What to Expect at a Weight Loss Consultation, and How Follow-Ups Work
At a weight loss consultation, a registered doctor or nurse practitioner asks about your health, weight history, medicines and goals. They look at measurements such as BMI and waist size, and agree a next step with you. Follow-ups then check how the plan is going over the months that follow, and the plan is adjusted if it is not meeting your health goals.
On this page
- The Process at a Glance
- Before the Consultation: What to Have Ready
- What the Practitioner Asks About and Checks
- What Happens at the End of the Consultation
- How Follow-Ups Work
- If Progress Slows
- How Consultations and Follow-Ups Work at Burst Health
- Diet and Physical Activity Between Reviews
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Process at a Glance
Weight management runs over months, not one appointment. The timeline shows the stages this page covers, from preparing for the consultation to longer-term support. It has no set timings, because each service sets its own schedule, and the sections below explain each stage.
A general guide to the stages, based on Australian obesity guidance for GPs. Each service sets its own schedule, and outcomes vary between individuals.
Before the Consultation: What to Have Ready
A little preparation makes the conversation more useful. Have these to hand:
| Have ready | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Height, weight and waist | Used for BMI and health risk |
| A list of all your medicines | Include supplements and vitamins |
| Your health conditions | Some affect which options suit you |
| Recent blood test results | The practitioner may ask for them |
| What you have tried before | Guides the next step |
| Your questions, written down | So nothing is forgotten |
If you have not measured your waist before, here is how to measure your waist at home. On a phone consultation you give these measurements yourself, so take them shortly before the call.
For a phone consultation, check that the phone number you give is correct, and think about where you take the call and who may be able to hear it.
You can ask a friend or relative to join you to help you remember the information, and take notes on paper or on your phone.
What the Practitioner Asks About and Checks
Expect questions about:
your eating and activity habits
your weight history, including what you have tried before
health conditions, including your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes
your mood, and any history of disordered eating such as binge eating
the medicines you take
how ready you feel to make another attempt
your goals and preferences
These topics follow the person-centred approach in the Australian Obesity Management Algorithm, a 2024 guide for GPs. It notes that weight can be a sensitive subject and that most people have tried to lose weight before. Its assessment list includes questions about mood and eating patterns. Goals are discussed at the start and set with you, not for you.
Your BMI is worked out from your height and weight. A waist of 94 cm or more for males, or 80 cm or more for females who are not pregnant, carries a higher risk of problems such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. BMI is less accurate for some people, including people of Asian or Polynesian background (healthdirect). If you are unsure whether BMI applies to you, ask the practitioner.
The practitioner may also ask for recent blood pressure, blood glucose or cholesterol results. If you need a new blood test, you get a request form to take to a pathology collection centre. Ask whether you need to prepare, for example by fasting or changing when you take a medicine or supplement.
What Happens at the End of the Consultation
A first consultation can end in several ways, and each one is a normal part of careful care:
a plan built around eating and activity changes, with treatment such as weight loss medication added only if the practitioner decides it is clinically appropriate
a request for more information first, such as blood tests or results from your usual GP
a request to see you in person, if the practitioner decides a telehealth consultation alone is not enough (for doctors, the Medical Board of Australia's telehealth guidelines cover this)
a referral to another health professional, such as a dietitian, exercise physiologist or psychologist
For the wider picture of assessment, plans and support, read how medical weight loss programs work.
How Follow-Ups Work
How often reviews happen depends on the service and on your health, so there is no single schedule. Obesity care is a long-term process with regular monitoring, and the plan is stepped up over time if weight loss and health targets are not met (Australian Obesity Management Algorithm). Follow-ups can cover these stages:
| Stage | What a review can cover |
|---|---|
| Regular reviews | Progress and health conditions |
| If targets are not met | The plan is adjusted or stepped up |
| Longer term | Ongoing support, even at your target |
Because obesity is a long-term condition that can progress, weight-related health conditions are checked again at regular intervals. A good weight management service also welcomes input from your GP and offers ongoing support, even when you reach your target weight (Better Health Channel). For doctors, the Medical Board's telehealth guidelines expect follow-up arrangements to be made when clinically indicated.
If Weight Loss Medication Is Part of the Plan
If weight loss medication is considered, a doctor or nurse practitioner talks with you about how often it is taken, how long you may need treatment, the cost, possible side effects, your medical history and your preferences (healthdirect). Once treatment starts, regular follow-up checks your response to it, how you tolerate it, any side effects, and whether you are taking it as planned (Obesity Evidence Hub).
