From the patient's viewpoint, the health risks of being overweight increased with age. Fourth, the authors suggest that only obese patients who request treatment, who have obesity related complications, or are immobilized by their obesity should be treated. Using these criteria, many moderately obese patients who are at increased risk for future medical complications would not warrant treatment. This is incongruent with our approach to other medical illnesses. Not all patients with hypertension develop a stroke, but we do not wait for a stroke to occur before treating hypertension.
Obesity is a major public health problem in the United States and worldwide.
While we agree with Drs. Kassirer and Angell that it is critically important to focus on obesity prevention, we must also help the millions of currently obese Americans by providing effective and safe approaches for long term weight management. The effect of age on the association between body-mass index and mortality. Coherent preventive and management strategies for obesity.