Foreword

Article Outline

• Copyright

Lay and scientific media alike have devoted an increasing amount of attention to the obesity epidemic and for good reason. Bob Murray and Michelle Battista point out in this well-written, concise review that the prevalence of overweight among children aged 2 to 20 years has reached 32%, and among the same age group, 17% meet criteria for obesity. The fact that the rates of overweight and obesity may have reached a plateau provides limited comfort to anyone concerned with the health of children. Caught as they are between the cacophony of commercial media misinformation and a growing body of esoteric cellular-level research with limited near-term clinical applicability, clinicians will welcome this practical update. Bringing the perspective of an interdisciplinary team that treats many hundreds of overweight children each year to the task, the authors synthesize current expert guidelines, best practices, and scientific evidence. The three-step approach presented, which includes prevention, screening, and counseling, is truly enlightening and empowering. All primary care clinicians who treat children and adolescents will find this timely review refreshing and immediately useful in their practice.