Panel: Obese kids need intensive programs

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Children as young as 6 who show signs of obesity should enter intensive weight-loss programs that engage child and parent alike, a federal panel said Monday.

A review of 20 clinical trials of weight-loss programs showed the most intensive programs had the best results, the U.S. Preventative Task Force said.

Childhood obesity is an emerging national epidemic, yet many pediatricians rarely do more than tell parents of obese children to help them eat better and exercise more, said Dr. Ned Calonge, a task force member who is chief medical officer of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

"It really requires a program that we call moderate- to high-intensity," with a focus on diet, exercise and behavioral counseling, Calonge told The Baltimore Sun in a story published Monday.

The panel's guidelines are valuable, yet few intensive obesity prevention programs exist for children and insurance companies rarely cover the cost of all services, said Dr. Alan Lake, who heads the Maryland chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

There's no insurance coverage at all for diagnosing obesity, unless a child has a related illness such as diabetes or high blood pressure, Lake said.