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Rebecca Voelker

JAMA. 2007;297:2684-2685.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

It sounds relatively simple: measure a child's height and weight and use those numbers to calculate body mass index (BMI), a reliable gauge of body fatness. But new research shows that despite recommendations from prominent health groups, pediatricians have not widely adopted the practice.

At best, roughly half of pediatricians use BMI percentile measurements to assess overweight, but the figure dips to as few as 6% in some areas. The result is missed diagnoses of overweight and lost opportunities to help pediatric patients maintain a healthful weight and prevent comorbidities.

Many pediatricians do not calculate body mass index of their young patients, despite recommendations that doing so helps identify those at greatest risk of becoming overweight.

These findings and others, reported in May at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) meeting in Toronto, illustrate the complexities pediatricians face as they try to determine the most effective ways to screen . . . [Full Text of this Article]

MOTIVATED, FRUSTRATED