Childhood Obesity's Most Downloaded Paper of 2024 from Pennington Biomedical Laboratory

BATON ROUGE—"Closing the Gap Between Evidence and Practice for Childhood Obesity Treatment," authored by Pennington Biomedical's Pediatric Obesity and Health Behavior Laboratory's Dr. Amanda Staiano and Dr. Alyssa Button, was the most downloaded paper in 2024 from Childhood Obesity, a leading peer-reviewed journal dedicated to strategies for obesity prevention and weight management in children and adolescents.

Published in September 2024, the paper garnered more than 450 downloads, highlighting its significant impact on the field. The study synthesized key themes from a June 2023 video conference, which was led by Dr. Staiano and involved 183 interdisciplinary attendees, centered on the American Academy of Pediatrics' clinical practice guidelines for treating child and adolescent obesity. Additionally, it incorporated insights from the Pediatric Obesity Health Services Research Work Group, which is co-chaired by Dr. Staiano and Dr. Button and is part of the Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network.

"Dr. Staiano and Dr. Button's paper and their research addresses a critical gap in translating evidence-based guidelines into practical, scalable solutions for childhood obesity treatment," said Dr. John Kirwan, Executive Director of Pennington Biomedical. "Their work underscores our commitment to advancing innovative strategies that improve the health and well-being of children nationwide."

The publication is a resource for healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers striving to implement the AAP's guidelines effectively. It emphasizes collaboration across sectors to ensure children and adolescents have access to evidence-based care that addresses their unique needs.

"Closing the Gap Between Evidence and Practice for Childhood Obesity Treatment" identified several themes related to the future of health services for youth with obesity and the critical gaps identified:

• Obesity Is Not a Disease of Willpower
• Health Care Providers Need Training and Technical Assistance
• A Child-Centered Approach Requires Treating Multiple Comorbidities
• Long-Term Data Are Needed to Monitor Effectiveness and Safety of Obesity Treatment
• Financial Coverage Is Required for Equitable Access to Obesity Treatment

"We are honored by the recognition of this work," Dr. Staiano, Director of the Pediatric Obesity and Health Behavior Laboratory, said. "Childhood obesity is a complex challenge, and bridging the gap between evidence and practice is critical for creating meaningful and sustainable solutions."

Dr. Staiano is the director of the Pediatric Obesity & Healthy Behavior Laboratory at Pennington Biomedical. Her primary research interest is developing and testing family-based healthy lifestyle interventions that utilize innovative technology to decrease pediatric obesity and its comorbidities.

Dr. Button was a postdoctoral fellow in the Pediatric Obesity & Healthy Behavior Laboratory from 2022-24 and is currently Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU.

To read the full paper, visit: https://liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/chi.2023.0136.

About the Pennington Biomedical Research Center

The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is at the forefront of medical discovery as it relates to understanding the triggers of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia. Pennington Biomedical has the vision to lead the world in promoting metabolic health and eliminating metabolic disease through scientific discoveries that create solutions from cells to society. The center conducts basic, clinical, and population research, and is a campus in the LSU System.

The research enterprise at Pennington Biomedical includes over 530 employees within a network of 44 clinics and research laboratories, and 13 highly specialized core service facilities. Its scientists and physician/scientists are supported by research trainees, lab technicians, nurses, dietitians, and other support personnel. Pennington Biomedical is a globally recognized state-of-the-art research institution in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

For more information, see www.pbrc.edu.

Provided by Louisiana State University