New guidelines to treat childhood obesity send mixed messages, says UPEI prof

Sheehan Desjardins · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 15, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

An subordinate prof and registered dietitian astatine the University of Prince Edward Island is calling caller Canadian guidelines to dainty puerility obesity problematic. 

"You're saying, connected 1 hand, we don't privation to stigmatize dense weight, but past connected the other, you're pulling retired beauteous large guns to effort and onslaught this," said Sarah Hewko.

"As a child, you're going to beryllium like, 'OK, which 1 is it? Is it thing I should consciousness ashamed of and merit to beryllium treated otherwise for? Or is it not?'"

The guidelines were co-developed by Obesity Canada and published successful the Canadian Medical Association Journal connected Monday. It's the archetypal clip the guidelines person been updated successful astir 20 years. 

"The main benignant of takeaways are that we shouldn't beryllium focusing needfully connected specifically weight," said Ian Patton, the manager of advocacy and nationalist engagement astatine Obesity Canada.

"The important things are the wellness outcomes — you know, prime of life."

'Pretty extreme'

The proposal includes not conscionable physical, intelligence and nutritional interventions, but besides aesculapian ones — for example, considering prescribing Ozempic oregon Mounjaro for children astatine slightest 12 years aged and surgeries similar gastric bypass for those 13 and older. 

"It's not saying that each 1 that is, you know, surviving with obesity oregon each kid that has obesity should beryllium enactment connected a medication. That is perfectly not what the guidelines state," said Patton. "But for immoderate people, they are a invaluable instrumentality that could beryllium precise effectual and could beryllium life-altering."

Hewko said the guidelines send mixed messages. She is blessed to spot components talking astir value stigma, but including "recommendations that you tin usage country and Ozempic oregon Manjaro successful kids is stigmatizing," she believes.

"That's a beauteous utmost thing. I bash person immoderate fearfulness astir that."

Hewko besides has concerns astir however P.E.I.'s health-care strategy mightiness conflict to usage the guidelines to code issues, fixed the agelong waits for household doctors and the request for much pediatricians.

Still, Patton is optimistic that the caller guidelines volition marque a difference. He grew up surviving with obesity and believes these latest recommendations could person helped. 

"Just having the cognition of, you know, 'How we tin spell astir this?' tin really, truly person a affirmative interaction connected families arsenic a whole," helium said.

"I was really, truly sick astatine 1 constituent and I needed immoderate beauteous important help. And I didn't, you know, didn't request to get that far."

While much probe is inactive needed, Patton hopes the instauration of guidelines can change how radical recognize and deliberation astir obesity.