Childhood Obesity Prevalence and Prevention Strategies in Primary Care: A Comprehensive Review

Childhood obesity has become one of the most significant public health challenges of the modern era. This chronic and multifactorial condition contributes to numerous metabolic, cardiovascular, and psychosocial complications, many of which extend into adulthood. The primary care setting provides a key opportunity for early identification, prevention, and management, but remains underutilized in practice. Evidence supports routine screening from early childhood, accompanied by comprehensive behavioral interventions for children identified as overweight or obese. Effective prevention approaches in primary care include family-based behavioral strategies, motivational interviewing (MI), nutrition-focused counseling, promotion of regular physical activity, and reduction of sedentary behaviors. Multi-component interventions delivered over an extended period tend to produce the most meaningful improvements in weight-related outcomes. Despite these advances, primary care providers continue to face challenges such as time limitations, inadequate training, lack of community resources, and difficulties maintaining family engagement. Integrating team-based care, leveraging electronic health record (EHR) tools, and following structured, staged treatment models can enhance implementation. This review highlights current approaches to childhood obesity prevention and management in primary care and offers practical strategies to support clinicians in addressing this ongoing epidemic.