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American Academy of Pediatrics New Clinical Practice Guidelines
STOP Resources                 
             
Educators       Providers         Parents
JANUARY
2023


Greetings,
 

On January 9th, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published new clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for evaluating and treating obesity in children and adolescents. These new guidelines have been five years in the making and are the result of comprehensive, evidence-based research and deliberative committee processes. The previous guidelines from 2007 were the result of expert committee recommendations and focused primarily on diet, physical activity, and lifestyle behaviors, such as screen-time, for treating children and adolescents with obesity. The new, evidence-based guidelines reflect significant progress in understanding obesity as a chronic disease with a multitude of medical treatment options. 

The new recommendations include evaluating children and adolescents for obesity-related comorbidities, treating overweight and obesity with a family-centered and non-stigmatizing approach, and referring children with overweight or obesity to intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment. The guidelines recommend that pediatricians offer pharmacotherapy, when appropriate, to adolescents 12 years and older with obesity (BMI ≥ 95th percentile). The CPGs also recommend evaluating adolescents 13 years and older with severe obesity (BMI ≥ 120% of 95th percentile) for referral for metabolic and bariatric surgery.  

Recent findings support the effectiveness of weight loss medications in children and adolescents. In December, 2022, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study on the effectiveness of once-weekly semaglutide use in adolescents with obesity. Participants, aged 12 to 18 years, were randomly assigned to receive once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide or placebo for 68 weeks plus lifestyle intervention. For the 180 participants that completed the treatment plan, the mean change in BMI for those who received semaglutide was -16.8%, compared to +0.6% BMI units for participants who received the placebo. These results indicate the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy in addition to intensive behavioral therapy in reducing BMI for adolescents with obesity. 

The updated recommendations have been criticized by media groups and individuals on social media platforms like Twitter. Some of the main criticisms are about the recommendation to treat obesity with pharmacotherapy and surgery. Critics have argued that the guidelines should instead advocate for diet and lifestyle changes and could increase the possibility of increasing eating disorders in adolescents. Solutions to obesity must be both lifestyle modification and options for more aggressive treatment if behavioral approaches fail. Rigorous trials of obesity therapy have not been associated with an increase in eating disorders. Many of the comments in response to the new CPGs fail to recognize obesity as a disease that should be treated with medical interventions but continue to view obesity as a personal failing resulting from poor lifestyle choices.

Throughout the updated guidelines, the AAP is clear in labeling obesity as a chronic disease resulting from a complex array of contributing factors. This indication is an important step forward in addressing the frequent stigma associated with obesity. By recognizing the systems-level factors that contribute to childhood obesity, the AAP emphasizes that there are social determinants of health that contribute to overweight and obesity in children, such as bullying and systemic racism

While the new guidelines and research reflect a promising future for the treatment of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents, significant challenges remain. The AAP acknowledged that it will be difficult for pediatric practices to absorb and implement all of the changes and recommendations provided in the new guidelines. Most pediatric practices lack the capacity to deliver the comprehensive, multi-component treatment necessary to meet the new guidelines. Finally, the lack of payment for obesity care remains a major barrier to the implementation of the new CPGs for child and adolescent obesity. 


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Upcoming Events

Feb 16: Binge Eating Disorder Webinar
Feb 27-Mar 3: Obesity Care Week
Mar 1: Deadline for ASN Abstracts
Mar 4: Connected 2023 Conference
Mar 9: Precision Counseling Workshop
Mar 15: Healthy Aging Webinar
Apr 13-15: Cardiovascular Nursing Symposium
Apr 19-23: Obesity Medicine 2023 Conference
May 4-17: 8th Annual Obesity Summit
July 10: ABOM Early Application Deadline
July 22-25: ASN Annual Meeting
Aug 7: ABOM Final Application Deadline
Oct 2-14: ABOM Exam Window
Announcements

Dr. Dietz Published in Obesity
950+ Pass ABOM Certification Exam
PCNA Podcasts
Dr. Dietz Published in Obesity: “The COVID-19 lockdown increased obesity disparities; Will the increases in type 2 diabetes continue?”
Obesity has published a piece by Dr. William H. Deitz, Chair of the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness, on changes in the prevalence of childhood obesity during the COVID-19 lockdown. The changes in prevalence of childhood obesity among elementary school children during the lockdown are 28 to 63 times greater than the annual rates of change observed in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from before the pandemic. Black and Hispanic youth experienced greater increases than White youth. As childhood obesity rates continue to rise and pose increased susceptibility of diabetes among Black and Hispanic children, there may be an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes in minority youth with obesity. For the full risk analysis, see Dr. Dietz’s piece, “The COVID-19 lockdown increased obesity disparities; Will the increases in type 2 diabetes continue?
 
