Preventing pediatric obesity: assessment and management in the primary care setting.

Purpose: To review the literature on and discuss the role of the primary care provider in assessing and managing overweight children before they become obese.

Data Sources: Selected research, national guidelines and recommendations, and the professional experience of the authors.

Conclusions: The focus of primary care involves early detection and family interventions that are designed for lifestyle modifications, specifically for improved nutrition and an increase in regular physical activity, to achieve optimal child health.