Assessment of overweight and obese patients

The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States has significant impact on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment skill requirements of clinicians. There are a number of parameters that are used in the appropriate assessment of overweight and obesity. These include knowledge of basic body composition, measurement techniques for the assessment of total and regional body fat, and awareness of cultural influences on overweight and obesity. The focus of this article is to define overweight and obesity and delineate appropriate assessment parameters for those conditions.