Pediatric Weight Management

Publication Date: December 7, 2017

Introduction

Introduction

  • Obesity is a complex multifactoral chronic disease that develops from an interaction between genetics and the environment.
  • The development of obesity involves the integration of family, behavioral, cultural, physiological, metabolic and genetic factors.
  • Treatment of obesity should be based on a multicomponent weight management program.
  • Unlike adults, who are defined as overweight or obese depending on the absolute value of their body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2), BMI percentiles are used for children and adolescents. BMI percentile indicates the position of a child’s BMI relative to children of the same sex and age (US Centers for Disease Control Growth Charts).
  • Throughout this pocket guide the terms “overweight” will be used to classify children whose BMI is between the 85th and 94th percentile and “obese” and “obesity” will be used as a general designation for children whose BMI is greater than or equal to the 95th percentile.

Table 1. Terminology for BMI Categories

Having trouble viewing table?
BMI Category Former Terminology Recommended Terminology
<5th percentile Underweight Underweight
5th to 84th percentile Healthy weight Healthy weight
85th to 94th percentile At risk of overweight Overweight
≥95th percentile Overweight or obesity Obesity

Nutrition Assessment

Nutrition Assess...

...ssessment of Fast Food Meal Frequency in Children...


Nutrition Intervention

...on Intervention...

...in Multicomponent Pediatric Weight Management In...


...ent Pediatric Weight Management InterventionsWhe...


...Family Participation in Multicomponen...


...of Treatment in Multicomponent Pediatr...


...nt Setting in Multicomponent Pediatric Weight...


...ssions in Multicomponent Pediatric...


...Sessions in Multicomponent Pediatric W...


...eal Frequency in Children and TeensIf the ove...