What to know
Pediatricians and other pediatric health care providers play a vital role in the prevention and treatment of obesity. Providers can evaluate patients for obesity-related comorbidities. Providers can implement treatment or refer patients to other professionals. These evidence-based strategies are recommended as part of comprehensive obesity care by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Evaluation
In 2023, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Obesity. It outlines evidence-based recommendations to improve clinical care for youth with overweight and obesity. Supporting documents included an executive summary, 13 key action statements, and consensus recommendations.
Key evaluation components include:
- Comprehensive patient history.
- Mental and behavioral health screening.
- Physical examination.
- Labs to evaluate for abnormal glucose, liver function, or lipids.
Treatment
The CPG recommends treating overweight, obesity, and related comorbidities with a family-centered, non-stigmatizing approach. The approach should acknowledge biological, social, and structural health factors.
When appropriate, key treatment components include:
- Motivational interviewing to engage patients and families.
- Intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment, also known as family healthy weight programs.
- Anti-obesity medications for adolescents aged 12 years and older with obesity.
- Referral for evaluation for metabolic and bariatric surgery for adolescents aged 13 years and older with severe obesity.
Weight Stigma
Resources for evaluation and treatment
AAP's Obesity Education Opportunities
Self-guided learning modules, webinars, and podcasts. Helps health care professionals improve their obesity care skills, including motivational interviewing and addressing weight stigma.
Clinical Supports for Obesity Prevention and Treatment
Resources to help primary care clinicians integrate CPG recommendations at the point of care. Includes clinical decision support tools such as the CPG algorithm and Evaluation and Treatment Coding Card.
AAP's Bright Futures
National health promotion and prevention initiative guides all preventive care screenings and health supervision visits. Content may be incorporated into various community and clinical settings, including childcare and school-based health clinics.
CDC-Recognized Family Healthy Weight Programs
List of evidence-based family healthy weight programs, also known as intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment. CDC-recognized programs are packaged and intended for rapid dissemination in health care, community, or public health settings.
AAP's Intensive Health Behavior and Lifestyle Treatment Programs
List of evidence-based IHBLT programs that are packaged for implementation.
Parent Guide to Healthy Weight Programs
Guide for parents and caregivers about comprehensive, intensive behavioral intervention programs for weight management.
Prescription Medications to Treat Obesity
Benefits and concerns of prescription medications for weight loss, prescription drugs that are approved for weight loss as well as how they work.
Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
Different types, eligibility, benefits, and side effects of weight-loss surgery, also called metabolic and bariatric surgery.
Additional information
- Health Care Strategies for Child Obesity
- Screening for Child Obesity
- Reimbursement and Program Implementation
- Health Information Technology (IT)
- Evidence-based Guidelines
Related CDC resources
CDC-Recognized Family Healthy Weight Programs
Evidence-based programs ready to implement in clinical, community, and public health settings.
CDC's Child and Teen BMI Calculator
Tool to calculate BMI, BMI percentile, and the corresponding BMI category for children and teens 2–19 years. Also used to plot BMI on a growth chart.
CDC's Growth Chart Training
Interactive, self-guided modules to train health care providers and others on how to use and interpret growth charts. Includes 2022 Extended BMI-for-Age growth charts.
Clinical Growth Charts
CDC's 2000 and 2022 growth charts available online or in downloadable format.