Clinical Assessment and Management of Adult Obesity

O verweight and obesity are the most common medical problems seen in primary care practice, affecting Ͼ68% of adults and 33.0% of children and adolescents in the United States. 1,2Obesity is a risk factor for several of the leading causes of preventable death, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and many types of cancer.Thus, successful treatment and control of obesity should be major imperatives.4]56 Thus, a gap exists between the need to provide obesity care and the actual provision of care.In this article, current recommendations for the medical evaluation of the obese adult patient are reviewed, followed by management approaches to using lifestyle therapy, pharmacotherapy, and surgery.