Editorial

Management and Treatment of Obesity

Authors: Claire A. Zizza, PHD

Abstract

Although there is no longer any doubt that obesity poses a health risk for individuals and is a tremendous public health problem in the United States, little research has been conducted to study the effect of obesity on the use of health services. In this issue of Southern Medical Journal, Huang et al 1 describe the outpatient population at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport. Such studies allow clinicians to establish the outpatient population of this urban tertiary health center and provide insights into how to provide higher-quality care.

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References

1. Huang J, Marin E, Yu H, Carden D, Arnold C, Davis T, et al. Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and associated diseases among outpatients in a public hospital. South Med J 2003; 96: 558–561.
2. Rippe JM. The case for medical management of obesity: A call for increased physician involvement. Obes Res 1998; 6( Suppl 1): 23S–33S.
3. Blanck HM, Khan LK, Serdula MK. Use of nonprescription weight loss products: Results from a multistate survey. JAMA 2001; 286: 930–935.
4. Rand CS, Macgregor AM. Successful weight loss following obesity surgery and the perceived liability of morbid obesity. Int J Obes 1991; 15: 577–579.
5. National Institutes of Health. Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults: The Evidence Report. Obes Res 1998; 6( Suppl 2): 51S–209S.

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