The American Academy of Pediatrics published guidelines for treating the 14.4 million U.S. children and teens afflicted by obesity on Monday.
The organization of 67,000 pediatricians recognized obesity as a “sensitive topic” that can be treated successfully by acknowledging it as a condition in which “complex” factors from genes to family income can play a factor.
Recommendations for kids as young as 2 include behavior and lifestyle changes including physical activity. As heavily overweight children enter their teens, those treatments as well as medications may be in order, along with surgical evaluation.
