Pediatric Weight Management Program
Pediatric weight management can be complicated. To make healthy lifestyle changes, children and adolescents and their parents often need support from doctors, nutritionists, psychologists and others. Our team of experts at the Children's Health℠ Pediatric Weight Management Program tailors care to your child’s unique needs and your family’s lifestyle. We’ll connect you and your child with programs and services that help create a healthy environment, help your child maintain a healthy weight, and help the entire family live a healthy life.
Conditions We Treat
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.
By participating in healthy activities, you can help your child feel less alone and more supported.
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.
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.
Meet the Care Team
Meet the team of experts who lead our pediatric weight management programs.
- Sarah Barlow, MDPediatric Gastroenterologist
- Bethany Cartwright, MDPediatric Endocrinologist
- Nivedita Patni, MDPediatric Endocrinologist
- Faisal Qureshi, MDPediatric Surgeon
- Charina Ramirez, MDPediatric Gastroenterologist
- Amanda Shaw, MDPediatric Endocrinologist
- Grayce Summers, PA-CPhysician Assistant - Pediatric Surgery
- JAJoaquin Adame, APRN, PNP-PCPediatric Nurse Practitioner - Endocrinology
- EGEmily Guthrie, APRN, PNP-PCNurse Practitioner - Endocrinology
- Jimmy Penn, APRN, FNPNurse Practitioner - Endocrinology
- Bernice Samuel, APRN, FNPNurse Practitioner - Endocrinology
- Alicia Wheelington, PhDPediatric Psychologist
- Cinthia Piva BlackburnRegistered Dietitian (RD)
- MCMarjorie CravenRegistered Dietitian (RD)
- Kara GannRegistered Dietitian (RD)
- Alex GoolsbyRegistered Dietitian (RD)
- Amy HolcombeRegistered Dietitian (RD)
- Michaelann RangelRegistered Dietitian (RD)