In this issue of Pediatrics, Madsen et al1 report the significant race-based disparities in changes in the prevalence of high BMI among adolescents in California. As the authors point out, these findings highlight the urgent need to address the childhood obesity epidemic. This year, 3 events have occurred at a national level that hold promise: the Let's Move campaign (www.letsmove.gov); the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (HR 3590); and the recent White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity report.2
These events provide an opportunity for pediatric providers to consider the contributions they can make to addressing the epidemic. The American Academy of Pediatrics has joined the Let's Move campaign and reaffirmed its goals for pediatricians to measure BMI at every well-child visit and to provide a “prescription for healthy, active living.”3 Setting these goals was an important step, because recent data indicate that...
I was encouraged to see Lumeng et al. in the September issue of Pediatrics call for the role of pediatricians in the management of obesity but felt their recommendations lacked a key component –follow-up. Obesity management requires dedicated outpatient time like other chronic diseases in order to optimize success. I was reminded of this recently in outpatient clinic. After having discussed my patient’s BMI of >95% with his equally obese mother and “prescribed” the healthy-lifestyle approach recommended by the AAP, the patient’s mother asked me while walking out the door “but what exactly does it mean to eat healthy?” I was unprepared as a new intern to learn that although this mother was ready to address her child’s (and her own) obesity, the deficit in her knowledge was overwhelming and limiting. Pediatricians must recognize the need for frequent visits to educate, set and modify goals, reinforce positive behaviors and introduce new resources and recommendations.
Conflict of Interest:
None declared