Pediatric Obesity (pediatric + obesity)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Beyond Parenting Practices: Family Context and the Treatment of Pediatric Obesity,

FAMILY RELATIONS, Issue 1 2008
Katherine M. Kitzmann
Abstract: Many family-based treatments for pediatric obesity teach specific parenting practices related to weight management. Although youth in these programs show increases in positive health behaviors and reductions in the extent to which they are overweight, most remain overweight after treatment. A recent trend is to create tailored programs for subgroups of families. We examine the possibility of tailoring based on family context, highlighting 3 aspects of family context that have been studied in relation to pediatric obesity: parenting style, family stress, and family emotional climate. We argue that family context may moderate treatment outcomes by altering the effectiveness of health-related parenting practices and discuss the implications of this argument for designing and evaluating tailored programs. [source]


Preventing Pediatric Obesity: Assessment and Management in the Primary Care Setting

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS, Issue 2 2002
FAANP, Lorna Schumann PhD
Purpose To review the literature on and discuss the role of the primary care provider in assessing and managing overweight children before they become obese. Data Sources Selected research, national guidelines and recommendations, and the professional experience of the authors. Conclusions The focus of primary care involves early detectionand family interventions that are designed for lifestyle modifications, specifically for improved nutrition and an increase in regular physical activity, to achieve optimal child health. Early identification and management of children who exceed a healthy weight for height, gender, and age will prevent the increasing incidence of pediatric obesity. Early prevention and management of pediatric overweight and obesity will also decrease the potential for associated medical and psychosocial problems. Implications For Practice Pediatric obesity has risen dramatically in the United States during the last two decades; it is a significant child health problem that is preventable and largely under-diagnosed and under-treated. It is essential to discuss prevention of obesity with parents at every well-child visit; treatment should be initiated when patterns of weight gain exceed established percentiles for increasing height for age and gender. [source]


Handbook of Pediatric Obesity

PAEDIATRIC & PERINATAL EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 6 2006
TERRY T-K HUANG
No abstract is available for this article. [source]


Special Report: Identifying Interdisciplinary Research Priorities to Prevent and Treat Pediatric Obesity in New York City

CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2010
Dympna Gallagher Ed.D.
Abstract It is well recognized that an interdisciplinary approach is essential in the development and implementation of solutions to address the current pediatric obesity epidemic. In two half-day meetings that included workshops and focus groups, faculty from diverse fields identified critically important research challenges, and gaps to childhood obesity prevention. The purpose of this white paper is to describe the iterative, interdisciplinary process that unfolded in an academic health center setting with a specific focus on underrepresented minority groups of Black and Hispanic communities, and to summarize the research challenges and gaps related to pediatric obesity that were identified in the process. Although the research challenges and gaps were developed in the context of an urban setting including high-risk populations (the northern Manhattan communities of Washington Heights, Inwood, and Harlem), many of the issues raised are broadly applicable. The processes by which the group identified research gaps and methodological challenges that impede a better understanding of how to prevent and treat obesity in children has resulted in an increase in research and community outreach collaborations and interdisciplinary pursuit of funding opportunities across units within the academic health center and overall university. Clin Trans Sci 2010; Volume 3: 172,177 [source]


Preventing Pediatric Obesity: Assessment and Management in the Primary Care Setting

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS, Issue 2 2002
FAANP, Lorna Schumann PhD
Purpose To review the literature on and discuss the role of the primary care provider in assessing and managing overweight children before they become obese. Data Sources Selected research, national guidelines and recommendations, and the professional experience of the authors. Conclusions The focus of primary care involves early detectionand family interventions that are designed for lifestyle modifications, specifically for improved nutrition and an increase in regular physical activity, to achieve optimal child health. Early identification and management of children who exceed a healthy weight for height, gender, and age will prevent the increasing incidence of pediatric obesity. Early prevention and management of pediatric overweight and obesity will also decrease the potential for associated medical and psychosocial problems. Implications For Practice Pediatric obesity has risen dramatically in the United States during the last two decades; it is a significant child health problem that is preventable and largely under-diagnosed and under-treated. It is essential to discuss prevention of obesity with parents at every well-child visit; treatment should be initiated when patterns of weight gain exceed established percentiles for increasing height for age and gender. [source]


