The Pediatric Clinical Obesity Program emphasizes clinical research relating to biomedical and behavioral aspects of obesity in children and adolescents, including the impact of the fetal and neonatal environment on pediatric obesity. It encompasses clinical studies investigating appetite and food intake, energy expenditure, body composition, or the impact of obesity or its treatment on body composition, metabolic factors, psychosocial factors, or co-morbid conditions except for type 2 diabetes. Research on the pathophysiology, prevention, and treatment of type 2 diabetes in children is appropriate for the Type 2 Diabetes in the Pediatric Population Program. Intervention studies performed in clinical settings with a primary goal of weight loss or prevention of inappropriate weight gain using modalities such as medications or surgery, as well as interventions targeting children with chronic illness or disabilities are encompassed within this program. Investigations incorporating improved assessment of body composition, examination of health risk factors with specific degrees of obesity or body composition, and determination of the effect of exercise on body composition in children are also are supported. Clinical trials in which the goal of the study is to assess methods to prevent weight gain or induce weight loss in adults are contained within the Obesity Prevention and Treatment Program, as are prevention and treatment trials in children or adolescents which are carried out in non-medical settings, such as schools, homes, and communities. Observational studies or studies using secondary data analysis are appropriate for the Nutritional Epidemiology Program. Studies with a major focus on the genetics or genomics of obesity are encompassed within the Genetics and Genomics of Obesity Program.
For more information, contact Dr. Mary Horlick, Pediatric Clinical Obesity Program Director.
