Overview
I need a reply to this following discussion post:
First off, my topic for this week’s discussion is very personal. I am going to try not to be biased or too overly personal with the topic of eating disorders and obesity. I chose this topic because one of our readings mentioned that change takes time. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently released guidelines for childhood obesity. The new guidelines define obesity as a chronic disease rather than poor decisions being made by an individual. The guidelines continue to use the Body Mass Index (BMI) tool to evaluate and diagnose children as obese and morbidly obese. “They say it focuses on weight loss and BMI rather than health, minimizes the risk of disordered eating and could perpetuate deep-rooted, damaging stigmas” (Radde, 2022). The guidelines outline a more aggressive attack to treat childhood obesity with the use of therapy, behavioral modifications, medications, and/or bariatric surgery. The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) supports the updated guidelines, but other organizations fear that it will result in more children with eating disorders, disordered eating habits, or mental health issues.
I appreciate the recommended change in language to not call a child obese. Words matter. I also appreciate that they took several different factors into consideration such as but not limited to socioeconomic status and family factors. I do not like the one size fits all approach to treatment. I can run the same number of miles and eat the exact same foods as someone but look completely different. A lot of us grew up in a culture where if you do not look like that person you were eating or running like, then you were led to believe that you failed. From my quick reading of the guidelines, I do think it focuses more on BMI than on strategies to live a healthy life. From my personal experience with BMI, it can lead to unhealthy obsessions. I can also add that achieving a healthy BMI can come from the use of unhealthy strategies. Is obtaining a specific target truly an indicator of good health if you obtained the results in ways that could kill you? Is it riskier to be in a different BMI category such as overweight or obese and be an individual who exercises daily and eats mindfully? The biggest concern is the suggested use of weight loss medications and surgeries on children as young as eight years old. The guidelines define obesity as a chronic condition but weight loss medications and surgeries are often thought of as a “quick fix”. In my opinion, it only perpetuates the ideal that you must be thin to be healthy. I have seen several individuals that have had weight loss surgeries only to gain the weight back a few years later. Medications can help but as with weight loss surgeries you must have a foundation of healthy habits to live by to maintain your lifestyle. Healthy habits are not just the foods that you eat or the amount of physical activity that someone engages in. Healthy habits should include your mental health. Mental health can be a big factor in an individual’s lifestyle. It is not always as easy as telling someone to believe in themselves. It is even trendy right now to talk about mental health but how many people are doing the hard work of improving their mental health?
I am excited to see how the medical field continues to view obesity and ways to help individuals improve their quality of life without focusing on the number on the scale. My question to you is what should happen next? Should there be more modifications to the childhood obesity guidelines? Who should be responsible for planning and implementing the next steps in the fight against childhood (and adult) obesity?
References
Hampl, et al., S. (2023, January 9). Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Obesity. Retrieved February 19, 2023, from https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/151/2/e2022060640/190443/Clinical-Practice-Guideline-for-the-Evaluation-and
Owens, C. (2023, February 18). The health care system rethinks obesity. Retrieved February 19, 2023, from https://www.axios.com/2023/02/18/obesity-treatments-drugs-insurance-coverage-stigma
Radde, K. (2023, February 15). AAP New childhood obesity guidance raises worry over the risk of eating disorders. Retrieved February 19, 2023, from https://www.npr.org/2023/02/15/1155521908/eating-disorder-obesity-guidance-risk-weight-loss
Radde, K. (2023, January 9). New AAP guidance: Childhood obesity requires early, aggressive treatment, guidelines say. Retrieved February 19, 2023, from https://www.npr.org/2023/01/09/1147828006/childhood-obesity-requires-early-aggressive-treatment-new-guidelines-say