Practitioner Review: Bridging the gap between research and clinical practice in pediatric obesity

THE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 2 2007
Elissa Jelalian
Background:, Pediatric obesity is a significant public health concern, with rising prevalence rates in both developed and developing countries. This is of particular significance given that overweight children and adolescents are at increased risk for multiple medical comorbidities, as well as psychosocial and behavioral difficulties. The current review highlights findings from the empirical pediatric obesity treatment literature, with particular attention to diet, physical activity, and behavior interventions. Evaluation and treatment considerations relevant to working with overweight children and adolescents with psychiatric comorbidities are reviewed. Methods:, Review of the relevant treatment literature, with a focus on randomized clinical trials, was conducted. Recommendations regarding treatment of children and adolescents with psychiatric comorbidities are based on relevant prospective studies of the relationship between weight status and psychological variables and studies with adult populations. Results:, Well-established pediatric weight control interventions have been conducted in research settings. These studies provide a starting point, but are limited by homogeneous samples that may exclude participants with psychiatric comorbidities. Practitioners treating obese children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders are encouraged to assess individual, familial, and contextual variables specific to weight (e.g., motivation and existing support to change current eating and physical activity patterns, extent of weight-related conflict within family, impact of weight on current functioning) in order to prioritize treatment objectives. Conclusions:, The review concludes with a discussion of current empirical and practical challenges, including explicitly targeting obese children and adolescents with psychiatric concerns and determining appropriateness of pursuing weight control interventions in this population. [source]


Beyond Parenting Practices: Family Context and the Treatment of Pediatric Obesity,

FAMILY RELATIONS, Issue 1 2008
Katherine M. Kitzmann
Abstract: Many family-based treatments for pediatric obesity teach specific parenting practices related to weight management. Although youth in these programs show increases in positive health behaviors and reductions in the extent to which they are overweight, most remain overweight after treatment. A recent trend is to create tailored programs for subgroups of families. We examine the possibility of tailoring based on family context, highlighting 3 aspects of family context that have been studied in relation to pediatric obesity: parenting style, family stress, and family emotional climate. We argue that family context may moderate treatment outcomes by altering the effectiveness of health-related parenting practices and discuss the implications of this argument for designing and evaluating tailored programs. [source]


A common variant in the patatin-like phospholipase 3 gene (PNPLA3) is associated with fatty liver disease in obese children and adolescents,,

HEPATOLOGY, Issue 4 2010
Nicola Santoro
The genetic factors associated with susceptibility to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in pediatric obesity remain largely unknown. Recently, a nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs738409), in the patatin-like phospholipase 3 gene (PNPLA3) has been associated with hepatic steatosis in adults. In a multiethnic group of 85 obese youths, we genotyped the PNLPA3 single-nucleotide polymorphism, measured hepatic fat content by magnetic resonance imaging and insulin sensitivity by the insulin clamp. Because PNPLA3 might affect adipogenesis/lipogenesis, we explored the putative association with the distribution of adipose cell size and the expression of some adipogenic/lipogenic genes in a subset of subjects who underwent a subcutaneous fat biopsy. Steatosis was present in 41% of Caucasians, 23% of African Americans, and 66% of Hispanics. The frequency of PNPLA3(rs738409) G allele was 0.324 in Caucasians, 0.183 in African Americans, and 0.483 in Hispanics. The prevalence of the G allele was higher in subjects showing hepatic steatosis. Surprisingly, subjects carrying the G allele showed comparable hepatic glucose production rates, peripheral glucose disposal rate, and glycerol turnover as the CC homozygotes. Carriers of the G allele showed smaller adipocytes than those with CC genotype (P = 0.005). Although the expression of PNPLA3, PNPLA2, PPAR,2(peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma 2), SREBP1c(sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c), and ACACA(acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase) was not different between genotypes, carriers of the G allele showed lower leptin (LEP)(P = 0.03) and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) expression (P = 0.04). Conclusion: A common variant of the PNPLA3 gene confers susceptibility to hepatic steatosis in obese youths without increasing the level of hepatic and peripheral insulin resistance. The rs738409 PNPLA3 G allele is associated with morphological changes in adipocyte cell size. (HEPATOLOGY 2010.) [source]


