Expert panel says to call kids 'obese'

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By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer

CHICAGO - Doctors ought to quit using fuzzy terms to define children's weight problems and instead refer to truly fat kids as overweight or obese, a committee of medical experts recommended.

Less blunt terms used by the government and many doctors diplomatically avoid the term "obese." Instead, they refer to children many would consider too fat as being "at risk for overweight," and "overweight" for those others would consider obese.

Those categories don't adequately define the hefty problem, according to the group, which was convened by the American Medical Association and funded by federal health officials including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The nonbinding recommendations are designed as guidelines for pediatricians and other medical professionals who work with children. The

CDC will consider whether to adopt the recommendations; the AMA has no plans to endorse them.

Dr. Reginald Washington, a committee spokesman and member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said Tuesday that some doctors have avoided the blunt terms for "fear that we're going to stigmatize children, we're going to take away their self-esteem, we're going to label them."

The recommended terms cut to the chase, at least medically, but don't mean that doctors should be insensitive or use the label in front of every patient, he said

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070612/ap_on_...ren_s_obesity_7

[JoeMama 0]

It is what it is. It's become a very bad epidemic amongst children and seriously needs to be addressed. Sugar-coating the terminology or condition doesn't help.

Edited June 13, 2007 by JoeMama

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Sugar-coating the terminology or condition doesn't help.

Sugar-coating anything (especially the food these kids consume) doesn't help. Look at the garbage they sell as infant, toddler and kid food. It's disgusting.

[Reba 2]

zackly. Get the kids out of McDonalds and away from their Playstations. Fat is fat, and it ain't healthy. I swear if more people actually read the food labels on the ####### they stuff into their faces, there'd be a helluva lot more outrage at food manufacturers. And probably a helleva lot more Whole Foods stores too

Oh but little Billy doesn't like apples, so we'll just let him eat a box of Oreos. Something is better than nothing right?

bleah.