Overweight

Identifying, Managing Pre-Obesity

11/17/2022

Incorporating interventions into clinical practice early in the care continuum for patients with overweight, also known as “pre-obesity,” is necessary for mitigating the risks associated with pre-obesity, according to Michelle Look, MD, FAAFP, ABOM, who is presenting a session on pre-obesity at Practical Updates in Primary Care 2022 Virtual Series.

The session, titled “Intervention across the weight continuum: the importance of recognizing and addressing pre-obesity,” first focuses on the association between pre-obesity and increased risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Dr Look then discusses several screening tools and treatment options health care providers can utilize in their day-to-day practice, such as the Edmonton Obesity Staging System and anti-obesity medications.

“…I have been taking care of chronic disease, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers. I really feel like I have spent my career putting out fires, right? And I don’t think we spend enough time [talking] about one of the biggest causes, really direct causes, of many of these chronic diseases, and that’s the disease of obesity,” said Dr Look during her session.

Among the learning objectives included in this presentation:

  • Recognition of disease burden risk associated with pre-obesity
  • Importance of proper screening techniques for weight history
  • Utilization of evidence-based practical treatment strategies for patients with pre-obesity

“There’s a large population that we see on a daily basis with pre-obesity and even more individuals with pre-obesity are progressing to obesity, so the time to interact is now,” Dr Look concludes.

Dr Look is a family medicine, sports medicine, and obesity medicine physician at San Diego Sports Medicine and Family Health Center in San Diego, California.

For more meeting coverage, visit the Practical Updates in Primary Care newsroom.

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Reference:

Look M. Intervention across the weight continuum: the importance of recognizing and addressing pre-obesity. Talk presented at: Practical Updates in Primary Care 2022 Virtual Series; November 16-18, 2022; Virtual. https://www.practicalupdates.consultant360.com/