Pediatricians for a quarter century have considered child obesity a health condition that – left unaddressed – raises the risk for chronic illnesses that shorten life.
The first comprehensive treatment guidelines, issued this year by the American Academy of Pediatrics, call for pediatric specialists to quarterback a “child-focused, family-centered, coordinated approach to care.”
But it is more likely that child primary care providers try to squeeze in what advice they can during occasional 15-minute office visits. They encourage heavier patients to eat better, provide handouts with nutritional and exercise tips, and refer them to a dietitian when weight gain persists.
New York fares better than four of every five states when it comes to the percentage of children deemed obese, but the numbers remain high enough to cause concern.
That is why some pediatricians have high hopes that families, health insurers and government officials pay heed to a new University at Buffalo-led study that shows embedding someone into a pediatric office trained with a better grip on healthy habits – and more time for patients – can be more successful than the long-standing approach to treating child obesity.
The study showed that other family members benefit from…
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