An Exploration of Barriers Facing Physicians in Diagnosing and Treating Obesity

Abstract

Purpose: To determine whether primary care physicians can accurately assess body mass index (BMI) by visual inspection and to assess barriers related to the diagnosis and management of obesity. Design: Prospective Survey Study. Setting: Hospitals and Clinics. Subjects: Primary care providers in the fields of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and Obstetrics/Gynecology. Measures: Measures investigated included providers visual assessment of BMI, BMI knowledge, diagnosis and management of obese patients, and perceived barriers to treatment. Analysis: Top and bottom quartiles and total scores were determined for responses regarding the reported management of obesity, reported comfort with care, and reported barriers to care and used as the cut point. Statistical analyses were utilized to examine relations and compare groups. Results: 206 (74%) of the 280 eligible providers completed the survey. The accuracy of visual assessment of BMI was 52%. Physicians were more likely to underestimate BMI than overestimate (36% ± 4% vs 12% ± 6%, respectively, P