In a bold move, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is now recommending that primary care doctors screen each and every adult patient for obesity. This means using height and weight to come up with a body mass index, or BMI.

A BMI of 30 or over is considered obese. A BMI of 25 to 30 puts you in the overweight range. Once identified, the group suggests doctors offer healthy diet programs and exercise ideas for their obese patients. Behavioral counseling may also be appropriate in some cases.

While some primary care physicians have made weight loss an important issue, this recommendation puts them right on the front line of our national weight loss war. More than one-third of adults in the U.S. are obese. The extra weight can lead to diabetes, heart problems and other health issues.

Since cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the U.S., the task force stresses following a healthy diet and being physically active as ways to decrease the risk. Doctors orders!

I'm Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV, with the news that doctors are reading; health news that matters to you.