Programs and resources tailored to your child

No single weight management strategy works for every child. At Children’s Health, we work to understand your child’s unique situation and create a care plan tailored to their needs. Our Healthy Weight Management Program offers a variety of resources and programs, including:

• Expert advice on nutrition and healthy lifestyles, helping families learn how to make healthy meals and helping children stay active through sports and other fun activities.

• Personalized care and proven strategies, improving the health and wellness of children with obesity and weight-related complications, like Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

• The latest in weight loss surgery, providing surgical, medical, nutritional, emotional and social support for children and adolescents who are candidates for weight loss surgery.

• A Food Resource Center, helping ensure all families in our Healthy Weight Management program have easy access to healthy foods.

Team of experts

Your child’s care team will consist of dedicated providers who work together to provide the best possible care. Your child’s care team may include:

• Advanced practice providers and physicians, who support your child’s overall care

• Dietitians, who create healthy snack and meal plans tailored to your child's preferences and your family's lifestyle.

• Psychologists, who help children and families navigate behavioral changes for healthier lifestyles, emotional obstacles related to weight and more.

• Social workers, who connect families with support and resources that help their child thrive.

• Surgeons, who provide expert care for children and adolescents who receive weight loss surgery.

The latest approaches to weight management for children

Your child’s care is backed by the latest research and technology. We leverage the most advanced tools and approaches to help your child improve their health, including:

• Understanding genetic and biological factors that make children prone to gaining weight

• Building virtual and in-person programs that help children and families create and maintain healthy eating and activity routines

• Identifying and addressing emotional and self-esteem issues that can underlie or result from this condition

• Using the latest weight loss medications for children

Pediatric Weight Management Program Eligibility

All of our programs require a referral. Clinical projects are medical visits where insurance is billed. Community programs are free. These programs include:

Clinical programs:

• Nutrition Clinic Weight Management is for children of all ages, body mass indexes (BMI) and diagnoses.

• COACH Program is for children ages 1-17 with body mass index above the 95th percentile

• Bariatric Program is for teens 14 and older who have a BMI above 35, serious health conditions, and are willing to make significant dietary and lifestyle changes.

Community programs:

• Family Cooking Class is for children ages 9-14 and a parent or guardian.

• Get Up and Go is for children ages 6-14 with a high body mass index (over the 85th percentile) accompanied by a parent or guardian.

• Type 2 Diabetes Prevention is for children with a family history of diabetes, those who have been diagnosed with prediabetes and those who have been diagnosed with Acanthosis Nigricans.