Skip to content 
2026 MIPS Measure #239: Weight Assessment and Counseling for Nutrition and Physical Activity for Children/Adolescents
Measure Description
Percentage of patients 3-17 years of age who had an outpatient visit with a primary care physician (PCP) or obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) and who had evidence of the following during the measurement period.
- Percentage of patients with height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) percentile documentation
- Percentage of patients with counseling for nutrition
- Percentage of patients with counseling for physical activity
Measure Submission Type
eCQM
Rationale
Over the last four decades, childhood obesity has more than tripled in children and adolescents 2 to 19 years of age (from a rate of approximately 5 percent to 18.5 percent) (Fryar, Carroll, & Ogden, 2014; Hales et al., 2017). Non-Hispanic black and Hispanic youth are more likely to be obese than their non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic Asian counterparts. In 2015-2016, approximately 22 percent of non-Hispanic black and 26 percent of Hispanic youth were obese compared to approximately 14 percent of non-Hispanic white and 11 percent of non-Hispanic Asian youth (Hales et al., 2017).
Childhood obesity has both immediate and long-term effects on health and well-being. Children who are obese have higher rates of physical health conditions, such as risk factors for cardiovascular disease (like high blood pressure and high cholesterol), type 2 diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, and joint problems. There is also a correlation between childhood obesity and mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016). In addition, children who are obese are more likely to be obese as adults and are therefore at risk for adult health problems, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and several types of cancer (CDC, 2016).
The direct medical costs associated with childhood obesity total $1.32 billion per year (Ward et al., 2021).
Because obesity can become a lifelong health issue, it is important to screen for obesity in children and adolescents, and to provide interventions that promote weight loss (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, 2017).
