New Practice Guidelines for Evaluating and Managing Children and Adolescents with Obesity

Background

Obesity is a complex and multifactorial disease that affects the physical and mental health of more than 14 million U.S. children and teens. The American Academy of Pediatrics released its first ever guideline to aid in the evaluation and management of pediatric obesity; guidance about obesity prevention is forthcoming.

Key Recommendations

• Any child ≥2 years old with body-mass index (BMI) ≥85th percentile should undergo a comprehensive history and physical, including evaluations of mental-behavioral health, social determinants of health, blood pressure, and age-appropriate bloodwork (e.g., lipids, alanine transaminase, glycosylated hemoglobin).

• The mainstay of management is inten…