There are many virtues to the recommendations made in the podcast, such as the seriousness with which obesity is taken, the acknowledgement that it is a problem, and the call for aggressive action.
There are two main objections to these recommendations, one being the cost of the interventions, and the other being who will pay for them.
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.