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Clinical Research

The essential role of primary care providers in obesity management

International Journal of Obesity volume 47, pages 249–250 (2023)Cite this article

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In response to US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations [1], the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved intensive behavioral counseling delivered by primary care providers (PCPs; physicians, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants) to address obesity [2]. These federal mandates emphasize the critical role of primary care clinic teams in obesity management. Indeed, obesity is not a disease that should be treated solely by specialists; engaging primary health care systems is imperative for widespread access to treatment. According to recent prevalence estimates, 74% or approximately 185 million individuals in the United States (US) have overweight or obesity [3], and thus qualify for weight management based on their body mass index (BMI). Yet there are fewer than 8000 obesity specialists, but about 639,000 PCPs available to address this persistent challenge to population health.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Community Health Impact and Department of Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA

    Leah D. Whigham

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics & Environmental Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA

    Sarah E. Messiah & Bijal A. Balasubramanian

  3. Center for Pediatric Population Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health, Dallas, TX, USA

    Sarah E. Messiah

  4. UTHealth Houston Institute for Implementation Science, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA

    Bijal A. Balasubramanian

  5. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Nikhil V. Dhurandhar

Authors
  1. Leah D. Whigham
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  2. Sarah E. Messiah
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  3. Bijal A. Balasubramanian
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  4. Nikhil V. Dhurandhar
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All authors contributed to the writing and approved the final version of the article.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Leah D. Whigham or Nikhil V. Dhurandhar.

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The authors declare no competing interests related to this article. LDW and NVD developed the concept and initial draft of the article.

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Whigham, L.D., Messiah, S.E., Balasubramanian, B.A. et al. The essential role of primary care providers in obesity management. Int J Obes 47, 249–250 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-023-01268-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-023-01268-7

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