About the Guidelines

Information contained in this site is taken from the Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults: The Evidence Report published by the National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in June 1998.

The intent of the guidelines is to provide the current scientific evidence on the most appropriate treatment strategies for the overweight and obese patient, and to report on the effects of such treatments in a way that constitutes evidence-based clinical guidelines for primary health care practitioners. The guidelines should also be useful for managed care organizations or other groups that define benefit plans for patients or handle health care resources. In addition, the systematic assessment of the literature should be a valuable resource to health care policy makers and clinical investigators.

OBJECTIVES OF THE GUIDELINES:

• To identify, evaluate, and summarize published information about the assessment and treatment of overweight and obesity
• To provide evidence-based guidelines for physicians, other health care practitioners, and health care organizations for the evaluation and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults
• To identify areas for future research

The complete text can be downloaded in portable document format (PDF).