Just released! New AAP Clinical Guidelines on Childhood Obesity

Clinical practice guidelines focus on evidence of obesity treatment being safe and effective for children. Evidence-based recommendations on medical care for those age 2 and older are included within “Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Obesity,” Feb 2023 Pediatrics.

News Release.

Highlights

  • Comprehensive obesity treatment may include nutrition support, physical activity treatment, behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy, metabolic & bariatric surgery.
  • Intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment (IHBLT), while challenging and not universally available, is the most effective known behavioral treatment (including 26 or more hours of face-to-face, family-based, multicomponent treatment over a 3-12 mo. period).
  • Evidence-based treatment by trained health care professionals with active parent or caregiver involvement has no evidence of harm and can result in less disordered eating.
  • Physicians should offer adolescents ages 12 years and older with obesity weight loss pharmacotherapy, according to medication indications, risks, and benefits, as an adjunct to health behavior & lifestyle treatment.
  • Teens age 13 and older with severe obesity (BMI ≥120% of the 95th percentile age/sex) should be evaluated for metabolic & bariatric surgery.