Forget giving kids the soft sell on weight loss, experts tell the Associated Press, just call kids obese.

Less blunt terms used by the government and many doctors diplomatically avoid the term "obese." Instead, they refer to children many would consider too fat as being "at risk for overweight," and "overweight" for those others would consider obese.

Those categories don't adequately define the hefty problem, according to the group, which was convened by the American Medical Association and funded by federal health officials including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I'm all for the honesty. Maybe if a doctor had expressed concern and explained the dangers to me when I was younger, I would have listened. Being termed "healthy" didn't really help.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com