The USPSTF has issued a draft update of its 2010 guidelines for obesity screening in children. In both the old and the new guidelines, obesity screening is recommended. The new guidelines clarify that screening is recommended in both children and adolescents. Body mass index (BMI) is the recommended screening tool. The guidelines recommend that all obese children receive intensive behavioral interventions to treat obesity, citing research evidence that shows such interventions to be effective.
The panel found no evidence yet for effectiveness of medications to treat obesity in children and teens.
