The Role of the Primary Care Physician and Nurse Practitioner in Managing Pediatric and Adolescent Obesity

Estimates based on data collected from 1999 through 2004 showed that more than 33% of children and adolescents were overweight or obese. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2007) documented that children with obesity face higher lifetime risk for stroke, heart disease, asthma and certain types of cancer. This is not a new issue, but with the increasing rate of children being diagnosed with illnesses that previously were associated only with adults, there is a need for provider education to promote appropriate intervention. This presentation will discuss the impact of socioeconomic circumstances, family and environment factors, and current research that looks at the establishment of a standard of care to address childhood obesity.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this educational activity, participants should be able to

1. Recognize the impact that socioeconomic circumstances might have on diet and nutritional needs of children and adolescents within the Medicaid population.
2. Identify strategies that might be used to address the individual needs of children with obesity and related health issues, and include consideration of the family and social environment of the child.
3. Identify objectives of therapy to ensure that if one therapy is not successful, the medical professional will have guidelines on how to modify the plan of care to have a positive impact on the fight against obesity in children and adolescents.

Method of Participation
There are no fees for participating in or receiving credit for this activity.
For information on applicability and acceptance of continuing education credit for this activity, please consult your professional licensing board.
Participants will receive a certificate upon successful completion of the activity, which includes the following:

• Completing the entire activity
• Completing the Pre- and Post-Activity Assessments, Activity Evaluation, and Application for Certificate of Credit forms

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Faculty Listing
Donald E. Greydanus, MD
Professor
Pediatrics and Human Development
Michigan State University
College of Human Medicine
East Lansing, Michigan 

Faculty Disclosure
As a sponsor accredited by the ACCME, OptumHealth Education requires the disclosure of all relevant financial relationships a faculty member has with any commercial interest. The faculty reported the following:
Donald E. Greydanus MD
Dr. Greydanus has indicated that she/he has no relevant financial relationships.
Dr. Greydanus does not intend to discuss unapproved/investigative use of commercial products/devices.

Staff Disclosures
In compliance with the ACCME's Standards for Commercial Support, employees of OptumHealth Education who have control over content of an activity are required to disclose their relevant financial relationships. No employee has a relevant financial relationship regarding this activity.

Activity Planners
Sarah Chart-Hart, RN
Director
OptumHealth Education

Barbara Lindberg, JD, BSN, RN
Director and Lead Nurse Planner
OptumHealth Education

Steven Stein MD

Reviewer Disclosures
To ensure fair balance and avoid bias, the content for this activity has been reviewed by an independent medical expert with no relevant financial relationships and has been approved by OptumHealth Education.

Sponsored By
This activity is sponsored by OptumHealth Education.

Commercial Support
There was no commercial support received for this activity.

Hardware/Software Requirements
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