Chairs

Kristen Copeland, MD

Nakiya Showell, MD, MHS, MPH
Charles R. Woods, MD, MS

The mission of the Obesity SIG is to connect individuals who share an interest in childhood obesity and to share resources, research, and best practices.

Current SIG Goals

  • Provide a forum for highlighting and discussing important pediatric environmental health issues.
  • Serve as a network to connect health professionals with an interest in pediatric environmental health.
  • Gauge awareness among health professionals of the environment as a contributor to children’s health.

 

Join the Obesity SIG

Annual Summary

The Obesity SIG conducted three main activities this year:

  1. Planning and delivering an interactive and well-received workshop at the PAS annual meeting (April 28th, 8-11AM)
  2. Conducting elections for two new co-chairs.
  3. Hosting a happy hour and networking event at a local restaurant at the PAS annual meeting (April 28, 7-8: 30 PM)

Our SIG produced a highly interactive session once again PAS this year, which was very well received by 47 attendees. Evaluations were submitted by 16 attendees with an average of 5.0 out of 5.0 rating. Specifically, attendees appreciated the opportunity to discuss, and connect with colleagues, with some reporting that collaborations were initiated with other colleagues at the meeting. The program focused on understanding, bridging, and building on links between primary care, tertiary care, and the community for the treatment and prevention of obesity. It was held on April 28th and began with introductory comments from our SIG mentor, Sandra Hassink. Next, the program included 15-minute presentations on 4 key areas, listed below. We were excited to have the below expert speakers share strategies and approaches on bridging links between primary care, tertiary care, and the community across settings and across age groups.

If you are interested in copies of the presentations, please contact the Obesity SIG co-chairs.

  1. “Schools and the Medical Community - Natural Partners for Children’s Health” – Bob Siegel, MD.
  2. “Real-world experiences in connecting community programs and the healthcare setting” - Adolfo Ariza, MD.
  3. “The Best Treatment for Pediatric Obesity is Prevention - Let’s start the conversation sooner” - Roohi Kharofa, MD.
  4. “Now and Later: An Overview of Current and Emerging Tools for Self-management and Communication” - Susan Woolford, MD.

Next participants chose two topics for in-depth and interactive roundtable discussions (rotating after 25 minutes). Key learnings from the discussions and report outs were given by a fellow or faculty member

  1. Health Literacy
  2. Serving the Underserved
  3. Culture, Ethnicity, and Health Care
  4. Disease Self-Management
  5. Nutrition
  6. Advocacy Training
  7. Environmental Health
  8. Teaching in Community Settings
  9. Academic Fellows