Assessment requires determination of the degree of overweight and overall risk status. Management includes both reducing excess body weight and instituting other measures to control accompanying risk factors. When assessing a patient for risk status and as a candidate for weight loss therapy, consider the patient's BMI, waist circumference, and overall risk status.
Consideration also needs to be given to the patient's motivation to lose weight.
Body Mass Index. The BMI, which describes relative weight for height, is significantly correlated with total body fat content. The BMI should be used to assess overweight and obesity and to monitor changes in body weight. In addition, measurements of body weight alone can be used to determine efficacy of weight loss therapy. Weight classifications by BMI, selected for use in this report, are shown in Table ES- 2 .