In this country, approximately 15 percent of children and teens are overweight or obese, and another 15 percent are at risk. Being overweight not only affects health, contributing to problems such as high blood pressure, but also can have harsh consequences on self-esteem. A new policy from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) entitled, "Prevention of Pediatric Overweight and Obesity" proposes strategies to foster prevention and early identification of overweight and obesity in children.
A primary diagnostic tool suggested by the AAP is body mass index (BMI), the ratio of weight to height. BMI is widely used to define overweight and obesity, and significant changes in a child's BMI should be recognized and addressed before the child becomes severely overweight. The policy suggests that BMI is calculated once a year for all children and adolescents. It also notes that some parents may not recognize or accept the potential risk of their child being overweight, but anticipatory guidance or treatment intervention before obesity has become severe will likely be more successful.
If you believe your child may be overweight, visit your pediatrician, who can determine the appropriate target weight for your child.
Healthy habits recommended to curb excess weight gain include:
August 8, 2001 — Obesity has an important relationship with early puberty
in girls, according to a new study published in the August issue of
Pediatrics, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
The study found that 6- to 9-year-old girls who had started developing
breasts or pubic hair were significantly more overweight than girls of the
same age who had not. It also found that this association was stronger for
white girls than for black girls; however it could not account for the finding
that black girls started puberty, on average, one year earlier than white
girls.
Recent evidence suggests that girls in the United States, particularly
black girls, start puberty at a younger age, but the reasons are not clear.
However, because nutritional status affects the timing of puberty and knowing
that there is a trend for increasing obesity in U.S. children, the authors
sought to better define the relationship between obesity and early puberty in
girls.
Based on these findings, physicians should anticipate that overweight girls are more likely to show signs of early puberty. Physicians should take obesity and racial status into account when deciding how to manage early-maturing 6- to 9-year-old girls.
The recommendations in this statement do not indicate an exclusive course of treatment or serve as a standard of medical care. Variations, taking into account individual circumstances, may be appropriate.
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