This week, national experts in disease prevention issued draft recommendations for clinical treatment of children with a high body mass index (BMI). The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force identifies children and teens who are Hispanic/Latino, Native American/Alaska Native, Non-Hispanic Black, and from lower income families as those with the highest rates of obesity, determined by a BMI at or above the 95thpercentile for age and gender. October 2023 research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that rural children and adolescents had higher odds of being overweight or obese than their urban counterparts. The recommendation includes behavioral counseling interventions (pdf) from health professionals.
Comment by January 16.