Primary care's ecologic impact on obesity

Am Fam Physician. 2009 Mar 15;79(6):446.

Abstract

With a costly obesity epidemic, policy makers must recognize factors that may influence obesity not only for each person, but also across communities. Increased primary care physician density on the county level is associated with decreased obesity rates. As we move to restructure the primary care workforce and engage our patients and communities in behavior change, the implications of this association merit closer investigation.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Obesity / epidemiology*
  • Primary Health Care*
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Workforce