Screening for and Management of Obesity in Adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement

Moyer, Virginia A. MD, MPH

From the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Rockville, Maryland.

Disclaimer: Recommendations made by the USPSTF are independent of the U.S. government. They should not be construed as an official position of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Financial Support: The USPSTF is an independent, voluntary body. The U.S. Congress mandates that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality support the operations of the USPSTF.

Potential Conflicts of Interest: Dr. Moyer: Consulting fee or honorarium: USPSTF. Support for travel to meetings for the study or other purposes: USPSTF. Disclosure forms from USPSTF members can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M12-1323.

Requests for Single Reprints: Reprints are available from the USPSTF Web site (www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org).

For author affiliation, see end of text.

* For a list of the members of the USPSTF, see the Appendix (available at www.annals.org).

This article was published at www.annals.org on 26 June 2012.

Annals of Internal Medicine 157(5):p 373-378, September 4, 2012.

Description:

Update of the 2003 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation statement on screening for obesity and overweight in adults.

Methods:

The USPSTF reviewed new evidence on the benefits and harms of screening and primary care–feasible or referable nonsurgical weight-loss interventions.

Recommendation:

The USPSTF recommends screening all adults for obesity. Clinicians should offer or refer patients with a body mass index of 30 kg/m² or higher to intensive, multicomponent behavioral interventions (B recommendation).