For Release: June 8 , 2007, 12:01 am (ET)

CHICAGO - Today the Expert Committee on the Assessment, Prevention and Treatment of Child and Adolescent Overweight and Obesity released recommendations for the management of overweight and obese children. The committee, made up of representatives from fifteen health professional organizations*, was convened by the American Medical Association (AMA) and co-funded in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The AMA, HRSA and the CDC, recognizing that obesity is a major public health problem, assembled an expert committee of representatives from organizations involved in medicine, nutrition, mental health, epidemiology and psychology to develop recommendations for the care of overweight and obese children.

"Childhood obesity is a major public health problem," said Cecil B. Wilson, MD, AMA Board Chair. "Overweight children tend to have health problems more commonly found in adults like diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The Expert Committee studied this issue intently, and we thank them for their hard work and recommendations."

The committee began meeting in early 2005 to study scientific data on the assessment, prevention and treatment of overweight and obese children. The committee then created 22 recommendations for health care professionals who provide obesity care to apply in their practices. A complete list of the recommendations can be found online.

"Our committee worked diligently to identify new treatment and prevention options to address the growing problem of overweight and obese children," said Reginald Washington, MD, a Denver physician and spokesperson for the Expert Committee. "We hope that health care professionals will apply these recommendations to their practice, so we can continue working to preserve the health of our children."

*The following organizations are members of the Expert Committee: American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association of Family Physicians, American College of Preventive Medicine, American College of Sports Medicine, American Dietetic Association, American Pediatric Surgical Association, American Psychological Association, Association of American Indian Physicians, The Endocrine Society, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Association of School Nurses, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Medical Association and the Obesity Society.

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