Given the ever-rising costs associated the condition and its associated comorbidities, perhaps it's time to recognize obesity as a medical problem.

Many factors may motivate students to pursue global health electives.

A breastfed infant in a high weight-for-length percentile is not necessarily at greater risk for future health problems than a leaner infant; a physician would be justified in advocating for such a child to receive insurance coverage.

Residents can be better prepared to treat patients who are obese by understanding that care as an expression of the core principles of professionalism: responsibility, self-regulation, patient-centered care, and teamwork.

The emerging field of obesity medicine seeks to address the lack of information, lack of consensus, and bias impeding the care of patients with obesity.

BMI is useful as a general indicator of body composition, particularly at the extreme ends of the spectrum, but has some limitations.

Numerous sources of weight bias exist in medicine; physicians can play an important role in ameliorating it.

Television portrayals of obesity can promote or reinforce negative perceptions of people who are obese, but can also be used to reduce this bias.

The U.S.’s and U.K.’s efforts to combat obesity reflect underlying differences in the two countries’ understandings of obesity’s causes.

Legal measures implemented to combat obesity in the U.S. include efforts to regulate the food supply, provide an incentive for the consumption of healthful foods, ban or restrict harmful ingredients, and alter or repurpose the built environment to encourage physical activity; such measures are least controversial when they apply specifically to children.