A group of medical organizations including the American Heart Association and the Obesity Society this week recommended doctors enact a regimen of helping patients understand their weight loss needs and options. In the face of high obesity rates, doctors are encouraged to calculate patients' BMI during visits, devise a whight loss plan and recommend counseling. Dr. Tim Church, a researcher at Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, said:
I feel for these guys. They have patients who come in and ask them about the latest fad diet. They're not trained in this stuff and they're not comfortable [recommending particular diets or weight-loss plans].