Preventing Pediatric Obesity: Assessment and Management in the Primary Care Setting

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS, Issue 2 2002
FAANP, Lorna Schumann PhD
Purpose To review the literature on and discuss the role of the primary care provider in assessing and managing overweight children before they become obese. Data Sources Selected research, national guidelines and recommendations, and the professional experience of the authors. Conclusions The focus of primary care involves early detectionand family interventions that are designed for lifestyle modifications, specifically for improved nutrition and an increase in regular physical activity, to achieve optimal child health. Early identification and management of children who exceed a healthy weight for height, gender, and age will prevent the increasing incidence of pediatric obesity. Early prevention and management of pediatric overweight and obesity will also decrease the potential for associated medical and psychosocial problems. Implications For Practice Pediatric obesity has risen dramatically in the United States during the last two decades; it is a significant child health problem that is preventable and largely under-diagnosed and under-treated. It is essential to discuss prevention of obesity with parents at every well-child visit; treatment should be initiated when patterns of weight gain exceed established percentiles for increasing height for age and gender. [source]


Growth status and obesity of Hopi children

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2003
Joey C. Eisenmann
The purpose of this study was to examine the growth status and prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity in Hopi children. Subjects were 263 (117 males, 146 females) Hopi children 6,12 years of age. Stature and mass were measured and the body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Body size variables were plotted relative to age- and sex-specific reference data and the prevalence rates for underweight, overweight, and obesity were estimated using the BMI as the criterion. Age-specific sex differences were compared using independent samples t -tests. In both sexes, mean age-specific stature appeared to be relatively stable around the 50th percentile of reference values. Mean age-specific mass appeared to be relatively stable between the 50th and 90th percentiles of the reference values, while the mean BMI tended to fluctuate about the 85th percentile. Approximately 23% of Hopi children were classified as overweight and an additional 24% were classified as obese. Only two subjects were categorized as underweight. The results are consistent with other reports that childhood obesity is a serious public health concern among Native Americans. Further study is warranted to examine the causes of the high prevalence rates of pediatric obesity among Native Americans and the effectiveness of prevention and intervention programs. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 15:741,745, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Peer victimization and pediatric obesity: A review of the literature

PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS, Issue 8 2009
Wendy N. Gray
Childhood obesity is associated with a variety of medical and psychosocial consequences. Children who are obese are at an increased risk of being victims of weight-based stigmatization by their peers. Negative views toward obese individuals may be expressed through children's friendship selections and expressed levels of overt (e.g., pushing, hitting) and relational (e.g., spreading rumors, weight-based teasing) forms of aggression. This report provides a review of the existing research on peer victimization and its impact on children's psychological, social, and behavioral functioning. Interventions for weight-based stigmatization and victimization are reviewed, and recommendations to improve the effectiveness of such interventions are provided. Future directions for the research literature are suggested to address limitations in the extant literature and highlight potential areas of inquiry that can provide information for the development of effective interventions for the victimization of obese youth. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]


Practitioner Review: Bridging the gap between research and clinical practice in pediatric obesity

