Bottom Line: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that clinicians provide or refer children and adolescents 6 years or older with a high body mass index (BMI; at or above the 95th percentile for age and sex) to comprehensive, intensive behavioral interventions. Approximately 19.7% of children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 in the U.S. have a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for age and sex, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts from 2000. The prevalence of high BMI increases with age and is higher among Hispanic/Latino, Native American/Alaska Native, and non-Hispanic Black children and adolescents and children from lower-income families. The USPSTF routinely makes recommendations about the effectiveness of preventive care services and this recommendation is consistent with its 2017 recommendation statement on screening for obesity in children and adolescents.
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(doi:10.1001/jama.2024.11146)
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Note: More information about the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, its process, and its recommendations can be found on the newsroom page of its website.
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Media advisory: To contact the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, email the Media Coordinator at Newsroom@USPSTF.net or call 301-951-9203.
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