Obesity Care Week 2023 - Save the Date!
The STOP Obesity Alliance is a proud co-founder of Obesity Care Week 2023 (OCW2023), and we need your help to make this the most impactful week of obesity awareness and support yet! It’s time to change the way we care for – and about – obesity, and OCW aims to raise awareness, educate, and advocate for a better world for people living with the disease. OCW2023 focuses on raising awareness about what the disease of obesity is – and isn’t – and providing valuable, science-based resources on weight and health, and creating a more positive and impactful relationship between a patient and their healthcare provider. Quality, compassionate obesity care requires teamwork, and it starts with you!    

Join Us in Supporting OCW2023 by:
Mark your calendar for February 27th – March 3rd and be ready to:
  • Like, comment, and share OCW2023 content using #OCW2023 on your social media pages!
  • Take action! OCW2023 will offer patients, healthcare professionals, decision-makers and the public practical tools designed to improve the way you receive or provide obesity care.
About Obesity Care Week

Obesity Care Week is an annual public awareness event supported by over 100 health organizations and leaders in 70 countries around the world. OCW2023 Champions and Partners stand together to acknowledge obesity as a complex, chronic, recurring disease. Despite extensive research and studies, stigma and misperceptions continue to negatively shape the way people with obesity are treated medically and generally within society. OCW2023 aims to strengthen the relationship between a patient and their healthcare provider by encouraging open, empathetic and evidence-based conversations about weight and health. To learn more about Obesity Care Week and sign up for alerts, visit ObesityCareWeek.org.
NUTRITION 2023 Call for Abstracts!
NUTRITION 2023 Call for Abstracts – Submission Deadline is March 1

The American Society for Nutrition’s (ASN’s), annual flagship meeting, NUTRITION, will return to Boston, MA, July 22-25, 2023. ASN welcomes the submission of original research in the form of abstracts for presentation at NUTRITION 2023. Accepted abstracts will be presented in poster and oral sessions. 

Why you should submit your research to NUTRITION 2023: 
  • Share your research with the greatest minds in nutrition science
  • Meet new collaborators
  • Network with peers in academia, industry, and government
  • Publish your work in an ASN Journal
  • Become eligible for abstract-based Award Competitions and Awards 
  • Travel to beautiful Boston, MA this summer
Abstracts can include: 
  • New research: Unpublished, original research and/or secondary analysis of data
  • Methods: Newly established or characterized methods, or evaluations of existing methods
  • Protocols: Descriptions of proposed studies, or recruitment and process results of newly started studies
  • Case study vignette: A clinical vignette or case report is a means of disseminating new knowledge gained from clinical practice
More information on how to submit your science at NUTRITON 2023 is available at https://nutrition.org/n23/abstracts-at-nutrition-2023/.  
Connected 2023 Conference and 8th Annual Obesity Summit

Connected 2023 Conference

Connected 2023 is Obesity Canada's annual public conference, taking place virtually on World Obesity Day, March 4, 2023. Registration is free and open to anyone interested in learning about the pillars of modern, evidence-based obesity management from leading experts.  Registration, agenda, and speaker information can be found here.


8th Annual Obesity Summit

If you’re a healthcare professional, researcher, policy maker or student working in obesity prevention and management and want to learn, share, and network with Canada’s obesity community, be sure to join us for the 8th Annual Obesity Summit in beautiful Whistler BC on May 14 – 17, 2023.

The Canadian Obesity Summit is a biennial conference that brings together professional obesity stakeholders for a collegial, engaging learning experience.

The goals of this Summit are:
  • To provide an interactive forum to share current understanding of the causes, complications,  prevention and management approaches for obesity.
  • To be a platform for exchange of obesity research from epidemiology and public health to cell biology, energy regulation, clinical management, and health policy
  • To support students and new professionals and increase interdisciplinary capacity among future obesity researchers and health professionals in Canada.

The Summit will bring together approximately 1,000 participants from a wide range of educational institutions, governmental and non-governmental agencies, and the private sector.

Visit https://obesitycanada.ca/cos/ to register today!

