Canadian Task Force issues new guidelines to prevent, manage childhood obesity

Guidelines stress benefits of growth monitoring and the role of family doctors in addressing current trends

Today the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (Task Force) issued its latest guidelines on the prevention and management of childhood obesity. With 1 in 3 children classified as either overweight or obese in Canada the prevalence of childhood obesity has more than doubled in the last 40 years. The Task Force's guidelines focus on the importance of growth monitoring (height, weight and body mass index) and the critical role of primary health care practitioners. Guidelines are now available in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) and are being distributed to physicians across Canada.

"Child obesity is one of Canada's top health challenges" said Dr. Patricia Parkin, chair of the Task Force child obesity working group. "Primary care doctors and health care practitioners must play a more prominent role in the broad, multi-sectoral effort to stabilize the current obesity trend," added Parkin. "In order to encourage healthy growth patterns it is essential that primary care practitioners regularly monitor growth and have an open dialogue with families. If the child demonstrates unhealthy trends in their growth pattern, it is important that the recommended course of action is tailored to the individual needs and values of each family, especially in helping to find the right exercise, diet and lifestyle strategies."

The mandate of the Task Force is to make recommendations based on the best evidence available. The Task Force systematically reviewed the prevention and management literature separately. Key recommendations include:

• For children and youth of all ages the Task Force recommends growth monitoring at appropriate primary care visits using the World Health Organization Growth Charts for Canada.
• For children and youth who are overweight or obese, the Task Force recommends that primary health care practitioners offer or refer to formal, structured behavioural interventions aimed at weight loss.
• For children who are overweight or obese, the Task Force recommends that primary health care practitioners not routinely offer Orlistat or refer to surgical interventions aimed at weight loss.

"The child obesity challenge requires broad involvement across all sectors of society," said Dr. Paula Brauer, member of the Task Force child obesity working group. "In terms of primary care practitioners, more support and dedicated research is needed to determine exactly how they can best support families and children. In particular, more randomized control trials (RCT) studies are needed. Considering the importance of the issue the evidence is surprisingly limited."

SOURCE Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care