ABSTRACT
Treatment of overweight and obesity in children, and prevention of these conditions, is imperative. The role of parents in treatment of childhood obesity depends upon the stage of the child’s development. In children younger than pubertal, parental support and engagement in lifestyle change are critical to the child’s success. The goal of treatment of pediatric obesity depends on the physiological age of the child. Although the reduction of excess adiposity in a safe, tolerable, and sustainable way is still the treatment goal, the clinician must assess the child’s growth to develop the treatment plan. The use of diets that induce nutritional ketosis in children is historically supported, both by populations eating primarily meat and fat and by the use of ketogenic diets to treat seizures. The obesity medicine specialist caring for a child typically obtains an initial measurement of lipids, a chemistry profile, and fasting glucose and insulin levels.
