American Academy of Pediatrics

The mission of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is to “attain optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.” The AAP was founded in 1930 as a not-for-profit organization with the primary purpose of promoting the idea within the medical community that children had special developmental and health needs distinct from adults. The AAP was founded by 35 pediatricians: in 2007, it has a membership of over 60,000 pediatricians and employs a staff of over 350. There are 59 AAP chapters in the United States and Canada and the AAP offices are located in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, and Washington, D.C.

[Page 23]A primary activity of the AAP is furthering the professional education of its members; to this end, it sponsors continuing education courses, scientific meetings, seminars, and publications. Pediatrics, a monthly scientific journal, is published by the AAP, as is Pediatrics in Review, a continuing education journal; AAP News, a membership newsletter; and a series of manuals, patient education brochures, and child care books. The AAP executes original research and promotes the funding of research, and advocates for children's health needs at the federal and state levels. Funding for the AAP comes from membership dues, governmental and private grants, and revenues from publications and continuing education courses.

The Committee on Nutrition of the AAP issued a statement in 2003, which was later reconfirmed, that overweight was epidemic among pediatric populations, and issued a number of recommendations concerning this problem. These include a focus on prevention of overweight, research into genetic and environmental factors, routine monitoring of excessive weight gain in pediatric office visits, education of families in correct child nutrition and appropriate physical activity levels, advocacy in the areas of physical activity and food policy for children, and improvement in insurance coverage for obesity care.

The AAP maintains a website dedicated to providing information about childhood overweight and obesity (http://www.aap.org/obesity/) which includes links to a number of AAP publications and news releases, including the 2003 Committee on Nutrition statement and a 2004 policy statement from the AAP Committee on School Health discussing soft drinks in schools. Other resources available from the site include information about car safety seats for overweight and obese children, curriculum guides for schools, educational materials for physicians, and information about the We Can! Program, a national program for parents of children aged 8–13 years to help their children maintain a healthy body weight and physical activity level.