Panel recommends counseling for children with obesity starting at 6 years old

BOSTON - Nearly one in five children in the U.S. is obese, putting them at risk for a host of health-related problems, but experts say early intervention could help.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is a panel of experts that makes recommendations on effective ways to prevent disease and prolong life. Back in 2017, the group recommended that all children be screened for obesity starting at age 6.

Now in a draft statement, they said that 6-year-olds who are obese should receive at least 26 hours of intensive counseling to promote healthy eating and regular exercise, which in studies, has been shown to work. 

In:
• Health
• Obesity
• Children

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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