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Adding Obesity To The Problem List Increases The Rate Of Providers Addressing Obesity., Elaine Seaton Banerjee, Angela Gambler, Corey Fogleman

Department of Family & Community Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Obesity is a common problem that increases risk of many other diseases, from heart disease to cancer. While counseling by a physician increases patient report of weight loss attempts and increased exercise, primary care physicians do not frequently address obesity. The objectives of this study were to determine how often obesity was included on the problem list and whether adding obesity to the problem list affected the rate at which it was addressed in future visits.

METHODS: We conducted an initial assessment, followed by a randomized controlled trial of patient records at a family medicine residency office. …