The Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) today presents a ground-breaking set of guidelines to assist health care professionals when making medical decisions for pediatric patients with obesity. OMA presents these new guidelines to more than 500 obesity medicine clinicians at OMA’s conference, “Overcoming Obesity 2016,” held in Chicago
Chicago, Illinois (PRWEB) September 23, 2016
The Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) today presents a ground-breaking set of guidelines to assist health care professionals when making medical decisions for pediatric patients with obesity. OMA presents these new guidelines to more than 500 obesity medicine clinicians at OMA’s conference, “Overcoming Obesity 2016,” held in Chicago.
September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.
The guidelines, titled the Pediatric Obesity Algorithm, are intended to educate clinicians and help them translate medical and scientific literature into practical approaches that work.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pediatric obesity is a serious public health threat in the United States. It affects 12.7 million or 17 percent of infants, children, and adolescents ages 2 to 19. Treating obesity in children requires an understanding of the patient’s family and cultural background as well as medical and psychological expertise.
“Many health care professionals believe pediatric obesity cannot be treated successfully,” said Dr. Suzanne Cuda, co-author of the Pediatric Obesity Algorithm and associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. “A well-researched algorithm that guides clinicians through the specifics of age-related health conditions can provide invaluable support for clinicians who treat infants, children, and adolescents with obesity.”
“Many of my colleagues have expressed concern they do not have the resources to provide the kind of support these kids need,” she added.
According to Dr. Wendy Scinta, co-author of the Pediatric Obesity Algorithm and medical director of Medical Weight Loss of New York, this algorithm will give clinicians a clearer idea of current medical research and treatment recommendations.
“Because doctors don’t have the resources to treat kids with obesity appropriately, they end up providing misguided advice or referring them to another provider,” Scinta said. She believes these new guidelines provide reinforcement to clinicians who want to treat patients with obesity and guidance to clinicians about referring children with obesity to specialists or pediatric weight-management centers with comprehensive teams.
Practicing pediatricians and clinicians compiled the Pediatric Obesity Algorithm using scientific evidence, medical literature, and their own clinical experiences. With more than 100 studies referenced, the document covers a diverse and comprehensive section of medical literature.
These guidelines do not replace clinical judgement, but provide an in-depth look at what therapies and approaches work best for infants, children, and adolescents. “Clinicians can compare their approaches to what the medical literature recommends for patients in each age group,” Scinta said.
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About the Obesity Medicine Association
The Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) is the largest organization of clinicians dedicated to preventing, treating, and reversing the disease of obesity. Members of OMA believe treating obesity requires an individualized approach comprised of nutrition, physical activity, behavior, and medication. When personalized, this comprehensive approach helps patients achieve their weight and health goals. Visit http://www.obesitymedicine.org to learn more.
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/09/prweb13707574.htm
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