“The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) commends theTask Force on Childhood Obesity for producing a thoughtful, comprehensive report on recommendations to reverse the epidemic of childhood obesity in our nation. The report correctly states that no single solution will address childhood obesity and that a sophisticated strategy with many interventions is necessary for success.

“The AAP is pleased that the report’s recommendations mirror many of the Academy’s long-standing guidelines, including the restrictions on screen time and the calculation of body mass index (BMI). In addition, the report incorporates several specific recommendations that the AAP made to the Task Force, such as the need for insurers to cover obesity prevention, identification and treatment services appropriately. The report also provides an important service by proposing benchmarks for measuring progress on various recommendations.

“The AAP is proud to be a partner in First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative, and is urging every pediatrician to calculate and plot BMI for every child at every wellchild visit, as well as to provide all families with 'prescriptions' for healthy, active living. We look forward to working with the Administration to advance these important proposals and make a real difference in the health of all American children and families.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org.