Pills were approved by the FDA because they were actually tested in children aged 12 and up. They are just as effective and no more dangerous in children than in adults, according to experts. The most extreme form of intervention is bariatric surgery for children 13 and older with severe obesity.
Recent advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended a bold approach to treating the millions of children in the United States who are affected by obesity. Counseling, drug treatment and even surgery should be considered, the group says.
The guidelines are a response to a deeper understanding of what obesity is — and what to do about it.
Guest: Gina Kolata, a medical reporter for The New York Times.
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