Preventive Care and Screening: Body Mass Index (BMI) Screening and Follow-Up Plan. BMI Above Normal Parameters. Obesity is a chronic, multifactorial disease with complex psychological, environmental (social and cultural), genetic, physiologic, metabolic and behavioral causes and consequences. The prevalence of overweight and obese people is increasing worldwide at an alarming rate in both developing and developed countries. Environmental and behavioral changes brought about by economic development, modernization and urbanization have been linked to the rise in global obesity. The health consequences are becoming apparent (ICSI 2013. p.6). Hales et al (2017), report that the prevalence of obesity among adults and youth in the United States was 39.8% and 18.5% respectively, from 2015-2016. They note that obesity prevalence was higher among adults in the 40-59 age bracket than those in the 20-39 age bracket, for both men and women. Hales et al. (2017) also disaggregated the data according to ethnicity and noted that obesity prevalence was higher among non-Hispanic black and Hispanic adults and youth when compared with other races ethnicities. While obesity prevalence was lower among non-Hispanic Asian men and women, obesity prevalence among men, was comparable between non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white men. Obesity prevalence was higher among Hispanic men compared with non-Hispanic black men. While the prevalence among non-Hispanic black and Hispanic women was comparable, the prevalence for both groups was higher than that of non-Hispanic white women. Most notably, Hales et al (2017), report that the prevalence of obesity in the United States remains higher than the Healthy People 2020 goals of 14.5% among youth and 30.5% among adults. More than a third of U.S. adults have a body mass index [BMI] >= 30 kg/m2; substantially at increased risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) (Flegal et al., 2012; Ogden et al., 2014). Behavioral weight management treatment has been identified as an effective first-line treatment for obesity with an average initial weight loss of 8-10%. This percentage weight loss is associated with a significant risk reduction for diabetes and CVD (Butryn et al., 2011; Wadden et al., 2012). Despite the availability of effective interventions, two-thirds of obese U.S. patients were not offered or referred to weight management treatment during their primary care visit between 2005 and 2006, (Ma et al., 2009). In addition, the rate of weight management counseling in primary care significantly decreased by 10% (40% to 30%) between 1995-1996 and 2007-2008 (Kraschnewski et al., 2013). This suggests that the availability of evidence based clinical guidelines since 2008 obesity management in primary care remains suboptimal (Fitzpatrick S.L., Stevens, V. J., 2017, pp 128-132). BMI continues to be a common and reasonably reliable measurement to identify overweight and obese adults who may be at an increased risk for future morbidity. Although good quality evidence supports obtaining a BMI, it is important to recognize it is not a perfect measurement. BMI is not a direct measure of adiposity and as a consequence it can over- or underestimate adiposity. BMI is a derived value that correlates well with total body fat and markers of secondary complications, eg, hypertension and dyslipidemia (Barlow, 2007). In contrast with waist circumference, BMI and its associated disease and mortality risk appear to vary among ethnic subgroups. Female African American populations appear to have the lowest mortality risk at a BMI of 26.2-28.5 kg/m2 and 27.1-30.2 kg/m2 for women and men, respectively. In contrast, Asian populations may experience lowest mortality rates starting at a BMI of 23 to 24 kg/m2. The correlation between BMI and diabetes risk also varies by ethnicity (LeBlanc, 2011. p.2-3) Screening for BMI and follow-up therefore is critical to closing this gap and contributes to quality goals of population health and cost reduction. However, due to concerns for other underlying conditions (such as bone health) or nutrition related deficiencies providers are cautioned to use clinical judgment and take these into account when considering weight management programs for overweight patients, especially the elderly (NHLBI Obesity Education Initiative, 1998, p. 91). BMI below Normal Parameters: On the other end of the body weight spectrum is underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m2), which is equally detrimental to population health. When compared to normal weight individuals(BMI 18.5-25 kg/m2), underweight individuals have significantly higher death rates with a Hazard Ratio of 2.27 and 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 1.78, 2.90 (Borrell & Lalitha (2014). Poor nutrition or underlying health conditions can result in underweight (Fryer & Ogden, 2012). The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) results from the 2007-2010 indicate that women are more likely to be underweight than men (2012). Therefore patients should be equally screened for underweight and followed up with nutritional counselling to reduce mortality and morbidity associated with underweight.
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