Can We Talk About Your Weight for a Few Minutes, Mr. Jones?”

The combination of obesity and physical inactivity ranks, after smoking, as the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States Obesity-related reduction in life expectancy in the U.S. is predicted to outstrip the life-expectancy gains achieved through the decrease in tobacco use Obesity is a root cause for many of the medical problems treated by primary care physicians (PCPs). Among the many diagnoses associated with excess weight are diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia/dyslipidemia, coronary artery and cerebrovascular disease, sleep apnea, musculoskeletal problems, liver disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and erectile dysfunction. Medical professional societies and public health organizations recognize the consequences of the epidemic and have published guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of obesity The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that weight-loss interventions be "high-intensity" (at least two visits per month for the first 3 months) Considering these facts, it should follow that primary care physicians would be actively involved in treating obesity

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• Excess Deaths Associated With Underweight, Overweight, and Obesity

  Katherine M Flegal•JAMA•2005

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• Forecasting the Effects of Obesity and Smoking on U.S. Life Expectancy

  Susan T Stewart, Donald Cutler et al.•New England Journal of Medicine•2009

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• Primary Care

  Kimberly S H Yarnall, Kathryn I Pollak et al.•American Journal of Public Health•2003

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