COLUMBUS, Ohio — Dr. Marc Michalsky is the surgical director at the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition at Nationwide Childrens Hospital. He's also one of the authors of new guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics for childhood obesity.
“We've been working on this for about four years,” he said.
The new guidance is the first update in 15 years. It says children struggling with obesity should be evaluated and treated early.
"The take-home message here is this is individualized care,” he said.
One option: weight loss medication for children as young as 12.
“There are a whole host of new class of classifications of weight loss medications that are coming out,” he said.
Another option is weight-loss surgery for those 13 and older, although it depends on the patient.
“It would not be inappropriate, under the right circumstances, assuming the patient meets the appropriate clinical parameters, and the family is in the right place to take on this type of care to do somebody even younger than age 13."
He said the updated guidelines are a step forward in the fight against one of the most common pediatric chronic diseases, affecting millions of children and teens.
“[It] really will serve as a foundation for the type of care that goes on, you know, for the next decade or more."