The American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its guidelines for evaluating and treating childhood obesity for the first time in 15 years, recommending early and intensive treatment — which includes medications and surgery for some young patients.
The new guidance provides more options for children and parents, according to experts, and shifts away from the longstanding practice of "watchful waiting" to a more proactive treatment approach.
The report, published in Pediatrics on Jan. 9, defines obesity as a "complex and often persistent chronic disease" that affects the health of over 14.4 million children and adolescents, making it one of the most common pediatric chronic diseases in the United States.
The prevalence of childhood obesity in the U.S. is about 20% (about one in five kids), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Why did the AAP change these guidelines, what is new, and how does this impact parents and children? TODAY.com spoke to several experts, including Dr. Sarah Armstrong, chair of the AAP section on obesity and a professor of pediatrics at Duke University, to find out.