July 3, 2006 (The Associated Press) -- A committee convened by the American Medical Association, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and others is studying childhood obesity. Among the proposals is the use of clearer language to define the problem for doctors and the public.
CURRENT TERMS: The CDC doesn't call children obese, no matter how fat they are. And it calls those who qualify as overweight "at risk of overweight." Only obese children are called "overweight."
The CDC defines children "at risk of overweight" as those with a body-mass index in the 85th to 94th percentile for their gender and age. That means they are heavier than 85 percent to 94 percent of children their same age and sex.
The CDC defines "overweight" as those heavier than 95 percent of children their age and gender, a category most experts agree qualifies as "obese."
PROPOSED CHANGE: The clearer language, "obese" and "overweight," would be applied to children as it is for adults. Final committee recommendations are expected in September. Organizations including the CDC will decide whether to adopt them.
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