The IAA One Minute Blog

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued new guidelines on treating obesity in children and teens.

AAP Offers New Recommendations

Children and adolescents should be proactively evaluated and treated for obesity, according to new guidelines from the AAP.

Previous AAP guidelines released in 2007 recommend a “watchful waiting” approach to childhood obesity. But evidence collected over the past decade showed that there’s no benefit to delays, and that weight loss treatments are effective for children and adolescents.

The new guidelines instead, suggesting families of children aged six and up should work with their pediatricians on behavior and lifestyle changes. In some cases, families of children aged two to five should too, the guidelines recommend. This should include at least 26 hours of counseling over about a year.

The guidelines note that treatments, including medications and weight loss surgery, can be effective and can help reduce the risk of developing other health conditions. The medication recommendations would apply to those ages 12 and older and discussing weight loss surgery would be for teens aged 13 and up who have severe obesity.

The AAP also noted childhood obesity is a disease with genetic, social and environmental factors—not something caused by individual choices—and that it shouldn’t be stigmatized by healthcare providers.

Children and Obesity

Children that have obesity face other chronic diseases early on in life such as:

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Liver disease
• Orthopedic issues (hip/knee/back pain)

They are also more prone to develop stress, sadness, bullying, social isolation, and low self-esteem.

If you are concerned that your child may be at risk, some tips are:

• Avoid buying snacks and drinks with lots of sodium and extra sugar
• Don’t reward the completion of meals with sweet desserts
• Encourage your entire family to be physically active together on a regular basis
• Engage your children in meal planning
• Limit the amount of high calorie foods kept in the home
• Limit TV and non-school related media viewing
• Make fresh fruits and vegetables easily accessible and in plain sight
• Make sure your child’s meals are healthy, with 30 percent or fewer calories from fat
• Provide enough fiber
• Respect your child’s appetite. Kids do not have to finish everything on their plates.
• Wait at least 15 minutes before offering a second serving.

About 20 percent of children in the United States now live with obesity, about 15 million altogether, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

What IAA has to Say

Insurance Administrator of America wants you and your family to have a healthy life. IAA wants you to take the time to see if there are any healthy lifestyle changes you can make!