Letter to the Editor: "Pediatric Obesity-Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline"

We read with interest the recently published clinical practice guidelines for preventing and treating childhood obesity (1). The authors reported their evaluation of the quality of the evidence and an assessment of the strength of recommendations according to objective criteria across a diverse literature. In our view, however, this excellent and comprehensive report does not mention two relevant issues: attrition and enrollment. These issues are likely to be of concern for clinicians, administrators, and researchers because they can have a substantial impact on clinical care

Families’ perceptions of and experiences related to a pediatric weight management program.

Objective: To examine parents' and children's perceptions of and experiences related to a Parents as Agents of Change (PAC) intervention for managing pediatric obesity. Methods: Ten families were recruited from a PAC intervention. Participants were interviewed before (10 adults and 9 children), during (9 adults and 8 children), and after (8 adults) the intervention. Results: Before the intervention, families reported goals to increase physical activity, plan and eat healthier meals, reduce screen time, and lose weight. During the intervention, families described different approaches to making behavior changes depending on who assumed responsibility (parent, child, or shared responsibility). After the intervention, group setting, goal setting, and portion size activities were viewed positively. Suggestions for improvement included engaging children and reducing intervention length. Conclusions and Implications: Practitioners delivering PAC interventions should discuss families' goals and concerns, and who is responsible for making lifestyle changes. Practical activities are valuable. The length of interventions and engagement of children should be considere

Childhood obesity in Canada : a review of prevalence estimates and risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes

Les enquêtes tant régionales que nationales signalent le grand nombre d'enfants et d'adolescents obèses. Les efforts de tous les milieux (famille, école, pouvoirs publics) doivent être coordonnés dans un programme à long terme afin de promouvoir de saines habitudes de vie (nutrition, activité physique) chez les jeunes

Childhood obesity in Canada : a review of prevalence estimates and risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes

Les enquêtes tant régionales que nationales signalent le grand nombre d'enfants et d'adolescents obèses. Les efforts de tous les milieux (famille, école, pouvoirs publics) doivent être coordonnés dans un programme à long terme afin de promouvoir de saines habitudes de vie (nutrition, activité physique) chez les jeunes

Prevalence Estimates of Overweight and Obesity in Cree Preschool Children in Northern Quebec According to International and US Reference Criteria

Objectives. We estimated the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Cree Canadian children aged 5 years (n=1044) using international and US growth references and examined the longitudinal tracking of weight categories between ages 2 and 5 years (n=562). Methods. Weight categories based on body mass index (calculated from measured heights and weights) were derived from the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) references. Results. According to the IOTF reference, 52.9% of children were overweight (31.6%) or obese (21.3%) whereas with the CDC reference, 64.9% were overweight (27.5%) or obese (37.4%). The IOTF and CDC references provided dissimilar tracking of weight categories. Based on the IOTF reference, 4.9% of the children who were normal weight at age 2 years were obese at age 5 years. Based on the CDC reference, 14.9% of children categorized as normal weight at age 2 years were obese at age 5 years. Conclusions. The IOTF reference provided more conservative estimates of obesity than the CDC reference, and longitudinal analyses showed dissimilar tracking of weight categories with the 2 references. Public health responses to obesity prevalence estimates should be made with awareness of methodological limitations