Alternative viewpoint on national institutes of health clinical guidelines

The use of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Guidelines to guide assessment and treatment of overweight and obese patients is the source of considerable debate. The guidelines rely, in part, on research with methodological problems. The standard treatments for obesity outlined in the Guidelines have not proven to be successful long term. Evidence suggests obesity may be a result of biochemical defects, not eating and exercise patterns. Dieting, one of the recommended treatments, is a known risk factor for development of an eating disorder. Further, there is no conclusive evidence that weight loss improves health outcomes. Nutrition education professionals need to develop approaches that improve health independently of weight loss for Americans seeking to lose weight.