General practitioner and exercise physiologist interventions for decreasing primary cardiovascular risk in the overweight/obese general practice population - a pilot randomised control study

1. Usual general practitioner (GP) care plus five specific GP consultations at 5-weekly intervals over 24 weeks; consultations to focus on the management of weight and cardiovascular risk factors (e.g. diet, exercise). 2. Usual GP care plus five specific exercise physiologist (EP) appointments at 5-weekly intervals over 24 weeks; consultations to focus on the management of weight and cardiovascular risk factors (e.g. diet, exercise). GPs and EPs were asked to focus the scheduled sessions on the management of weight and cardiovascular risk factors, in the way that they would normally do this. For GPs this was likely to be via advice, education, motivation, and referral to other health professionals. For EPs, this was likely advice, educations, motivation and the provision and supervision of practical exercises and training. GP sessions were estimated to be of 10 - 30 minutes duration, whilst EP sessions were estimated to be of 30 - 60 minutes duration. Participants underwent only 1 arm of the trial.