Practical Strategies for Obesity Treatment in Children and Adolescents

Pediatric obesity has become one of the most pressing public health challenges facing healthcare providers today, affecting children and adolescents across all demographics and contributing to a growing burden of related comorbidities. As new evidence-based treatment options emerge—from intensive lifestyle interventions to pharmacotherapy and metabolic surgery—front-line providers are increasingly called upon to evaluate, counsel, and coordinate comprehensive care for young patients with obesity and their families.

Practical Strategies for Obesity Treatment in Children and Adolescents will equip healthcare providers with current, evidence-based knowledge and actionable tools for delivering high-quality, compassionate care to pediatric patients with obesity. Drawing on the 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Clinical Practice Guidelines, this course addresses the full spectrum of pediatric obesity treatment, including the management of obesity-related health complications, mental health and disordered eating considerations, intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment, pharmacotherapy, and the role of bariatric surgery in adolescents.

Attendees will also explore the critical importance of weight-sensitive communication—learning to recognize and address weight bias and stigma to foster a supportive, non-judgmental care environment. Keynote presentations on child obesity policy and the New Dietary Guidelines for Americans will provide a broader context for clinical decision-making. A patient panel offering first-hand perspectives on experiences, successes, and challenges rounds out a dynamic, multidisciplinary educational experience.

Multidisciplinary collaboration is central to effective pediatric obesity care. This course brings together experts in pediatric medicine, psychology, pharmacology, nutrition policy, and surgery to provide a comprehensive, integrated perspective on treating children and adolescents with obesity.

Sarah Armstrong, MD, FAAP, has devoted her career to the treatment of children and adolescents with obesity, particularly those from underserved backgrounds who experience social, ecological, and environmental barriers to health. She has built, and directed a comprehensive pediatric weight management clinic, Duke Children’s Healthy Lifestyles (HL), recognized as one of the largest child obesity programs nationally, and she is the medical director for Bull City Fit, a community-based fitness program serving historically marginalized populations of children and their families. The program delivers physical activity and cooking classes through a partnership with a local Parks and Recreation department. Her research focuses on systematically assessing the effectiveness, implementation, and scalability of a clinic-community model for obesity treatment and cardiovascular health among children in rural and urban settings.

Olga Gupta, MD, is an Associate Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology at Duke University School of Medicine. She also practices Obesity Medicine with the Duke Healthy Lifestyles Program. Her areas of specialty include diabetes, hypoglycemia, insulin signaling, and metabolic disorders. Dr. Gupta’s clinical and research work focuses on pediatric obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disease, with a particular emphasis on improving outcomes for children and adolescents with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Her research spans both basic and clinical science and includes innovative behavioral and technology-enabled interventions to support diabetes self-management in youth. She is the principal investigator on NIH-funded studies examining novel approaches to improving glycemic control and addressing disparities in diabetes technology use among pediatric patients.

Dana Portenier, MD, FACS, is an Associate Professor of Surgery and Director of Bariatric Surgery at Duke University. He attended the College of Charleston, where he completed a degree in Biochemistry and received the Biochemistry Honors Award. He went on to graduate from the Medical School of South Carolina at Charleston. He then went to Providence Hospital in Detroit, MI, for his residency, where he received the Charles G. Johnston Excellence in Research Award from the Detroit Surgical Society. He also received the General Surgery Resident of the Year Award in 2003 and 2004. Dr. Portenier trained in upper gastrointestinal surgery as a traveling Hepatic-Pancreatic-Biliary Fellow, completing rotations at Mayo Clinic (Minnesota), Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York), and Saint James University Hospital, Leeds (England). Dr. Portenier completed an Advanced Fellowship in Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery at Duke University. Upon completion, he joined the division. Dr. Portenier’s clinical interests include minimally invasive approaches to upper gastrointestinal surgery for diseases of the esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, adrenal glands, spleen, small bowel, and colon; complicated revisional foregut and bariatric surgery; developing new techniques in the field of single-incision surgery; and weight loss surgery. Dr. Portenier has over 15 years of experience in performing Bariatric Surgery and training MIS Fellows. Dr. Portenier is board-certified by the American Board of Surgery. He is a member of SAGES and ASMBS. He is a globally known leader in the field of Bariatric Surgery and is a frequent speaker at conferences around the world.

Target Audience

Practical Strategies for Obesity Treatment in Children and Adolescents is designed for healthcare professionals who diagnose, treat, or manage pediatric patients with obesity. This course is particularly relevant for clinicians seeking to expand their knowledge of current evidence-based guidelines and emerging treatment modalities in pediatric obesity care.

Healthcare professionals who will benefit from this course include: Pediatricians and family medicine physicians, advanced practice providers, pediatric specialists, nurses, and other allied health professionals involved in pediatric obesity care. This course is suited for both clinicians new to pediatric obesity management and experienced practitioners seeking to update their knowledge in line with the latest AAP guidelines and advances in treatment options.

Learning Objectives

After attending this program, participants should be able to:

Summarize the key recommendations of the 2023 AAP Clinical Practice Guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of children and adolescents with obesity.
Describe weight-sensitive communication strategies that address bias and stigma in clinical encounters with pediatric patients and their families.
Identify and manage common obesity-related health complications in children and adolescents, including metabolic, cardiovascular, and mental health comorbidities, as well as the interrelationship between obesity, disordered eating, and mental health.
Discuss the comprehensive continuum of pediatric obesity management by evaluating the clinical evidence, eligibility criteria, and safety protocols for intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatments (IHBLT), pharmacotherapy, and bariatric surgery

Exhibitors are encouraged to join us and participate in face-to-face interactions with members of the medical and bariatric community. Highlight your company's latest advances in technology and research, network with attendees, and stay up-to-date on critical issues and advancements in the field. For more information or to download the prospectus, please see our Exhibitor and Sponsorship page.

Due to the intimate nature of the conference center, audience size, and program content, we are limited in the number of participating exhibitors. Register early to secure your spot.

Exhibitor benefits include:

· Connect: Network with a diverse community of healthcare professionals and build lasting client relationships

· Showcase: Debut cutting-edge products, offer live demonstrations, and highlight your commitment to advancing patient care

· Grow: Generate high-quality leads, conduct real-time market research, and boost your brand’s visibility while showcasing your dedication to technological advances and clinical education

Duke University Health System Department of Clinical Education and Professional Development designates this live activity for a maximum of 6 credits for AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s), ANCC, ACPE-Pharmacist, ACPE-Pharmacy Technician, Attendance, and JA Credit-AH. Attendees should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

The designation was based upon the quality of the educational activity and its compliance with the standards and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).