Abstract This chapter examines how patient education, structured support, and simple technology-enabled follow-up can help overcome major barriers to obesity pharmacotherapy in routine practice. Obesity treatment uptake and persistence are frequently limited by stigma, self-blame, fear of injections or adverse effects, unrealistic expectations for rapid weight loss, cost constraints, and inadequate follow-up systems. The review integrates contemporary obesity care concepts, including the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology staging, with evidence on weight stigma, behavioral barriers, patient support programs (PSPs), and digital health strategies to propose a practical continuum of care for obesity management. It highlights that successful pharmacotherapy depends not only on prescribing the drug but also on preparing patients with nonstigmatizing education, realistic goal-setting, anticipatory counseling for gastrointestinal tolerability, and early structured follow-up during initiation and titration. The manuscript further emphasizes that India-ready channels such as WhatsApp, teleconsultation, phone support, and simple digital tracking can extend care between visits, improve adherence, and enable timely triage of symptoms without increasing patient burden. Overall, the review supports a combined model of education, PSP-based care, and low-friction technology as a pragmatic strategy to improve initiation, persistence, and long-term effectiveness of obesity pharmacotherapy in real-world Indian practice.
Aakiti et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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