title: Primary prevention of overweight and obesity: an analysis of national survey data.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is rapidly approaching tobacco as the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality. Health care providers have the opportunity to address this through primary prevention strategies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether health care professionals provide primary prevention for overweight and obesity by examining the percentage of healthy-weight (body mass index [BMI] = 18.5-24.9 kg/m(2)) individuals who report being advised to maintain a healthy weight.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional analysis of the 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Noninstitutionalized U.S. adults >18 years of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among healthy BMI respondents, only 2.6% reported receiving primary prevention. Logistic regression analyses yielded that healthy-weight adults receiving primary prevention were more likely to report: being 18-49 years of age, annual household incomes <$35,000, having at least 1 comorbidity, having a health care provider, changed eating habits to include less fat or fewer calories, and using physical activity to maintain or lose weight. Men were also more likely to receive primary prevention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Only a very small proportion of healthy-weight adults received primary prevention, which suggests that physicians are missing opportunities to help address the epidemic of adult obesity in the US.
authors: Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine at Rockford, University of Illinois at Chicago, Rockford, IL 61107, USA. lutfiyya@uic.edu
authors: May Nawal
authors: MN
authors: Lutfiyya
authors: Bill
authors: B
authors: Nika
authors: Lauren
authors: L
authors: Ng
authors: Christina
authors: C
authors: Tragos
authors: Regina
authors: R
authors: Won
authors: Martin S
authors: MS
authors: Lipsky
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D040343:Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D012737:Sex Factors