J Am Acad Nurse Prac
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J Am Acad Nurse Prac · Feb 2002
ReviewPreventing pediatric obesity: assessment and management in the primary care setting.
To review the literature on and discuss the role of the primary care provider in assessing and managing overweight children before they become obese. ⋯ Pediatric obesity has risen dramatically in the United States during the last two decades; it is a significant child health problem that is preventable and largely under-diagnosed and under-treated. It is essential to discuss prevention of obesity with parents at every well-child visit; treatment should be initiated when patterns of weight gain exceed established percentiles for increasing height for age and gender.