A new study has recommended that obese children in the US receive comprehensive coaching to improve their health. The study found that nearly 1 in 5 children and adolescents in the country have a body mass index at or above the 95th percentile for their age and sex.
To address this issue, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has suggested that pediatricians refer children and teens aged 6 and older with a high BMI to at least 26 hours of intensive behavioral interventions. These interventions involve both parents and children, including group sessions, supervised physical activity, and information on healthy eating.
Dr. Mallika Marshall, an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has been working on the frontlines caring for COVID-19 patients at Massachusetts General Hospital for over 20 years, is currently practicing medicine at MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and MGH Revere Health Center. She also serves as a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications.