THE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 2 2007
Elissa Jelalian
Background:, Pediatric obesity is a significant public health concern, with rising prevalence rates in both developed and developing countries. This is of particular significance given that overweight children and adolescents are at increased risk for multiple medical comorbidities, as well as psychosocial and behavioral difficulties. The current review highlights findings from the empirical pediatric obesity treatment literature, with particular attention to diet, physical activity, and behavior interventions. Evaluation and treatment considerations relevant to working with overweight children and adolescents with psychiatric comorbidities are reviewed. Methods:, Review of the relevant treatment literature, with a focus on randomized clinical trials, was conducted. Recommendations regarding treatment of children and adolescents with psychiatric comorbidities are based on relevant prospective studies of the relationship between weight status and psychological variables and studies with adult populations. Results:, Well-established pediatric weight control interventions have been conducted in research settings. These studies provide a starting point, but are limited by homogeneous samples that may exclude participants with psychiatric comorbidities. Practitioners treating obese children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders are encouraged to assess individual, familial, and contextual variables specific to weight (e.g., motivation and existing support to change current eating and physical activity patterns, extent of weight-related conflict within family, impact of weight on current functioning) in order to prioritize treatment objectives. Conclusions:, The review concludes with a discussion of current empirical and practical challenges, including explicitly targeting obese children and adolescents with psychiatric concerns and determining appropriateness of pursuing weight control interventions in this population. [source]


Evaluation of a training to improve management of pediatric overweight

THE JOURNAL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS, Issue 4 2005
Josephine Hinchman MPH Research Associate
Abstract Introduction: Despite widespread concern about pediatric obesity, health care professionals report low proficiency for identifying and treating this condition. This paper reports on the evaluation of pediatric overweight assessment and management training for clinicians and staff in a managed care system. The training was evaluated for its impact on assessment practices and utilization of management tools. Methods: A delayed-control design was utilized to measure the effects of two 60-minute interactive Continuing Medical education (CME) trainings for the pediatric health care teams. Chart abstraction was conducted at 0-, 3- and 6-months after training, recording the proportion of charts containing the recommended assessment methods and management tools. Results: The training was associated with a significant increase in the utilization of some tools and practices, including charting BMI-for-age percentile (p<0.001) and using a nutrition and activity self-history form (p<0.001). Overall, from baseline to 3-months post training, charting BMI-for-age percentiles increased from zero to 25.2% and utilization of the self-history form increased from zero to 35.3%. These increases were sustained at 6-months post training. Other tools guiding clinician counseling were less widely utilized, although a behavioral prescription pad was used with 20% of overweight patients. Discussion: A modest investment in clinician and staff training designed to be feasible in a clinical setting was associated with substantial increases in the use of appropriate tools and practices for the assessment and management of pediatric overweight. Such training may help to augment and improve the processes of pediatric health care delivery for addressing overweight. The training provides a viable model for future CME efforts in other health care settings. [source]


Special Report: Identifying Interdisciplinary Research Priorities to Prevent and Treat Pediatric Obesity in New York City

CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2010
Dympna Gallagher Ed.D.
Abstract It is well recognized that an interdisciplinary approach is essential in the development and implementation of solutions to address the current pediatric obesity epidemic. In two half-day meetings that included workshops and focus groups, faculty from diverse fields identified critically important research challenges, and gaps to childhood obesity prevention. The purpose of this white paper is to describe the iterative, interdisciplinary process that unfolded in an academic health center setting with a specific focus on underrepresented minority groups of Black and Hispanic communities, and to summarize the research challenges and gaps related to pediatric obesity that were identified in the process. Although the research challenges and gaps were developed in the context of an urban setting including high-risk populations (the northern Manhattan communities of Washington Heights, Inwood, and Harlem), many of the issues raised are broadly applicable. The processes by which the group identified research gaps and methodological challenges that impede a better understanding of how to prevent and treat obesity in children has resulted in an increase in research and community outreach collaborations and interdisciplinary pursuit of funding opportunities across units within the academic health center and overall university. Clin Trans Sci 2010; Volume 3: 172,177 [source]