Behavioral Counseling in Primary Care to Promote a Healthy Diet

Release Date: January 2003

Summary of Recommendations / Supporting Documents

Summary of Recommendations

• The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concludes that the evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against routine behavioral counseling to promote a healthy diet in unselected patients in primary care settings.
  Grade: I Statement.
• The USPSTF recommends intensive behavioral dietary counseling for adult patients with hyperlipidemia and other known risk factors for cardiovascular and diet-related chronic disease. Intensive counseling can be delivered by primary care clinicians or by referral to other specialists, such as nutritionists or dietitians.
  Grade: B Recommendation.

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Supporting Documents

Behavioral Counseling in Primary Care to Promote a Healthy Diet, January 2003
Recommendations and Rationale (PDF File, 393 KB; PDF Help)
Summary of the Evidence (PDF File, 335 KB; PDF Help)
Systematic Evidence Review (PDF File, 2.9 MB; PDF Help)

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Current as of January 2003

Internet Citation:

Behavioral Counseling in Primary Care to Promote a Healthy Diet, Topic Page. January 2003. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspsdiet.htm