Some weight loss medication can affect mood. If you notice new or worsening symptoms of depression, speak to your doctor or nurse practitioner.
Questions worth asking at a review (healthdirect):
Do I still need this treatment? What happens if I stop?
Are there other ways to treat my condition?
What should I do if I experience side effects?
How long do I need to take this medicine?
If Progress Slows
If weight loss is not enough, or weight comes back, the next step depends on your BMI, your health conditions and how you responded to what you tried before. It may mean a more intensive plan, and the algorithm groups adults by BMI and by weight-related conditions to guide that choice. Outcomes vary between individuals.
To track your own progress, see how to calculate your weight loss percentage. For practical next steps, read why weight loss can plateau and reasons you may not be losing weight.
How Consultations and Follow-Ups Work at Burst Health
Burst Health offers telehealth consultations for weight loss by phone. You first complete a secure online questionnaire about your medical history and current health, including your medicines, allergies, height, weight and waist measurement. An Australian-registered doctor or nurse practitioner then calls you to discuss your situation, review whether treatment is clinically appropriate, explain any options and potential side effects, and answer your questions. A practitioner speaks with you before any treatment is approved.
Where ongoing treatment is clinically appropriate, repeats are automatic but still subject to clinical review, depending on the patient and the medication, so that your treatment continues to be appropriate for you over time. Australian-registered practitioners support you throughout, and outcomes vary between individuals.
Everything described above applies at Burst Health, which provides medical weight loss plans online after review by an Australian-registered doctor or nurse practitioner, so check whether you are eligible.
Diet and Physical Activity Between Reviews
Reviews check progress, but the day-to-day work happens between them. Any weight loss medication is used together with healthy lifestyle changes, not instead of them. The basics are:
a healthy diet built on the five food groups, and plenty of water (Eat for Health)
moderate to vigorous physical activity for 30 minutes or more on most days, and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing)
new habits around eating and mealtimes, with professional support if you need it
For practical steps, read a realistic guide to losing weight and how many steps a day help with weight loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I talk to my doctor about weight loss?
Yes. You can see your doctor if you are concerned about your weight or want to lose weight, and ask about checking your BMI, waist measurement and health risks regularly. That can be your usual GP, or a doctor or nurse practitioner by telehealth. Write your questions down beforehand, so the time covers what matters most to you.
Should I track more than my weight while losing weight?
Yes. A good weight management service focuses on reducing body fat, for example by tracking your waist measurement, not just total body weight (Better Health Channel). Health matters as well as size, so a doctor or nurse practitioner may also measure your blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol to assess your risk of weight-related conditions. Rates of weight loss vary between individuals.
What is a realistic weight loss goal?
Your goal is set with your practitioner, based on your BMI, any weight-related conditions and what you want. The algorithm's targets are indicative only, and weight loss in the order of 5% has been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes. Outcomes vary between individuals. For what results can look like, see how much weight you can realistically expect to lose.
Will I get treatment at my first consultation?
Not always. Treatment is started only if the practitioner decides it is clinically appropriate for you. The practitioner may first ask for blood test results or information from your usual GP, or may suggest a plan built on eating and activity changes. The section on the end of the consultation, above, lists the possible outcomes.
What if the practitioner decides weight loss medication is not right for me?
Ask the practitioner to explain the reasons and what they suggest instead, and write the answers down. A decision not to start medication is a clinical judgement about what suits you now, not a refusal of care. For doctors consulting by telehealth, the Medical Board's guidelines also expect them, with your consent and when clinically warranted, to tell your usual GP about tests, referrals, advice and medicines.
Medical weight loss plans, online
In three steps.
- 1Answer a quick questionnaireOnline, no appointment, no in-person visit.
- 2A practitioner reviews itAn Australian-registered doctor or nurse practitioner decides whether treatment is suitable for you.
- 3Start your planIf treatment is suitable, you start your plan with the practitioner supporting you throughout.
References
Obesity Evidence Hub. Medication and surgery for the treatment of overweight and obesity in adults.
healthdirect. Weight-loss medicine (last reviewed March 2026).
healthdirect. Questions to ask your doctor (last reviewed December 2024).
Medical Board of Australia. Guidelines: Telehealth consultations with patients.
Eat for Health (NHMRC). Australian dietary guidelines 1 - 5.
This article is general information only and does not replace individual medical advice. Please speak with a registered Australian healthcare practitioner about your own circumstances.