A federal task force recommends that pediatricians should screen children as young as 6 for obesity with a view to help prevent an ensuing national epidemic, and refer them to intensive weight-loss programs that not only concentrates on diet but also on physical activity and behavioral counseling.

The main focus is on children who are found to be obese based on their body mass index (BMI), a standard measure of the relationship between height and weight

Earlier, the independent panel claimed to not have enough evidence to support that weight-loss program could help children shed pounds.

However, the new guidelines come after a review of 20 clinical trials of weight-loss programs that showed the most intensive programs have the best results.

The recent figures cite that obesity rates have reached between 12 and 18 percent in 2- to 19-year-olds, increasing up to 6-fold since the 1970s, members of the United States Preventive Services Task Force report in the February issue of the journal Pediatrics.

However, it is unclear whether the new recommendations can be applied to children who are overweight but not obese. Moreover, there was no convincing support for interventions that lasted less than 25 hours per six months or for screening children below age 6.