The examination comes in the same month as a widely criticized recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to prescribe cholesterol-lowering statin drugs to obese children as young as eight.
Last week’s hearing, held by Chairman Chris Dodd, Ranking Member Lamar Alexander, and members of the subcommittee, emphasized that drugs were not the way forward, but conceded that “our nation’s broader response to the childhood obesity epidemic has been woefully inadequate”.
Speakers included Dr Francine Kaufman, past national president of the American Diabetes Association, Bruce Lesley, president of kids advocacy group First Focus, Dr Jeff Levi, executive director of the non profit health group Trust For America’s Health, and Dr Margaret Grey, professor at the Yale School of Nursing.
No drugs
The AAP earlier this month called for greater cholesterol screening among children, beginning at two years of age in some cases, with children of age eight deemed old enough to consume statins.
The AAP position immediately caused a stir with many health professionals questioning the science on which the position is based.
According to Lesley speaking last week, AAP’s recommendation is “hardly a viable” option, but said that the nation was in “desperate need” of solutions.
“The Federal government can - really it must - play a critical role in reversing
this epidemic by providing leadership, coordinating efforts across agencies, and investing in research and sustained prevention and intervention strategies,” he said.
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), which represents the country’s leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, issued a statement last week saying that it “shares the concerns” expressed at the hearing.
Incidence
According to data published by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2006, obesity rates for preschool children and adolescents have more than tripled in the past 30 years. One-third of US children are now obese or at risk of being obese.
Some nine million children ages six to19 in the US are now classified as overweight or obese. The overall prevalence of obesity in children was 17 percent in 2006.
Estimates show that one in three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes at some point in their life, said Kaufman, of ADA. This statistic is nearly one in two for Hispanic, Native American or African American children.
According to a SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Population Study, sponsored by the CDC and NIH, 6 percent of non-Hispanic white 10-19 year-olds currently suffer from type 2 diabetes, which is when the body does not create enough insulin and when cells are resistant to insulin.
This figure jumps to 22 percent for Hispanics, 33 percent for African Americans, 40 percent for Asians/Pacific Islanders, and 76 percent for Native Americans.
“The obesity epidemic has led to an entire generation of youth developing type 2 diabetes in childhood,” said Grey at last week’s hearing.
"Today, there is no doubt that obesity in youth, along with its associated medical conditions, is the major health challenge of this century," added Kaufman.
"Despite the efforts of government and public health officials, the number of overweight and obese youth continues to increase. More needs to be done to combat the ever growing epidemics of obesity and diabetes."
Efforts
To access all presentations from last week, click here.
The second part of the hearing, entitled Childhood Obesity: The Declining Health of America’s Next Generation, will be held on Wednesday. Speakers will include: Joseph Thompson, Surgeon General, State of Arkansas, Director, Arkansas Center for Health Improvement; Philip Dwyer, President and CEO, Central Connecticut Coast YMCA; and Susan Neely, president and CEO, American Beverage Association.