A new focus on weight loss

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, December 3, 2003

If you could stand to shed a few pounds, there’s a good chance your doctor will say so at your next checkup.

That’s based on this week’s wise recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which says casual advice to lose weight isn’t enough. The group is calling for physicians to prescribe intensive behavior therapy that would continue for at least three months. Healthier eating strategies and exercise — the ultimate solution for losing weight — would be at the heart of such programs.

Weight-loss programs are everywhere these days, and they’re popular. Still, it’s estimated that 44 million Americans — about 21 percent of all adults — are obese, which puts them at significantly higher risk of health problems. Treating such problems is one reason health-care costs are so high, and working to prevent those problems in the first place makes obvious sense.

Research shows that anti-smoking programs and education work. Putting a new, more personal focus on obesity might work just as well.