Diagnosis and screening for obesity-related conditions among children and teens receiving Medicaid--Maryland, 2005-2010.

The prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents in the United States tripled during 1980-2008 and plateaued during 2008-2010. This rise in obesity was associated with a rise in chronic conditions previously observed mostly in adults, including hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes. In 2007, the American Academy of Pediatrics published Expert Committee recommendations for universal screening for overweight and targeted laboratory screening for metabolic disorders among children and adolescents with a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 85th percentile based on age or presence of certain risk factors.