AND Adult Weight Management Guideline Summary - Guideline Central
Treatment
Document Overview

Adult Weight Management

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics


Publication Date: Oct 11, 2022

Page Last Updated: May 5, 2026

Criteria for Recommendation Ratings

StatementDefinition
Strong
  • Benefits clearly exceed the harms (or harms clearly exceed the benefits for a negative recommendation)
  • The quality of the supporting evidence is excellent/good (grade I or II)
Fair
  • Benefits exceed the harms (or harms clearly exceed the benefits for a negative recommendation)
  • Quality of evidence is not as strong (grade II or III)
Weak
  • Quality of evidence that exists is suspect
  • Or that well-done studies (grade I, II or III) show little clear advantage to one approach versus another
Consensus
  • Expert opinion (grade IV) supports the guideline recommendation
Insufficient Evidence
  • Both a lack of pertinent evidence (grade V) and/or an unclear balance between benefits and harms
Imperative
  • Imperative statements are broadly applicable to the target population and do not impose restraints on their pertinence. Imperative recommendations may include terms such as “should” or “may” and do not contain conditional text that would limit their applicability to specified circumstances.
Conditional
  • Conditional statements clearly define a specific situation or population. Conditional recommendations are often presented in an if/then format, such that if CONDITION than ACTION(S) because REASON(S). Fulfillment of the condition triggers one or more guideline-specific actions.
GRADE Recommendation RatingEAL Recommendation Rating
1(A)Strong
1(B)Strong
1(C)Fair
1(D)Fair
2(A)Fair
2(B)Fair
2(C)Weak
2(D)Weak
Level 1 (“recommend”); Level 2 (“suggest”)

Document Overview

Document Title
Adult Weight Management
Authoring Society

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Document Publication Date
Oct 11, 2022
Page Last Reviewed/Updated
May 5, 2026
Document Type
Guideline
Country of Publication
United States
Full Text Freely Available
Yes
Full Text Guideline
www.andeal.org/topic.cfm?menu=5276
Source Citation

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Evidence Analysis Library AWM Workgroup (2022) Evidence-Based Nutrition Practice Guideline, Chicago, IL. 

Supplemental Implementation Resources

Document Scope, Criteria, and Use Cases

Document Objectives
To provide evidence-based recommendations on medical nutrition therapy for adult weight management.
Scope
Assessment and Screening, Counseling, Diagnosis, Management, Prevention, Treatment
Diseases/Conditions (MeSH)

D000068959 - Body Weight Maintenance

D000068959 - Body Weight Maintenance

Keywords
adult weight management, weight gain, weight loss
Target Patient Population
Overweight/obese adults
Inclusion Criteria
Male, Female, Adult, Older Adult
Health Care Settings
Ambulatory, Hospital, Outpatient
Intended Users
Dietician/Nutritionist, Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Optometrist, Physical Therapist, Physician, Physician Assistant, Psychologist

Recommendation Development Processes & Methodology

Supplemental Methodology Resources
Systematic Review Document Evidence Tables Data Supplement
Number of Source Documents
31
Literature Search Start Date
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Includes peer/external review process?
Yes
Includes public comment process?
No
Methodologist involvement?
Yes
Patient involvement?
No
Includes multi-disciplinary group?
Yes
Includes systematic review?
Yes
Grades quality of strength of evidence?
Yes
Grades quality of strength of recommendation?
Yes
Discloses funding source?
Yes
Discloses conflicts of interest?
Yes
Includes benefits/harms analysis with recommendations?
No
You rely on Guideline Central for transparency

Guideline Central and select third party use “cookies” on this website to enhance the user experience.

This technology helps us gather statistical and analytical information to optimize the relevant content for you.

The user also has the option to opt-out which may have an effect on the browsing experience.