"Overweight and obesity pose a major public health challenge," remarked Claude Lenfant, M.D., director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at the unveiling of the first federal obesity clinical guidelines. Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults was released in June 1998 by NHLBI in cooperation with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The guidelines are intended for use by physicians and health care professionals to assist them in helping overweight and obese patients lose weight.

According to NHLBI and NIDDK, the guidelines are based on the most extensive review of the scientific evidence on overweight and obesity conducted to date. The guidelines emphasize that the most successful strategies for weight loss include calorie reduction and increased physical activity. Behavior therapy designed to improve eating and physical activity habits is also recommended.

Obesity is a health problem that affects millions of Americans. Maintaining a healthy weight reduces the risk of multiple health conditions, including hypertension, lipid disorders, type II diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis and certain cancers.

The Guidelines document is available on the NHLBI website at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/nhlbi.