Children With Obesity Are Not Little Adults With Obesity

Few diagnoses in medicine are as controversial as obesity. In an attempt to provide some clarity, The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology recently commissioned an expert committee to arrive at a consensus on the “Definition and Diagnostic Criteria of Obesity.”¹ The objective of this Commission’s new framework for obesity, which is inclusive of the pediatric population, is to “establish objective criteria for disease diagnosis, aiding clinical decision making and prioritization of therapeutic interventions and public health strategies.” As experts in the field of pediatric obesity, we recognize the importance of this goal and also have significant concerns about applying this adult-focused new definition to children and adolescents.