Childhood Obesity as a Chronic Disease
Keeping the Weight Off
- Erinn T. Rhodes, MD, MPH;
- David S. Ludwig, MD, PhD
- Author Affiliations: Division of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital Boston, and Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
- Corresponding Author: David S. Ludwig, MD, PhD, Division of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital Boston, 333 Longwood Ave, Sixth Floor, Boston, MA 02115 (david.ludwig{at}childrens.harvard.edu).
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
- KEYWORDS:
- BEHAVIOR CONTROL
- CHILD
- CHILD HEALTH SERVICES
- CHRONIC DISEASE
- FAMILY
- OBESITY
- RESEARCH
- SOCIAL SUPPORT
- WEIGHT LOSS
Medical problems facing children are distinct in many ways from those of adults, and for this reason, their evaluation, management, and outcome assessment must be given special consideration. Decades ago, pediatric care focused on morbidities associated with acute infection or chronic illness lacking specific treatment, whereas, today, care of children must increasingly address the biological and social causes of chronic disease.1 Childhood obesity has become a clear example of this new type of challenge, requiring that the full biopsychosocial context of a disease be considered in daily care of the patient.
Although pediatrics is distinct from its adult counterpart, potential management strategies for pediatric diseases can sometimes be adapted from the adult setting, and few medications find their way directly to children without some history in adult medicine. However, in the case of obesity, weight loss interventions in adults have generally yielded poor long-term outcomes,2-3 providing …
