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

An associate professor and registered dietitian at the University of Prince Edward Island is calling new Canadian guidelines to treat childhood obesity problematic. 

“You’re saying, on one hand, we don’t want to stigmatize heavy weight, but then on the other, you’re pulling out pretty big guns to try and attack this,” said Sarah Hewko.

“As a child, you’re going to be like, ‘OK, which one is it? Is it something I should feel ashamed of and deserve to be treated differently for? Or is it not?'”

The guidelines were co-developed by Obesity Canada and published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on Monday. It’s the first time the guidelines have been updated in nearly 20 years. 

“The main kind of takeaways are that we shouldn’t be focusing necessarily on specifically weight,” said Ian Patton, the director of advocacy and public engagement at Obesity Canada.

“The important things are the health outcomes — you know, quality of life.”

Dr. Lesley Lutes from UBC Okanagan says body …