Doctors told to 'say it like it is' when it comes to obese kids

Jun 13 2007

A committee of medical experts say doctors need to stop looking for fuzzy terms to define children's weight problems and should say it like it is.

The panel assembled by the American Medical Association, comprised of 15 medical organizations and funded by federal health officials, have come up with recommendations designed to be guidelines for pediatricians and other medical professionals who work with children.

They say when a child is obese, doctors should call him "obese" and not skirt the issue with terminology such as "overweight" or "at risk for overweight" as such categories do not define the problem.

The committee say doctors often avoid using blunt terms out of fear that they're going to "stigmatize" children, or "take away their self esteem."

The panel says the recommended terms do not mean that doctors should be insensitive or use the label in front of every patient.

Experts say about 17 percent of U.S. children are obese and one-third are overweight and the numbers are rising, putting children at risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems and other ailments more commonly found in adults.

The change in terms is among several recommendations the committee is promoting to help doctors prevent, diagnose and treat obesity in children.

Other recommendations include assessing weight and body mass index at least yearly; and evaluating eating habits and activity levels on all visits to the doctor.