 1: Understanding weight-management

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    Module 1: Understanding weight-management

    Module Overview

    This module sets the background for conversations about weight. We will set the scene to explore the multitude of factors to be considered when discussing weight, the most important of which is a person-centred approach, so as to tailor conversations, education and treatments to the person’s individual circumstances.

    Learning Objectives 

    • To increase your knowledge of the prevalence, impacts and definitions around overweight and obesity in Australia. 
    • To provide an overview of the multiple drivers of obesity and treatment approaches available. 
    • To consider the conversations and collaborative support that can be provided in general practice to assist people with weight outside of the healthy range.

    Learning Outcomes 

    By the end of this module, you will be able to:

    • recall the prevalence of Australians with a weight above the healthy range
    • describe some outcomes and impacts of being above the healthy weight range 
    • define weight stigma
    • recall treatment approaches available to assist with weight loss.
    • identify examples of how you can ask, assess, advise, assist and arrange support for a person living above the healthy weight range
    • describe some of the drivers of obesity.

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    Module 2: Conversations that Engage

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    Module 2: Conversations that Engage

    Module overview

    In this module, you will hear from patients about their experiences with health care professionals and how these have impacted on weight management for them. We will discuss how the language used in conversations about weight can impact on an individual to help or hinder their approach. The issue of weight stigma is explored in detail and challenging situations that you may encounter in general practice are discussed.

    Learning Objective

    To enhance your knowledge, skills, and confidence around instigating and conducting engaging conversations with patients about weight and weight management treatment options.

    Learning Outcomes 

    Upon completion of this module, you will be able to: 

    • understand the importance of initiating conversations about weight with patients with overweight or obesity
    • identify common barriers to initiating patient conversations about weight
    • understand common patient perspectives in relation to discussing weight management with a doctor
    • understand the meaning of the terms ‘person-centred care’ and ‘shared decision making’, and identify the benefits of those approaches
    • identify ways to adopt person-centred care for the treatment and management of overweight and obesity 
    • understand the relationship between weight stigma and poor health outcomes 
    • recognise and adopt language that minimises weight-stigma
    • identify resources which outline non-judgmental language between healthcare professionals and patients who are managing their weight.

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    Module 3: Choosing the right strategy

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    Module 3: Choosing the right strategy

    Module Overview

    In this module, past strategies that have been used for weight loss are discussed together with strategies that can be used to support an individual to improve their physical, emotional and mental health. Some pros and cons and important considerations for selecting various strategies are covered.

    Learning Objectives

    To enhance knowledge and confidence to support a person in their selection of a weight management strategy or strategies that are a good fit for their individual circumstances.

    Learning Outcomes

    Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

    • identify the broad categories that weight loss strategies can fall in to
    • identify the priority considerations for each category of weight loss strategy
    • understand that there is ‘no one right strategy’ for weight loss
    • recognise when additional expertise can be of assistance to provide specialised and timely support
    • understand that intervention is best tailored to a person.

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    Module 4: SMART action planning

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    Module 4: SMART action planning

    Learning Objectives

    Learn how to support a patient to adopt and maintain health behaviour change that incorporates person-centred action planning.

    Learning Outcomes

    Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

    • recall the steps involved in developing SMART-ER goals with a client/patient focus
    • demonstrate an understanding of person-centred goal setting
    • be able to support patients with the formation of action plans
    • describe how coping plans can be used to discuss potential barriers to behaviour change.

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    Module 5: Counselling Techniques to Activate

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    Module 5: Counselling Techniques to Activate

    Module overview

    In this module we will cover easy-to-adopt counselling techniques that can help to activate a person to make the health behaviour changes necessary for weight loss/maintenance.

    Learning objectives

    Completing this module will provide you with a clearer understanding of where (in the course of a consultation) specific techniques might be applied.

    For ease of reference, many of the techniques have been presented in the context of the 5A Framework endorsed by RACGP (see Module 1: Understanding overweight and obesity). However, some techniques are more universal and can be:

    • applied at any or all points throughout the consultation
    • applied more broadly, to any patient consultation about any issue (eg. listening with empathy and reflecting and summarizing).
    Learning outcomes

    Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

    • identify drivers associated with successful behaviour change and maintenance of health behaviours in the longer term
    • understand how you can support the needs of patients, to facilitate healthy motivation for behaviour change
    • understand the aims of counselling a patient in relation to weight loss/maintenance
    • identify a range of counselling techniques that can be adopted throughout the consultation to support the patient to commit to making health behaviour change, and to maintaining those behaviours over time.

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    Module 6: Putting it all into practice

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    Module 6: Putting it all into practice

    Module overview

    In this module we will pull together the learnings from the previous five modules. With new insight into the complex aspects of weight management from two perspectives – the person’s and the health professional’s – you will meet four new case studies and have the opportunity to put into practice the techniques previously discussed.

    Learning objectives

    Completing this module will test your knowledge and reinforce the content delivered from Modules 1 to 5 through general practice scenarios/case studies.

    Learning outcomes

    Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

    • Use and apply the learnings from this package (Modules 1-5) in practice scenarios
    • Identify opportunities to initiate and engage in person-centred discussions in practice
    • Initiate conversations about weight management without bias, judgement or blame
    • problem solve issues commonly seen in general practice

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