Who is at Risk? All overweight and obese
adults (age 18 years of age or older) with a
BMI of ≥25 are considered at risk for developing
associated morbidities or diseases such
as hypertension, high blood cholesteral, type
2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and other
diseases. Individuals with a BMI of 25 to
29.9 are considered overweight, while individuals
with a BMI ≥30 are considered obese.
Treatment of overweight is recommended
only when patients have two or more risk factors
or a high waist circumference. It should
focus on altering dietary and physical activity
patterns to prevent development of obesity
and to produce moderate weight loss.
Treatment of obesity should focus on producing
substantial weight loss over a prolonged
period. The presence of comorbidities in overweight
and obese patients should be considered
when deciding on treatment options.