WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended in its guidelines that behavioral therapy is the best way to help children with a high body mass index.
The latest announcement counters guidelines of American Academy of Pediatrics, which recommended obese children aged 12 and older to consider taking weight loss drugs, along with proper nutrition, physical activity and behavioral therapy.
The advisory board argued that recommendations to take weight loss drugs were based on a few studies and limited data on long-term treatment harms, emphasizing that atleast two years of follow-up studies is required to determine the effectiveness of the drugs.
'We believe we need more evidence to be able to make a recommendation for or against medications in children and adolescents,' Wanda Nicholson, task force chair and senior associate dean of diversity and inclusion at the George Washington University School of Public Health.
'While there were trials evaluating the effectiveness of FDA-approved medications, there was a limited number of trials per medication from our review. And in addition, there was limited evidence on weight loss maintenance after medications were discontinued in children.'
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a child's BMI is considered high if it is at or above 95th percentile for their age and sex.
'I do want to emphasize again that we do have proven ways that clinicians can help children and adolescents to achieve a healthy weight and to remain healthy,' Nicholson said.
The latest recommendations include self-monitoring, nutritious food intake and limited screen time combined with 26 hours or more of counseling and supervised physical activity for upto one year to achieve weight loss in children and adolescents.
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