Assessment of body mass index and association with adolescent preventive care in U.S. outpatient settings.

Using data from the latest National Ambulatory Care Surveys, this study finds that the importance of assessment of overweight and obesity and preventive counseling in adolescents is underappreciated in outpatient practices throughout the United States.

The room for improvement remains considerable, and interventions to promote quality preventive care are needed for all adolescents.