The Physician’s Guidance for Treatment
of Adult Obesity
In October of 1996, Dr. C. Everett Koop unveiled a new
document called Guidance forTreatment of Adult Obesity
at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. It is the first such
guidance for physicians in the United States and the world.
Guidance for Treatment of Adult Obesity, developed by two
non-profit organizations known as Shape Up America! and the
American Obesity Association, has since been distributed to thousands
of doctors nationwide. Its purpose is to encourage physicians to
identify patients whose health is at risk due to obesity
and to provide these patients with responsible treatment and support
that is based on the latest scientific evidence.
Guidance for Treatment of Adult Obesity describes a
step-by-step process for assessing the degree of health risk faced by
each obese or overweight patient, and for determining the best
treatment approach based on this health risk. This process was
developed by a committee chaired by Dr. Patricia Choban. Other
members included Drs. Roy Blank, John P. Foreyt, Frank L. Greenway,
Sachiko T. St.Jeor, Louis F. Martin, and G. Michael Steelman. Drs.
Richard L. Atkinson, Judith S. Stern, and Barbara J.
Moore were ex-officio members of the committee.
