CDC releases extended growth charts for kids with severe obesity

The CDC released extended charts so clinicians can assess the growth and treatment of children and adolescents with severe obesity.

The new charts “will be useful for anyone treating severe childhood obesity,” according to a statement from Karen Hacker, MD, MPH, the director of CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

“The extended BMI-for-age growth charts allow clinicians to track growth and visualize high BMI percentiles with families,” Hacker said. “This can help optimize care for children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 [years] with severe obesity.”

Hacker added that early intervention “is critical to improving the health of our children as they grow into adults.”

Before the update, growth charts could not extend far enough to plot BMIs for the growing number of children with severe obesity — defined as “a BMI greater than or equal to 120% of the 95th percentile on BMI-for-age growth charts” — according to the statement.

The prevalence of severe obesity has jumped in the past 40 years in the United States, and more than 4.5 million children and adolescents had severe obesity in 2017 to 2018, according to the CDC.

Growth charts meant for children and teens without obesity will remain unchained, Hacker said, but the new extended growth charts can replace those in current use in electronic health records for severe obesity.

References:

• Extended BMI-for-age charts. https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/extended-bmi.htm. Accessed Dec. 15, 2022.
• Information for healthcare professionals. https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/extended-Healthcare-professionals.htm. Published Dec. 15, 2022. Accessed Dec. 15, 2022.
• Statement from Karen Hacker, MD, MPH, director CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion on extended growth charts for children and adolescents with severe obesity. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s1215-growth-charts.html. Published Dec. 15, 2022. Accessed Dec. 15, 2022.