 
Precision Counseling Workshop & COPE's Feeding the Need, Developing Solutions Webinar Series

Precision Counseling Workshop

March 9, 2023
9a – 2p

Inn at Villanova, Villanova, PA


Awards 4 CH for nurses, 4 CPEUs for dietitians

Facilitated by Eileen Stellefson Myers, MPH, RDN, LDN, CEDRD-S, FADA, FAND


Who should attend? Open and content applicable to all healthcare professionals, health coaches, and healthcare students.
The goal of this workshop is to help healthcare professionals provide true personalized care. If we really want to “meet patients and clients where they are” we need to know how to use the shared decision making process. It seems intuitive that you do shared decision making, but often what seems like shared decision making is still directing the patient to the treatment you think is best. During this workshop, you will learn and practice the effective use of this process and have the unique opportunity to work through the steps of creating your own decision tool. You will have time for practice and will receive real time feedback so you will gain confidence in using the shared decision making process in your practice.

Click here for more information and to register.
Email cope@villanova.edu for group pricing rates!  
 

FREE continuing education lunchtime webinars

Thursday, February 16 | 12-1 PM ET
Binge Eating Disorder: Psychological and Treatment Considerations in Bariatric Surgery
Presented by Eva Panigrahi, PHD
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Wednesday, March 15 | 1-2 PM ET (note later start time)
Healthy Aging: The Role of Diet and Other Lifestyle Factors on the Maintenance of Brain Health 
Presented by Thomas M. Holland, MD, MS
Physician scientist, Rush University Medical Center, Institute for Healthy Aging
Assistant Professor, Rush Medical College and Rush College of Health Sciences

Each webinar approved to award 1 free contact hour (RN) or 1 CPEU (RD/RDN/DTR)
 
Cardiovascular Nursing Symposium and Obesity Clinician Education from PCNA
Cardiovascular Nursing Symposium

The Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA) invites you to attend the 29th Annual Cardiovascular Nursing Symposium April 13-15, 2023. Attend sessions live at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, or virtually from your home or workplace, and earn 14.6 CE including 5.4 pharmacology. Find the complete schedule and register here.
 
Obesity Clinician Education from PCNA

Learn about the interrelationships of obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in episodes of PCNA’s Heart to Heart Nurses podcast. Two new podcasts on obesity will be launching Feb. 21, covering the impact of obesity on CVD outcomes, and advocacy for patients with obesity.

In the meantime, you can learn about Treating Diabetes in the Cardiovascular Space from Eryn Bryant, MSN, NP-C and Sun Kim, MD, MS. You can also hear about Heart Failure Management: SGLT2i and GLP-1 RA Mechanisms of Action from Kim Newlin, MSN, ANP, FPCNA, and Colleen McIlvennan, PhD, DNP, ANP, FAHA, FHFSA. Check out all the episodes wherever you listen to podcasts.

For some quick reads on obesity and CVD connections, check out the following articles:
Register for the Obesity Medicine 2023 Conference – in New York!
Earn up to 30 CME/CE during the Obesity Medicine 2023 Conference in New York, April 19-23, to gain treatment techniques that will help prepare you to treat obesity at the root and to manage your patients’ obesity-related conditions. Save up to $300 when you register by March 10, 2023. The spring conference includes the Spring Obesity Summit as well as the following pre-conference course options:
  • Review Course for the ABOM Exam
  • Fundamentals of Obesity Treatment
Register Today!
950+ Pass Obesity Medicine Certification Exam; Total number of ABOM diplomates surpasses 6,700
The American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) announced last week that more than 950 physicians passed its board certification exam administered in November 2022. The number of physicians who are board certified in obesity medicine now exceeds 6,700 in the United States and Canada. Since 2017, the number of ABOM diplomates has more than tripled.
 
YEAR Number of ABOM Diplomates
2023 6,729
2022 5,881
2021 5,242
2020 4,102
2019 3,377
2018 2,656
2017 2,073

The 956 new diplomates who passed the most recent ABOM certification exam include internists (332), family physicians (305), pediatricians/pediatric subspecialists (79), endocrinologists (61), surgeons (45), gastroenterologists (33) and obstetricians/gynecologists (28) along with numerous other specialists. Thirty-three new diplomates are from Canada.

“Since its inception, the American Board of Obesity Medicine has been guided by the vision that patients in every community would one day have access to a qualified physician with the knowledge, skill, and compassion to treat the disease of obesity,” said ABOM Board Chair Judith Korner, MD, PhD. “With the tremendous growth of the field over the last six years, we are getting closer to realizing this goal.”

Next Exam Window: October 2-14, 2023
The American Board of Obesity Medicine will administer its next certification exam October 2-14, 2023, at Pearson VUE computer-based testing centers.

2023 CERTIFICATION EXAM KEY DATES AND FEES
Exam window: October 2-14, 2023
Early Application deadline: July 10, 2023 ($1,500 fee)
Final Application deadline: August 7, 2023 ($1,750 fee)
Copyright © 2023 STOP Obesity Alliance, All rights reserved.


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