Recognition and management of childhood overweight and obesity by clinicians

Abstract

GPs and paediatricians have the opportunity to screen children for overweight and obesity during their everyday practice. Accurate determination of weight status cannot be performed by visualisation alone and all children should have height and weight measured and correctly interpreted. Some areas of current GP and paediatrician management of overweight and obese children fall short of the NHMRC clinical guidelines and areas for improvement are highlighted in this paper.