Weighing in on obesity

If your patient has a body mass index of 30 or higher, get him or her off the scale and into a multicomponent behavioral intervention program, according to an updated recommendation from the American Academy of Family Physicians and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Most family doctors are screening for obesity, but the new recommendations say that a moderately or highly intensive intervention results in weight loss and improved health. The task force recommends that healthcare professionals offer or refer obese patients to a comprehensive weight loss and behavior management program consisting of 12 to 26 sessions in the first year.