American Medical News - November 8, 1999 Issue  Abstract of Article By Deborah L. Shelton

            "Most Patients Don't See Excess Weight as Health Danger"        85% of overweight adults who tried to do lose weight attempted to do so on their own without consulting a doctor.  55% of overweight and obese adults had not discussed weight loss with a doctor.  63% of those who did talk to a doctor about weight loss said they initiated the discussion

        A survey commissioned by Shape Up America! has concluded that most overweight Americans don’t consider themselves at higher risk for medical problems or premature death, despite an extensive body of research on the health dangers of excess weight.  “…Statistics show a rising prevalence of obesity,” said Barbara J. Moore, PhD, president of the nonprofit organization founded by former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, MD.  “This survey is a wake-up call that we need to work harder to   communicate the facts to nearly 50% of the population that is overweight or obese.”

        The survey of 1,651 Americans focused on the 547 respondents with body mass index (BMI) scores of  27 or higher.  (27 is considered overweight; 31 or higher, obese.)  Government data estimates that about    35% of women, 31% of men, and 25% of children have a BMI of 27 or higher.   Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death, after smoking, according to the American Obesity Association.  In spite of the fact that overweight American face a higher rate of premature death (October 7, 1999 – New  England Journal of Medicine), patients are often in denial, considering excess weight to be more an issue of  cosmetics rather than something with severe health consequences.

        Surprisingly, the survey found that doctors most often fail to broach the subject of weight loss and often don’t recommend comprehensive treatment programs for behaving modification, exercise, diet, and, when necessary, effective medication.  Paul Spilseth, MD, a Minnesota family physician, feels that “most people don’t need to be told they’re overweight.  They already know that.”  What they need, he feels, is counseling to understand what it takes to lose weight, stressing changes in diet and the need for exercise—a strategy recommended by the Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Clinical Guidelines.