Being Truthful with Children About Weight – Will It Help? | Weight Loss New York

A committee of medical experts recommended doctors should quit using non-specific terms to refer to children when they have weight problems. They should be referred to as obese or overweight in order to make the problem more clear to both kids and parents and to promote healthy weight loss.

The committee was brought together by the American Medical Association (AMA) and was funded by federal health officials that included the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These recommendations are currently non-binding, but the CDC is considering whether to adopt the recommendations. Even if the CDC does adopt them, the AMA does not plan to endorse the recommendation.

The recommendation is not a license for insensitivity though.  A spokesman for the committee commented that many physicians avoided using the medical term “obesity” for fear of labeling children and affecting their self esteem. However, this same fear may be preventing doctors from counseling patients who are clearly in need of weight loss.

A survey on the MSNBC.com Website asks “should doctors use blunt terms like “obese” to describe kids’ weight problems?” Out of 11,112 responses, an overwhelming 86% agree that doctors should use these terms in front of children – and to children and families – to help make the point that obesity is a serious problem. While this is not a scientific survey, public opinion appears to support truthfulness and honesty when addressing children and weight.