Question of the Day: Obesity

No one argues that obesity is an increasing problem among children in the U.S. But there is some argument as to whether kids should be called obese. Fearing that words like "overweight" or "obese" might be upsetting to children and teens, doctors have avoided them, using terms like "at risk for overweight" to describe a Body Mass Index (BMI) that in an adult would be called "overweight," and reserving that term for kids at the very highest percentile where adults would be called "obese." Now, an advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has suggested using the same terminology for those with at-risk weights regardless of age. The hope is that this will drive home the seriousness of the problem and prompt parents to seek treatment for their child; the fear is that it will only cause defensiveness and denial and make treatment harder to provide. So what do you think: Is the term "obese" really too mean to apply to children? Select an answer from the poll at right. ... More polls | More on obesity