Obesity: assessment and intervention for primary care practice.

The 1976-1980 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey revealed that an estimated 34 million adults (26%) between the ages of 20 and 75 are obese. The health implications of obesity are well known and contribute to the increased morbidity and early mortality in those who are affected. As a result, obesity has become a public health concern that has been targeted as a national health objective in Healthy People 2000. The overall health objective, related to the problem of overweight in adults, is to reduce the prevalence from 26% to < 20%.