The prevalence of obesity has increased significantly in the past 40 years. Although difficult to treat, physicians must continue contributing to the solution by not only advocating for dietary interventions and increased exercise but also should target at-risk populations and promote more prevention strategies for combating obesity. Given the close association with the comorbidities of diabetes and hypertension, obesity is closely linked with the number one killer of all Americans: heart disease. This alone makes obesity an enormous public health threat. General, broad public health strategies for supporting weight loss are also discussed.
McTigue KM, Harris R., Hemphill B., et al. Screening and interventions for obesity in adults: summary of the evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Ann Intern Med.2003;139:933-949.
2.
McTigue KM, Garrett JM, Popkin BMThe natural history of the development of obesity in a cohort of young U.S. adults between 1981 and 1998. Ann Intern Med.2002;136:857-864.
3.
Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, McDowell MA, Tabak CJ, Flegal KMPrevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999-2004. JAMA.2006;295:1549-1555.
4.
Arterburn D. , Noel PHEffects of drug treatment for obesity in adults . Clin Evid.2001:412-419.
5.
Weiner R., Bockhorn H., Rosenthal R., Wagner D.A prospective randomized trial of different laparoscopic gastric banding techniques for morbid obesity. Surg Endosc. 2001;15:63-68.
6.
Schauer PR, Ikramuddin S., Gourash W., Ramanathan R., Luketich J.Outcomes after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for morbid obesity. Ann Surg.2000;232:515-529.
7.
DiabetesPrevention Program Research Group. Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. N Engl J Med.2002;346:393-403.
8.
NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination University of York.The prevention and treatment of obesity. E f Health Care.1997;3:1-12.
9.
NHLBI Obesity Education Initiative.Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults: The Evidence Report. Bethesda, Md : US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; 1998. NIH pub. no. 98-4083.
10.
Perrin EM, Finkle JP, Benjamin JTObesity prevention and the primary care pediatrician's office. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2007;19:354-361.
11.
Nader PR, O'Brien M., Houts R., et al, and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research Network.Identifying risk for obesity in early childhood. Pediatrics.2006;118:e594-e601.
12.
Gable S., Chang Y., Krull JLTelevision watching and frequency of family meals are predictive of overweight onset and persistence in a national sample of school-aged children. J Am Diet Assoc.2007;107:53-61.
13.
Tyler C., Johnston C., Foreyt J.Lifestyle management of obesity. Am J Lifestyle Med.2007;1:423-429.
