New research suggests that overweight people are twice as likely to attempt to lose weight if their health care provider gives them weight loss advice.

Researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston found that firefighters who received weight loss advice from a health care provider were 4.8 times more likely to have accurate weight perceptions and twice as likely to attempt weight loss.

Previous research revealed that more than 75 percent of firefighters are overweight or obese and more than half do not consider themselves to be overweight, however, health care professionals provide weight advice to only 48 percent of obese and 12 percent of overweight firefighters.

"What we're seeing here is that if a doctor says anything about weight loss, it makes a difference. Firefighters are especially at risk for cardiovascular disease, so it's good news that they're responding to health care providers," R. Sue Day, senior author of the study, said in a statement

For the study, researchers collected and analyzed data from nearly 800 overweight or obese male firefighters enrolled in Fuel 2 Flight, a study measuring health conditions of firefighters across the country from 2011 to 2012.

They also found that study participants who were older, had higher body fat and more than one chronic disease were more likely to receive weight loss advice.

The findings are detailed in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.