Today, Thursday, April 2, Nationwide Childrens Hospital will host a two-day childhood obesity symposium Chronic Diseases in Childhood Obesity: Risks and Benefits of Early Intervention at the Hilton Columbus at Easton Town Center. In addition to hundreds of physicians and researchers, this clinical symposium brings to Columbus keynote speaker, Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, 17th Surgeon General of the United States (2002-06) and president of the Canyon Ranch Institute in Ariz., and moderator, John Dixon, MBBS, PhD, FRACGP, associate professor and head of the Obesity Research Unit at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.
Recent population studies show that the reach of obesity now extends not only to both genders and every ethnic group, but also to all ages, including infants, toddlers, pre-school children and adolescents. Extreme obesity is one of the fastest growing segments of this epidemic, driving the development of many co-morbid conditions. Research has documented the steady rise of chronic diseases among children, including type II diabetes, hepatic and cardiovascular disease.
We are proud to bring together physicians and researchers in the field of childhood and adolescent obesity to host a critical discussion on the most effective medical, pharmaceutical and surgical therapies for the treatment of young, overweight children, said one of the conference organizers, Marc P. Michalsky, MD, FACS, FAAP, surgical director of the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition at Nationwide Childrens and assistant professor of Clinical Surgery at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
This symposium was organized to discuss the advent of chronic diseases among young, over¬weight children and what therapeutic interventions the healthcare community should employ to address them. Speakers will present the metabolic changes that foster chronic diseases, specifically the manifestations of obesity in cardiovascular and hepatic systems. The ability to screen for and identify high-risk obesity states will be discussed. Guidelines and approaches to childhood obesity currently being used by clinicians will be presented. Potential risks and benefits of a more ag¬gressive standard of care, encompassing screening for at-risk children and the use of medical and surgical therapies earlier in the course of childhood obesity, will be the focus of the symposium.
About the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition
The Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition at Nationwide Childrens Hospital offers a comprehensive approach to weight management to children 5 years and older. The Center has programs for both the prevention and treatment of overweight children, including New U Programs (medical weight management), surgical weight management program, Ounce of Prevention and Snackwise®. Learn more at www.nationwidechildrens.org/HealthyWeight.
To view the symposium agenda, or for more information, visit www.NationwideChildrens.org/Obesity.
Nationwide Childrens Hospital Hosts Childhood Obesity Symposium April 2-3
April 2, 2009
About Nationwide Children's Hospital
Named to the Top 10 Honor Roll on U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-24 list of “Best Children’s Hospitals,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of America’s largest not-for-profit free-standing pediatric health care systems providing unique expertise in pediatric population health, behavioral health, genomics and health equity as the next frontiers in pediatric medicine, leading to best outcomes for the health of the whole child. Integrated clinical and research programs, as well as prioritizing quality and safety, are part of what allows Nationwide Children’s to advance its unique model of care. Nationwide Children’s has a staff of more than 14,000 that provides state-of-the-art wellness, preventive and rehabilitative care and diagnostic treatment during more than 1.7 million patient visits annually. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children’s physicians train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the Top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded free-standing pediatric research facilities. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org.