14.4 million children and adolescents, one in five, a lot of children. 20% of American children have obesity. The new guidelines are very sweeping. They involve examining a child as young as two to see if he or she has obesity. If so, they advise intensive livestock counseling and treatment.
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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