A clinical audit recently found that GPs are hesitant to intervene with measures such as very low energy diets, pharmaceuticals and even bariatric surgery when two-thirds of the national population is overweight. 

The Weigh Forward audit found patients who received intensified treatments had an increased likelihood of  meaningful weight loss of at least 10 per cent of their body weight with improved health outcomes. 

Almost half (44 per cent) of people who received intensified treatment achieved this level compared to only 15.9 per cent of those prescribed a lifestyle intervention only.

"Our goal is to prevent the complications of obesity," Dr Pylypyak, who is known to her patients as Dr Olga, said.

"It's a very important issue when 66 per cent of Australia's population is overweight and I would estimate it's as high as 75 per cent around the Tilligery Peninsula."

She put this down to excessive alcohol consumption and smoking as well as inactivity and over eating. The latter two, she said, fueled by joblessness in the area.

"They're bored, particularly the unemployed," she said.

"They tend to reassure themselves they're no more overweight than others."

The audit results lend support to the recently launched Doctor on Your Side campaign.

The campaign focuses on the health benefits when too many people are focused on the image.

Only one in six people seek their their doctor's help as a last resort and the campaign aims to swing that.

"Often they will go to people who are not qualified and who only look at the appearance of the patient when this is chronic disease," Dr  Pylypyak said.

Those generally being cardiovascular disease, osteo-arthritis and poor mental health as symptoms.

But Dr Pylypyaks stressed neither the campaign nor her membership to the GP Weight Loss Alliance was about making surgeons rich from needless bariatric surgery.

"This is about forging a weightloss management plan that might include very low energy diets, pharmacotherapy with lifestyle changes,” she said.

"If that doesn't work then bariatric surgery might be the solution."

These measures have already paid off for a number of her patients who have been able to stop taking medication for type 2 diabetes. The smiling faces of other patients, Dr  Pylypyak said, was also evidence of a mental health improvement.

"It gives me great professional satisfaction to see this," she said.

www.doctoronyourside.com.au