{"id":56723,"date":"2023-01-24T10:30:03","date_gmt":"2023-01-24T15:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=56723"},"modified":"2024-10-25T10:54:18","modified_gmt":"2024-10-25T14:54:18","slug":"clinical-guidelines-for-childhood-obesity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/news\/clinical-guidelines-for-childhood-obesity\/","title":{"rendered":"AAP releases new clinical guidelines for childhood obesity"},"content":{"rendered":"

The <\/span>American Academy of Pediatrics<\/span><\/a> (AAP) released new clinical practice <\/span>guidelines<\/span><\/a> focusing on the treatment of childhood obesity, for the first time in 15 years. New measures focus on earlier and more intensive interventions for children with obesity—including weight-loss medications and bariatric surgeries, when appropriate. The authors say, “there is no evidence to support either watchful waiting or unnecessary delay of appropriate treatment of children with obesity.”<\/span><\/p>\n

These treatment recommendations came a few weeks after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the injectable weight-loss drug Wegovy (semaglutide) for obese adolescents 12 and older. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>RELATED: <\/b>Childhood obesity statistics<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

AAP guidelines to meet the challenges facing youth<\/span><\/h2>\n

Childhood obesity is defined as having a <\/span>body mass index<\/span><\/a> (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile for age and sex. More than 14.4 million kids and teens in the United States are affected. According to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), <\/span>the rate of BMI increases among the 2-19 age group doubled during the pandemic<\/span><\/a>, with the biggest increases among youth who were overweight prior to the pandemic and younger school-aged children.<\/span><\/p>\n

The authors noted that obesity has long been “stigmatized as a reversible consequence of personal choices.” They emphasize that obesity is a disease—a chronic condition associated with serious comorbidities such as <\/span>Type 2 diabetes<\/span><\/a> and cardiovascular disease. Obesity “should be treated through the medical home with intensive and long-term care strategies, provision of medical monitoring, and treatment of associated comorbidities and ongoing access to obesity treatment.” Children need periodic reassessments and treatment modifications as they age. <\/span><\/p>\n

Key recommendations from AAP guidelines<\/span><\/h2>\n

According to the AAP, the guidelines’ key action statements represent evidence-based recommendations from the results of 400 studies for evaluating children who are overweight, have obesity, and related health concerns. The recommendations include: <\/span><\/p>\n