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

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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

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